III.

THE power of the press in sustaining the work he had begun, was early recognized by Joseph Smith and his associates; and it was this recognition of its powers which led him to establish, as early as possible, a paper that would be under the control of the Church, voice its sentiments and defend its principles. The Church had been organized but eighteen months, and its membership was very small when a conference held in Ohio authorized the purchase of a press, and instructed W. W. Phelps to begin the publication of a paper in Independence, Missouri. In June, 1832, the first number of the Evening and Morning Star was published, being the first periodical issued by the Church.

The following year this press was broken and the tpye scattered by the mob, which collected at Independence to drive the Saints from Jackson County. This press and the property was never again restored to the Church, though the Star was afterwards published in Kirtland, edited by Oliver Cowdery.

Another periodical was subsequently published in Kirtland known as the Elders' Journal. But when Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon had to flee for their lives, in the Spring of 1838, the press and type on which the Journal was published were removed to Far West. Here an effort was made to re-issue the Journal, Sidney Rigdon being appointed editor. But again the assembling of angry mobs hindered the work. And the night that General Lucas' mob-militia force surrounded Far Wast, this

son.

press and type were buried in the dooryard of a brother by the name of DawThe form for a number of the Elders' Journal was buried, with the ink on it, in the hurry to get it safely hidden from the enemy. It remained in its grave until taken up by Elias Smith, Hyrum Clark and some others and taken to Commerce, where in the fall of 1839, it was set up in a cellar, through which a spring of water was running, and on it was published the Times and Seasons.

This periodical was issued first in a sixteen page monthly phamphlet form, but afterwards became semi-monthly. Its first editor and manager was Don Carlos Smith, the youngest brother of Joseph Smith, who learned the printer's art in the office of Oliver Cowdery, and at the time he took charge of the Times and Seasons was but twenty-four years of age. His associate was Ebenezer Robinson. The paper was first issued in November, 1839.

Don Carlos Smith continued to act as the editor of this paper until his death, which occurred on the seventh of August, 1841. Ebenezer Robinson then became the editor and Elder Robert B. Thompson was appointed to assist him. The manner in which the paper was conducted was very unsatisfactory to the Church authorities, and the Twelve Apostles took charge of it with Elder John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff as its managers, and President Joseph Smith as editor-in-chief. It was conducted by these parties for about a year, when the Prophet Joseph resigned the editorial chair, and Elder John Taylor

was assigned to the position of chief editor, and kept that place until the discontinuance of the publication of the paper, in consequence of the Saints being driven from Nauvoo. It was a valuable means of communication for the Church authorities, as they were enabled to reach the Saints through its columns in all parts of the land; and in its pages are collected the principle historical events which occurred in the early days of the Church; which, in connection with the principles and doctrine expounded by its editors, and the communications from the prophet, make it of inestimable value to the student of Church history, or of Mormon doctrine.

The gigantic plan arranged by Sidney Rigdon for the impeachment of the State of Missouri before all the State legislatures, as described in our last number, was, like many of his plans, altogether impracticable. At least it must have so been considered by Joseph, as it was altogether abandoned, and the policy adopted of appealing directly to Congress and the President.

A conference of the Church held in May, near Quincy, had appointed Sidney Rigdon a delegate to go to Washington and present the wrongs of the Mormon people before Congress and the President, but he had moved very slowly in the matter. Hence at a High Council meeting held at Commerce on the twentieth of October, 1839, the Prophet Joseph was appointed to be the delegate to Washington, and a few days later Sidney Rigdon and Elias Higbee were appointed by the same council to assist him in this mission.

As a contrast between the two men, Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith, we call attention to the fact that after his appointment to go to Washington to petition the general government, for a redress of grievances, in behalf of the Mormon people, Sidney Rigdon had allowed five long months to pass away without practically doing anything; but the ninth day after Joseph was appointed to perform this labor, he was found leaving Commerce with a two horse carriage, accompanied by Rigdon, Hig

bee and Orin P. Rockwell, enroute for Washington. Joseph was always prompt in action. There were no tedious delays in anything he undertook. No letting "I dare not wait upon I would, like the old cat i' the adage." His motto from the commencement of his career had been, "When the Lord commands, do it." And it was pretty much the same thing when a council of the priesthood, or himself individually, had determined upon any particular course of action, he at once set himself about performing it.

