Times and Seasons (, Hancock Co., IL), 15 Oct. 1842, vol. 3, no. 24, pp. 943–958; edited by JS. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.
Historical Introduction
JS, assisted by and , served as editor for the 15 October 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons, the twenty-fourth and final issue in the third volume. It is highly unlikely that JS played any significant role in writing editorial content for this particular issue, because he spent much of October in hiding in Henderson County, Illinois. Nevertheless, as the newspaper’s editor, he was ultimately responsible for its content. This was the last issue published under JS’s editorship.
The non-editorial content in the issue, which is not featured here, included an installation of the serialized “History of Joseph Smith” and several articles reprinted from other newspapers on the impact of violence and disease in various places around the world, including the outbreak of cholera in Europe, the slaughter of Chinese forces by British soldiers in China, ongoing labor protests in , and the destruction in Cuba caused by a recent storm.
Editorial content in this issue included commentary on biblical history, a rebuttal of rumors that JS had fled to , and criticism of published comparisons of the Bible with the writing of William Shakespeare. Additional editorial content included a defense of JS’s decision to hide from law enforcement officials who were seeking his arrest and his extradition to ; a passage countering opinions that the Latter-day Saints should flee , Illinois, in order to avoid future persecution; and an article presenting evidence for Christianity’s general falling away from the primitive church described in the New Testament. Furthermore, the editors included comments on reports of ’s lectures in , a description of a pamphlet wrote about the church written in German, an introduction to a brief history of Australia, and a request for church members to renew their subscriptions to the newspaper.
Note that only the editorial content created specifically for this issue of the Times and Seasons is annotated here. Articles reprinted from other papers, letters, conference minutes, and notices, are reproduced here but not annotated. Items that are stand-alone JS documents are annotated elsewhere; links are provided to these stand-alone documents.
a number of persons. The former was the Asiatic cholera; but the present is only considered by medical men as a violent attack of diarrhoea and dysentery, which, however, if not taken in time, is equally fatal to the unfortunate patient. For the last fifty years fruit has not been remembered to be so plentiful as during the present season, which supply has been so much increased by the immense quantity imported from , Covent Garden, Hungerford, the Borough, Spitalfields, and other markets, in the metropolis, have had such abundant supplies that it was with difficulty the dealers could dispose of them at any price. The present malady, which is now so extensively raging, is mostly attributed by the faculty to an over-indulgence in fruit, and not from any epidemic, so as to cause any alarm to the public; as those who have unfortunately fallen victims to its dreadful effects have been ascertained to have made a very free use of fruit, which, added to a disordered state of the system, caused by the excessive heat that has prevailed for the last month would alone bring on a violent attuck of cholera, or, more properly speaking, diarrhoea. The number of deaths since July 16th to 20th instant, has been upwards of 200, some of them decided cases, among which may be mentioned that of the late Mr. Barrett, the Governor of Whitecross street prison. It has, however, been more confined to children and aged persons. In the number of deaths has been very great, attributed entirely to the same causes, but not from epidemic—Morning paper.
The mortality from cholera, diarrhoea, and dysentery in , for the three weeks ending August 6, amounted to 109 deaths; for the previous three weeks, ending July 16, 40; making an increase of 69 deaths in the course of the last three weeks—a consequence of the rash indulgence resulting from the plenty and cheapness of fruit. Children and aged persons have been the greatest sufferers.
————
Butchery in China.—We find the following paragraph in the London Sun of the 3d instant, relative to the last battle in China:—
Arrangements were made for an attack in three columns, two of which were gallantly led by Sir H. Gough and Sir W. Parker in person. Nothing could exceed the bravery of the troops. They contrived to surround the Chinese, and quite bewildered them. The carnage was dreadful, being more a butchery than a battle. Ignorant of the laws of civilized warfare, the poor creatures knew not how to surrender, and were massacred. Not less than a thousand of them, including a great number of Mandarins, were killed, or drowned in the canals; whereas of the British troops only three were killed and twenty-two wounded. The encampments, and such of the buildings as had been occupied by the enemy, were burned, and the grain magazines thrown open to the populace, who speedily emptied them.
According to this, the English forces were gallantly led on to one of the most horrible butcheries on record!
————
Disturbances in the Provinces.—A Special Commission is on the eve of being issued for the trial of the rioters apprehended during the late disturbances in the manufacturing districts. Nothing is wanting but the nomination of the learned Judges to undertake this arduous duty, and it is expected that this will be arranged forthwith. The last occasion of a commisssion being issued was for the trial of Frost and his companions, in the winter of 1840. Lord Chief Justice Tindal, Mr. Justice Williams, and Mr. Sergeant Ludlow were the Judges then selected. The character of the recent outbreak being of so much more general a nature, there is every reason to believe that a greater number will be appointed.
In our last it was our painful duty to record a series of the most violent popular movements in the manufacturing districts, and it is with some degree of pleasure that we have now to state that violence has almost subsided, and though in many of the manufacturing towns the workmen still remain out, yet, it is gratifying to know that the quarrel now is one only between masters and men; not partaking in the least degree of a national character. The cry of the mob now is “more wages, and not the Charter or no work.” A number of the poor deluded men who took a leading part in the recent disturbances have been apprehended, and it is expected that a special commission will be shortly granted for their trial.— It is expected that in a few days all the hands now out will return to their employment. [p. 947]