Smith were furnished with the "fat of the land" by their disciples, many of whom were wealthy.

A Mormon temple was erected at Kirtland at an expense of about $50,000. In this building there was a sacred apartment, a kind of holy of holies, in which none but the priests were allowed to enter. An unsuc

cessful application was made to the Legislature for the charter of a bank. Upon a refusal, they established an unchartered institution, commenced their banking operations, issued their notes, and made extensive loans. The society now rapidly increased in wealth and numbers, of whom many were doubtless drawn thither by mercenary motives. But the bubble at last burst. The

bank being an unchartered institution, the debts due were not legally collectible. With the failure of this institution, the society rapidly declined, and Smith was obliged to leave the state to avoid the sheriff.

Most of the sect, with their leader, removed to Missouri, where many outrages were committed against them. The Mormons raised an armed force to "drive off the infidels," but were finally obliged to leave the state.

The last stand taken by the Mormons was at Nauvoo, Illinois, a beautiful location on the Mississippi river. Here they erected a splendid temple, 120 feet in length by 80 in width, around which they built their city, which at one time contained about 10,000 inhabitants. Being determined to have their own laws and regulations, the difficulties which attended their sojourn in other places followed them here, and there was constant collision between them and the surrounding inhabitants. By some process of law, Joseph Smith (the Prophet) and his brother Hyram were confined in the debtor's apartment in the jail at Carthage, in the vicinity of Nauvoo, and a guard of 8 or 10 men were stationed at the jail for their protection. While here, it appears that a mob of about 60 men, in disguise, broke through the guard, and firing into the prison, killed both Joseph Smith and his brother Hyram, June 27, 1844. Their difficulties still continued, and they determined to remove once more. At this time (1848) the Mormons have left Nauvoo, and are now on their way to California, where they expect to establish themselves in a permanent manner.

2 EMANCIPATION IN THE BRITISH WEST INDIES.

By the efforts of the friends of human freedom in Great Britain, an act was passed by Parliament by which eight hundred thousand slaves in the British Colonies were made free. The emancipation began August 1st, 1834, but was not completed till August 1st, 1838. Most of the Islands at first adopted a kind of apprenticeship

for their slaves, thinking that gradual emancipation was better than that which was immediate. The latter method however, was found to be the best.

The following account of the ushering in of the memorable 1st of August, 1834, is from Messrs. Thome and Kimball's "Emancipation in the West Indies :"

"The Wesleyans kept watch-night in all their chapels, on the night of the 31st of July. One of the Wesleyan missionaries gave us an account of the watch meeting at the chapel in St. Johns. The capacious house was filled with the candidates for liberty. All was animation and eagerness. A mighty chorus of voices swelled the song of expectation and joy, and as they united in prayer, the voice of the leader was drowned in the universal acclamation of thanksgiving, and praise, and blessing, and honor, and glory to God who had come down for their deliverance. In such exercises the evening was spent until the hour of twelve approached. The missionary then proposed, that when the clock on the cathedral should begin to strike, the whole congregation should fall upon their knees, and receive the boon of freedom in silence. Accordingly as the loud bell tolled its first notes, the crowded assembly prostrated themselves on their knees. All was silent, save the quivering, half stifled breath of the struggling spirit. The slow notes of the clock fell upon the multitude; peal on peal, peal on peal, rolled over the prostrate throng, in tones of angels' voices, thrilling among the desolate chords and and weary heart strings. Scarce had the clock sounded its last note, when the lightning flashed vividly around, and a loud peal of thunder roared along the sky; God's pillar of fire, and trump of jubilee! A moment of profoundest silence passed; then came the burst; they broke forth in prayer; they shouted, they sung, Glory Alleluia;' they clapped their hands, leaped up, fell down, clasped each other in their free arms, cried, laughed, und went to and fro, tossing upward their unfettered hands; but high above the whole there was a mighty sound which ever and anon swelled up; it was the uttering in negro, broken dialect, of gratitude to God.

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"After this gush of excitement had spent itself, and the congregation became calm, the religious exercises were resumed, and the remainder of the night was occupied in singing and prayer, in reading the Bible, and in addresses from the missionaries, explaining the nature of the freedom just received, and exhorting the freed people to be industrious, steady, obedient to the laws, and to show themselves in all things worthy of the high boon which God had conferred upon them.

"The first of August came on Friday, and a release was proclaimed from all work until the next Monday. The day was chiefly spent, by the great mass of negroes, in the churches and chapels. Thither they flocked as clouds, and as doves to their windows. The clergy and missionaries throughout the island were actively engaged, seizing the opportunity, in order to enlighten the people on all the duties and responsibilities of their new situa tion, and above all, urging them to the attainment of that higher liberty with which Christ maketh his children free. In every quarter we were assured that the day was like a Sabbath. Work had ceased; the hum of business was still, and noise and tumult were unheard in the streets. Tranquility pervaded the towns and country. A Sabbath indeed! when the wicked ceased from troubling, and the weary were at rest, and the slave was freed from his master! The planters informed us, that they went to the chapels where their own people were assembled, greeted them, shook hands with them, and exchanged most hearty good wishes."

3. SECOND ADVENT DOCTRINE, OR MILLERISM.

IN all ages of the Christian Church, persons have arisen who, from mistaken views of the prophetical writings of the Old and New Testaments, have presumed to foretell the immediate destruction of the world, many of them fixing the precise day when it would take place. The most recent prophecy of this kind was that of Wi!l

iam Miller, a deacon in one of the Baptist Churches in the northern part of the State of New York, who gave out that the second coming of Christ would take place in the year 1843.

Mr. Miller first commenced his public lectures in the year 1824, and visited the States of New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and Canada. His leading views in opposition to the general belief of most Christians at the present day were,

1st. That the second coming of Jesus Christ in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory would precede the millenium.

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2d. That at this appearing, the bodies of every parted saint would be raised: the righteous living shall be changed from mortal to immortal, and both caught up to meet the Lord in the air. The bodies of the living wicked will be destroyed by fire, and their souls shut up in the pit of woe until their resurrection unto damnation.

3d. That some time between March 21st, 1843, and March 21st, 1844, according to the Jewish method of computation of time, Christ will come to reward every one according to his works, and when the earth is purified by fire, Christ and his saints will take possession and reign therein forever.

For a number of years previous to 1843, Mr. Miller advocated his views with great apparent sincerity, and as the set time drew near, the religious fervor of Mr. Miller and his associates was increased, and large numbers attended their preaching in various places. Quite a number of persons of various denominations embraced their views, and considerable excitement and extravagances prevailed in many places. Some who embraced the Millerite views became wild and fanatical in their religious meetings, professed to perform miracles, while others gave all their property to the poor, &c. While the excitement was at its height, a spirit of denunciation prevailed against all who would not embrace their views, calling them unbelievers, hypocrites, &c. The following extracted from "The Midnight Cry!" a paper ad