They passed through Springfield, the capital of the State of Illinois, on their journey, and here met with Dr. Robert D. Foster, who enacted a prominent part in some of the events connected with Nauvoo. Elder Rigdon being ill, Dr. Foster administered medicines to him, journeying with Joseph's party for several days for that purpose. At last, however, Elder Rigdon became so weak that it became necessary to leave him near Columbus, Ohio; and Orin P. Rockwell and Dr. Foster remained with him, while Joseph and Judge Higbee continued their journey to Washington.

It was during this journey, too, that Joseph met another man destined to perform a prominent part in the drama enacted at Nauvoo. This was William Law, whom Joseph's party met at Springfield, Illinois. He was then leading a small company of Saints from Canada to Nauvoo. Joseph's company remained several days at Springfield, and he preached there several times, staying at the house of General James Adams, the Probate Judge of that county, who treated Joseph with the kindness of a father.

An incident occurred as the party approached Washington which borders on the domain of the romantic, or perhaps may be considered to enter directly into it. The coachman stopped his horses in front of one of the many public houses they passed on the route, to get his grog, when the horses took fright, and dashed down the road at breakneck speed. The passengers as might be expected became terror stricken, and one woman in her

excitement tried to throw her babe out of the window; she was prevented, however, by Joseph, who calmed her fears, and pursuaded the rest of the passengers to keep their seats. He then opened the door of the coach and succeeded in climbing up the side of the vehicle, and reaching the driver's seat. Gathering up the reins, he stopped the horses before any accident occurred either to coach or passengers.

It is needless to say that Joseph's heroism drew from his fellow passengers their warmest expressions of admiration and gratitude. No terms were sufficiently strong to convey their admiration of his daring. Among the passengers were several members of Congress who proposed mentioning the incident to Congress, for they believed that body would reward Joseph's conduct by some public act. With this object in view they asked for his name, and were doubtless dumb-founded to learn that they had been saved from their imminent peril by the courage of the Mormon Prophet. At any rate the profusion of thanks and admiration was stayed, "And," says Joseph, "I heard no more of their praise, gratitude or reward." Need we stop to moralize on the littleness of man when he allows prejudice to dictate his action instead of reason?

It was on the twenty-eighth of November, 1839, that Joseph and Judge Elias Higbee arrived in Washington, and took up their abode at an unpretentious boarding house, on the corner of Missouri and Third Streets. They were very much cramped on account of means, as the people they represented were poor in this world's goods, and unable to supply the means necessary to enable their delegates to indulge in the luxurious style of living, usually adopted by those, who go to the seat of government on special missions, in behalf of their fellow citizens.

The day following his arrival, Joseph obtained an interview with President Martin Van Buren, who had been elected to the Presidency by the Democratic party. We shall give Joseph's own account of this visit to President Van

Buren, that our readers may judge of the impression he made upon Joseph, and what Joseph thought of Congress generally:

On Friday, the twenty-ninth, we proceeded to the house of the President. We found a very large and splendid palace, surrounded with a splendid enclosure, decorated with all the fineries and elegancies of the world. We went to the door and requested to see the President, when we were immediately introduced into an upper apartment, where we met the President, and were introduced into his parlor, where we presented him with our letters of introduction. As soon as he had read one of them, he looked upon us with a kind of half frown, and said: "What can I do? I can do nothing for you! If I do anything, I shall come in contact with the whole State of Missouri."*

I cannot determine whether it was on the occasion of this visit that President Van Buren made use of the infamous expression, "Your cause is just, but I can do nothing for you," or whether he so expressed himself at some subsequent meeting. But under date of February 6th, '39, Joseph says, in speaking of his mission at Washington:

During my stay I had an interview with Martin Van Buren, the President, who treated me very insolently, and it was with great reluctance he listened to our message, which, when he heard, he said: "Gentlemen, your cause is just, but I can do nothing for you. If I take up for you, I shall lose the vote of Missouri." His whole course went to show that he was an office seeker, that self aggrandizement was his ruling passion, and that justice and righteousness were no part of his composition.

