Part 19 (2/2)
Meanwhile, Sion and proclaimed martial law in that city The Mormons from the country promptly obeyed the call of their leader and marched to his assistance, and Nauvoo became at once a vast military camp
Governor Ford now demanded of the Mormon leaders the return of the State arion, this demand, if not promptly complied with, to be enforced by an immediate attack upon Nauvoo by the asse now for the first time the hopelessness of a conflict with State authorities, a number of the weapons were surrendered and the Smiths, accompanied by Taylor and Richards, two other More and surrendered the the warrant for their arrest Upon giving bond for their appearance, they were at once released on charge of riot A new coainst the State, declaring ion to resist the execution of lawful process--was iainst them, a warrant duly issued, the prisoners rearrested and co following this arrest, the guards stationed at the jail for the protection of the prisoners were attacked and overpowered by a mob of several hundred persons Governor Ford states:
”An attempt was nowarmed with a six-barrel pistol furnished by his friends, fired several times as the door was burst open and wounded three of the assailants At the sa John Taylor and killing Hira out of the second-story ; but the fall so stunned hi placed by the conspirators in a sitting posture, they despatched hih his body”
Thus perished, at the age of thirty-nine, the founder and prophet of the Mormon Church Contradictory stateeneration The estimate of Governor Ford, who knew him well, is as follows:
”He was the norant and coarse, had soreat natural parts which fitted him for temporary success, but which were so obscured and counteracted by the inherent corruptness of his nature that he never could succeed in establishi+ng a system of policy which looked to permanent success in the future It must not be supposed that the pretended prophet practised the tricks of a coloorave and severe aspect, and a reserved and saintly carriage of his person On the contrary, he was full of levity, even to boyish ro; dressed like a dandy, and at times drank like a sailor and swore like a pirate He could, as occasion required, be exceedingly h and boisterous as a highway robber; being always able to prove to his followers the propriety of his conduct He always quailed before power, and was arrogant to weakness At ti the deepest huuish, and indulging in theof eternal woe At such times he would call for the prayers of the brethren in his behalf with a wild and fearful anxiety and earnestness He was six feet high, strongly built, and uncommonly full muscled No doubt he was as norant people to the superiority of his physical vigor as to his great cunning and intellect”
Of a wholly different tenor is the tribute of Parley P Pratt, the poet and historian of the Mormon Church:
”President S and active; of a light coht hair, blue eyes, and of an expression peculiar to himself, on which the eye naturally rested with interest and was never weary of beholding His countenance was very ence and benevolence led with a look of interest and an unconscious smile of cheerfulness, and entirely free froravity; and there was solance of his eye, as if he would penetrate the deepest abyss of the huaze into eternity, penetrate the heavens, and comprehend all worlds He possessed a noble boldness and independence of character; his manner was easy and familiar, his rebuke terrible as the lion, his benevolence unbounded as the ocean, his intelligence universal, and his language abounding in original eloquence peculiar to hi the assassination of the Smiths, comparative quiet prevailed in the Mormon country The selection of a successor to theirthe Mormon people Revelations were published that the prophet, in imitation of the Saviour, was to rise from the dead, and some even reported that they had seen hireat white horse
Sydney Rigdon now aspired to be the head of the Church as the successor to the martyred prophet His claims were verified by a pretended revelation direct froonized by the ”quoruhaiven over to the buffetings of Satan”
The quiet iedy was of short duration
It was only the cal the vengeance of the law upon the anizing a crusade for the expulsion of the entire Mormon population from the State The trial of the assassins of the Smiths resulted in their acquittal, as was to have been expected when the intense anti-Morhout the immediate country is taken into account
The result is even less surprising when it is remembered that the principal witness for the prosecution supple seen the crime committed, by the remarkable declaration that i light descended upon his head, that several of the conspirators were stricken with total blindness, and that he heard supernatural voices in the air confir the divine mission of theevents, the names of men who at a later day achieved national distinction frequently occur The Hon O H Browning, since Senator and ed uished Whig leader, and one of the es that followed the acquittal just ain to the seat of war He says:
”When infors, I hastened to Jacksonville, where in a conference with General Hardin, Judge Douglas, and Mr McDougal the Attorney-General of the State, it was agreed that these gentlemen should proceed to Hancock County in all haste hatever force had been raised, and put an end to these disorders
It was also agreed that they should unite their influence with mine to induce the Mormons to leave the State The twelve apostles had now become satisfied that the Mormons could not remain, or, if they did, that the leaders would be coh the intervention of General Hardin, acting on instructions froreement was made between the hostile parties for the voluntary rereater part of the Mor of 1846”
Of the advisors of the Governor in the adjustall were at a later day distinguished Senators, respectively froallantly leading his regiment at the battle of Buena Vista
To the peaceable accomplishment of the purposes mentioned, a small force under a competent officer was stationed for a time in Hancock County The Governor justly felicitates hireater part of the Military Tract was saved from the horrors of civil war in the winter time, when much misery would have followed by the dispersion of families and the destruction of property”
The Moran in terrible earnest Many fare quantities of personal effects were hastily disposed of at a great sacrifice
The speeding was far different from the welco ”saints” The ”Holy City” and sacred temple soon to be destroyed were abandoned for perilous journeyings in the wilderness The chapter that immediately follows in the history of this people is indeed pathetic
The terrible sufferings of the aged and infir night of winter gathered about them on their journey, can never be adequately told But, inspired with the thought that they were the Israel of God, that Brigha was their divinely appointed leader, that the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night ever went before theers and hardshi+ps
High upon the western slope of the Wasatch hard by the old wagon trail which led down into the valley stands a huge rock around whose base the Mormon leader assembled his followers just as the last rays of a su words he recalled their persecutions and trials, told thee, the weary ht, were now ended, and their Canaan the great valley which stretched out before them
Upon a visit to Salt Lake City nearly a third of a century ago, I attended service in the great Tabernacle when it was filled to overflowing, and yet so excellent were its acoustic arrangean could be heard distinctly The surroundings were indeed ireat platform sat the President and his Council, the twelve apostles, the seventy elders, with an innumerable army of bishops, teachers, deacons, and other functionaries constituting the lower order of the Mormon hierarchy The sermon was delivered by the famous Orson Pratt, the Saint Paul of the Mormon Church, a venerable patriarch of four score years, and yet, withal, a man of wonderful power
As our little party passed in front of the speaker's platform to reach the door, he halted in his discourse, and stated to the audience that the strangers within their gates were leaving because of the near departure of their train and not because of any disrespect to the service Then, bowing his aged head, he invoked the blessing of the God of Abrahaers, and prayed ”that their long journey ht be ended in safety, and that in the fulness of tihty Power, they ain, not as sojourners, but as fellow-citizens with the saints, to dwell in the Holy City”
XIV A KENTUCKY COLONEL
COL WINTERSMITH'S GREAT POPULARITY--HIS ADMIRATION FOR MR CLAY --HIS MARVELLOUS MEMORY--HIS WIT AND HUMOR
Few ton, a quarter of a century and o, than Colonel dick Wintersmith of Kentucky He had creditably filled important positions of public trust in his native State His integrity was beyond question, and his popularity knew no bounds Without the formality of party nomination, and with hardly the shadow of opposition at the polls, he had held the office of State Treasurer for nearly a score of years An ardent Whig in early life, he was a devout worshi+pper at the shrine of Henry Clay
In the later years of his life, he would often with the deepest euard” He never tired of relating interesting incidents of Mr Clay It was his glory that he had accoton, when, with the fond hope of being able by his historic ”compromise”
to pour oil on the troubled waters, he returned to the Senate for the last time
Wintersmith was the close friend of Theodore O'Hara, and stood beside hi of the monument to the Kentuckians who had fallen at Buena Vista he pronounced his now historic lines beginning--