No. 26.

The following letter from Rev. W. H. Rice, of Addison, Steuben Co., N. Y., tells its own story. There is a possibility that L. L. Rice, of Honolulu, S. I., may have a Spaulding manuscript in his possession; but unquestionably it is not the original" Manuscript Found,” from which the "Book of Mormon" was constructed, as all the evidence given in these pages will show. AUTHOR.

ADDISON, N. Y., February 21, 1885.

MRS. ELLEN E. DICKINSON : Yours of the 18th is received. When my father went to Honolulu, he took some documents which had not been examined for many years. A few months since he began to look them over, and found one marked "Conneaut Story." He found it to be a story in Scripture narrative style, purporting to be written by Rev. Solomon Spaulding. It must have been unnoticed in his hands forty-five years or more, and he writes me that he has no recollection as to its origin or how it came into his possession. His age is eighty-four. It has been examined by all the best scholars in Honolulu, including Rev. Dr. Hyde, Judge McCully of the Supreme Court, and none of them has expressed a doubt that it is an original manuscript from the pen of Solomon Spaulding. It is similar in style to the "Book of Mormon," but is not identical with it in any part. It is signed by several " witnesses," all of whom, as I have learned, actual residents of Conneaut or its vicinity-now all dead. Hurlburt is, I believe, one of the names. This is the substance of all I know about it. I should think there could be no doubt that Mr. Spaulding wrote it; but whether he also wrote other stories in similar style is an important question. Yours truly,

W. H. RICE.

No: 27.

COPY OF THE TITLE-PAGE OF THE ORIGINAL EDITION OF 66 THE BOOK OF MORMON.

A copy of the original edition of the "Book of Mormon" is, without doubt, the scarcest book published in

the nineteenth century which has obtained any reputation. As an evidence of this, a gentleman was in search of a copy for a great many years, and always unsuccessful, until a copy came into his possession by accident in New York, among a lot of old school books, which, by the by, in external appearance it strongly resembles.

The following is an exact copy of the title-page of this book:

66

The) Book of Mormon). An account written by the hand of Mormon from plates taken from the plates of Nephi. Wherefore it is an abridgement of the Record of the people of Nephi; and also of the Lamenites; written to the Lamenites which are a remnant of the House of Isreal; and also to Jew and Gentile; written by way of commandment and also of the spirit of Prophesy and of Revelation, written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed; to come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof; sealed by the hand of Morini and hid up unto the Lord to come forth in due time by the way of Gentiles, the interpretation thereof by the gift of God; an abridgement taken from the Book of Ethen. Also which is a record of the people of Jared which were scattered at the time, the Lord confounded the language of the people when they were building a tower to get to Heaven; which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Isreal how great things the Lord hath done for their fathers, and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever; and also to the convincing of the Jew, and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ the Eternal God, manifesting Himself unto all nations. And now if there be fault, it be the mistake of man; wherefore condemn not

the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the Judgment seat of Christ.

By JOSEPH SMITH, JUNIOR,

PALMYRA.

Printed by E. D. GRANDIN,

Author and Proprietor.

For the Author.
1830."

Camp Douglas is situated on a hill overlooking the city. It is occupied by several regiments of Federal troops, under command of United States officers. While the troops are a nominal safeguard to the Gentiles of Salt Lake Valley, they would be quite inadequate in number to protect them in case of a conflict between the Mormons and Gentiles.

The Rev. Joseph Cook predicts a civil war in Utah within a few years; in fact, at almost any time, as a natural sequence to the events now transpiring among the Saints. He affirms that every male Mormon is trained and ready for the conflict. He also asserts that Mormonism without polygamy is so dread an evil, that it should be exterminated at any cost. Every Mormon he considers a sworn enemy to the Federal Government, and that Mormonism is a political as well as spiritual hierarchy, and without immediate and stringent measures are used, in a few years the Mormon leaders will rule every State west of the Mississippi.

INDEX.