As this language is somewhat different to that reported by Joseph, on the occasion of his first visit to the President, we are inclined to the opinion that the language attributed to him in the latter quotation was used at some subsequent meeting to the first. We again quote from Joseph's letter to Hyrum:

Now we shall endeavor to express our feelings and views concerning the President, as we have been eye-witness to his majesty. He is a small man, sandy complexion, and ordinary features, with frowning brow, and considerable body, but not well proportioned as to his arms and legs and in fine, to come directly to the point, he is so much of a fop or a fool (for *Letter to Hyrum Smith, Dec. 5th, 1839.

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he judged our cause before he knew it), we could find no place to put truth into him. We do not say the Saints shall not vote for him, but we do say boldly, that we do not intend he shall have our votes..

Joseph speaks very highly of the Senators and Representatives from Illinois, who rendered him some considerable assistance in getting a hearing before a committee of Congressmen, but he was not favorably impressed with Congressmen or their conduct on the whole. He says:

For a general thing there is but little solidity and honorable deportment among those who are sent here to represent the people, but a great deal of pomposity and show. There is such an itching disposition to display their oratory on the most trivial occasions, and so much etiquette, bowing and scraping, twisting and turning, to make a display of their witticism, that it seems to us rather a display of folly and show, more than substance and gravity, such as becomes a great nation like ours. However, there are some exceptions.

After the meeting with the President, a meeting with the Illinois delegation in Congress was arranged, to take into consideration the best means of getting the wrongs of the Saints before Congress. This meeting took place on the sixth of December. A Mr. Robinson of that delegation, whether in the House or Senate I do not know, took a stand against the Saints presenting any claims to be liquidated by the United States; but Joseph contended against him, and presented the constitutional rights of the people, and Mr. Robinson promised to reconsider the subject, and at the meeting the next day it was decided that a memorial and petition be drawn in concise form and presented by Judge Young, who had taken a lively interest in the cause of the Saints. At this stage of the proceedings, Joseph and Judge Higbee learned that it was necessary to have more positive testimony on the subject in hand, so that they sent to Nauvoo and a very large number of affidavits were taken and forwarded to Washington to sustain the statements to be presented to Congress.

The petition presented to Congress related the outrages committed against

the Saints at considerable length, from the commencement of difficulties in Jackson County in the autumn of 1833, until their final expulsion from the State in the winter of 1838-9; and made emphatic the infamy of Governor Boggs' exterminating orders, which gave the coloring of authority for the action of the State mob-militia.* They said in their statement of wrongs that if given an opportunity they could prove every allegation they made against the State of Missouri. And that "neither the Mormons as a body, nor as individuals of that body, had been guilty of any offense against the laws of Missouri, or of the United States; but their only offense had been their religious opinions."

In conclusion the petition represents that for the wrongs endured:

The "Mormons" ought to have some redress; yet how and where shall they seek and obtain it, they asked.

Your Constitution guarantees to every citizen, even the humblest, the enjoyment of life, liberty and property. It promises to all their religious freedom, the right of all to worship God beneath their own vine and fig tree, according to the dictates of their own conscience. It guarantees to all the citizens of the several States the right to become citizens of any one of the States, and to enjoy all the rights and immunities of the citizens of the State of his adoption. Yet of all these rights have the "Mormons" been deprived. They have, without a cause, without a trial, been deprived of life, liberty and property. They have been persecuted for their religious opinions. They have been driven from the State of Missouri at the point of the bayonet, and prevented from enjoying and exercising the rights of citizens of the State of Missouri. It is the theory of our laws, that for the protection of every legal right, there is provided a legal remedy. What, then we would ask, is the remedy for the "Mormons?" Shall they appeal to the Legislature of the State of Missouri for redress? They have done so. They have petitioned, and these petitions have been treated with silence and contempt. Shall they apply to the federal courts? They were,at the time, citizens of the State of Missouri. Shall they apply to the courts of the State of Missouri? Whom shall they sue? The order for their destruction, their extermination, was granted by the Executive of the State of Missouri. Is not this a plea of *See Missouri Persecutions, Volume VII.