"GENTLEMEN:—You whose names are not attached to this list of names, will now have the privilege of going to your fields, and of providing corn, wood, etc., for your families. Those who are now taken will go from this to prison, be tried and receive the due demerit of their crimes; but you, (except such as charges may hereafter be preferred against,) are at liberty, as soon as the troops are removed that now guard the place, which I shall cause to be done immediately. It now devolves upon you to fulfil a treaty that you have entered into, the leading items of which I shall now lay before you. The first requires that your leading men be given up to be tried according to law; this you already have complied with. The second is, that you deliver up your arms; this has been attended to. The third stipulation is that you sign over your properties to defray the expenses of the war. This you have also done. Another article yet remains for you to comply with—and that is, that you leave the State forth with. And whatever may be your feelings concerning this, or whatever your innocence, it is nothing to me. General Lucas (whose military rank is equal with mine,) has made this treaty with you; I approve of it. I should have done the same had I been here. I am therefore determined to see it executed. The character of this State has suffered almost beyond redemption, from the character, conduct and influence that you have exerted; and we deem it an act of justice to restore her character to its former standing among the States by every proper means. The orders of the governor to me were, that you should be exterminated, and not allowed to remain in the State. And had not your leaders been given up, and the terms of the treaty complied with, before this time you and your families would have been destroyed, and your houses in ashes. There is a discretionary power vested in my hands, which, considering your circumstances, I shall exercise for a season. You are indebted to me for this clemency. I do not say that you shall go now, but you must not think of staying here another season or of putting in crops; for the moment you do this the citizens will be upon you; and if I am called here again in case of non-compliance of a treaty made, do not think that I shall do as I have done now. You need not expect any mercy, but extermination, for I am determined the governor's order shall be executed. As for your leaders, do not think, do not imagine for a moment, do not let it enter into your minds, that they will be delivered and restored to you again, for their fate is fixed, their die is cast, their doom is sealed. I am sorry, gentlemen, to see so many apparently intelligent men found in the situation that you are; and oh! if I could invoke that Great Spirit, THE UNKNOWN GOD, to rest upon and deliver you from that awful chain of superstition, and liberate you from those fetters of fanaticism with which you are bound—that you no longer do homage to a man. I would advise you to scatter abroad, and never again organize yourselves with Bishops, Presidents, etc., lest you excite the jealousies of the people and subject yourselves to the same calamities that have now come upon you. You have always been the aggressors—you have brought upon yourselves these difficulties, by being disaffected, and not being subject to rule. And my advice is, that you become as other citizens, least by a recurrence of these events you bring upon yourselves irretrievable ruin."
He also said, "You must not be seen as many as five together; if you are, the citizens will be upon you and destroy you, but you should flee immediately out of the State. There is no alternative for you but to flee; you need not expect any redress; there is none for you."
I was present when that speech was delivered, and I can truly say that he is a liar and the truth is not in him, for not one of us had made any such agreement with Lucas, or any other person. What we did was by compulsion in every sense of the word; and as for General Clark and his unknown god, they had nothing to do with our deliverance; but it was our Father in heaven, the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, in whom we trust, who liveth and dwelleth in the heavens; and the day will come when our God will hold him in derision, with all of his coadjutors.
CHAPTER XII.
PERILS OF THE PEOPLE—CHEERFULNESS OF THE SAINTS AMIDST THEIR TROUBLES—VISIT OUR BRETHREN IN PRISON—APOSTLES ORDAINED—MOCK DISTRIBUTION OF STATE APPROPRIATION—LETTER FROM JOSEPH SMITH AND BRETHREN IN PRISON—INDIFFERENCE OF STATE OFFICIALS TO OUR APPEALS—WORD OF THE LORD TO ME.
One afternoon, I sent my son William a short distance on an errand, when, on his return, one of the guards drew up his rifle and threatened to blow out his brains if he stepped one inch further towards the house. Through the agency of some of my brethren, I was notified of it. I went to the man and spoke to him in a friendly manner, and conversed with him about the beautiful country, it being more beautiful than England and the nations I had been traveling in.
He became very much interested, and in a short time I pointed out my son William, who had stood still for some time after being warned not to approach, and was cold, as it was then dusk and the weather severe. Said I, "That is my son."
"Oh!" he said, "if that is one of your sons, he may pass; he may go home."
Afterwards the man left his post and came to my house and spent the evening and several times afterwards, and became very friendly, and told me he wished I would leave the "Mormons," as he liked me, and could not bear the thought of my following them with my family, for we were too good for them.