About a month after the petition was written, the governor's answer reached the Saints at Independence. He said that no citizens have a right to take the law into their own hands. "Such conduct strikes at the very existence of society and subverts the foundation on which it is based." But he said that he could not persuade himself that any portion of the citizens of Missouri needed force to teach them this. Governor Dunklin should have looked more closely at the written statements of the mob, which Elders Phelps and Hyde enclosed in the petition. The mob's words were: "Intending as we do to rid our society (of the Mormons), peaceably if we can, forcibly if we must, we deem it of the highest importance to form ourselves into a company for the better and easier accomplishment of our purpose." This same statement was repeated in other words.
The governor advised the Saints to have their enemies arrested and tried by law in the ordinary way. He said that justices of the peace could issue warrants. But the trouble was that they would not. Throughout Governor Dunklin's term of office he filled his letters with patriotic words, but he did not restore the Saints to their homes and rights. He was perhaps sincere in his desire to do right, but he lacked vigor and strength and waited for extraordinary troubles to mend themselves in an ordinary way instead of doing his duty bravely and with determination. At least, Governor Dunklin was not the lawless brute that was Lilburn W. Boggs who became governor after him.
CHAPTER XVII.
1833.
THE MISSOURI SAINTS HIRE LAWYERS AND THE MOB FORMS—NIGHT ATTACK ON BIG BLUE BRANCH—TWO DAYS OF CRUELTY AND PLUNDER—THE BATTLE—SAINTS GIVE UP ARMS.
The Saints in Jackson county, taking the advice of the governor, prepared to try by the common methods of law to gain their rights, and they relied on his promise to use force if these means failed. They hired four prominent lawyers and paid them one thousand dollars for their work. How glad we are that they did this! They showed that they loved peace and were seeking it by all means in their power. And this is one more testimony against Missouri.
But at the time, this action of the Saints only made matters worse. Lawyers Wood, Reese, Doniphan and Atchison, wrote under date of October 30, 1833, agreeing to work for the Saints, and on the night of the following day, as soon as the news had spread, the mob came together. There was a branch of the Church on the west bank of the Big Blue river and this the mob chose to attack.
It was night, and the little lone settlement off in the wilderness was at peace. Suddenly fifty armed men whose hearts were full of cruelty appeared and before the Saints could gather to defend themselves it was too late. They broke into the houses, cursing people with awful oaths. The children and their mothers were terrified and ran out into the darkness to hide in the brush with the wild beasts. The fathers could not even go with them, but were caught and whipped and knocked down with clubs. When the bleak morning came they crept back, but their houses were torn down, their homes ruined.
Gray, cheerless November had come. The voices of the wind and storm were loud and boisterous. The signs of winter were fast appearing. At such a season it was pleasant to gather in the evening about the blazing, crackling fire in the great, open hearth and enjoy its cheerfulness. But this was not the lot of the Saints in Zion.
Night after night without ruth nor mercy the mob broke into the homes and drove out men and women, the sick and aged, and little children, and sometimes not daring to go into the houses themselves, the cowards threw stones through the windows. So you see when the Saints went to bed they knew not what horrible scene might be before them when they awoke. How earnestly those little children must have prayed for God to keep them safe during their sleep, and when morning came for Him to guard them through the day! Do you think you are as earnest in your prayers?