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      So we see that the American nation was not at that time prepared for the Prophet's bold design of occupying the Pacific Coast by an irresistible American emigration; yet several years afterward Fremont, with his volunteers in California, and Houston and Taylor by their action in forcing the war with Mexico, proved that a manifest destiny was in some such plan as that proposed; and an American emigration swept on like a tidal wave. And as it was, the Saints, per ship Brooklyn, were the first company of American emigrants to arrive in California; while simultaneous was the exodus of the entire community to the Rocky Mountains.

      Perhaps it were well also to note here that this petition of Joseph Smith, in 1844, was probably the original basis of the action of President Polk in calling the "Mormon Battalion," and designing to use the Saints for the national convenience of possessing California. The whole of Polk's action in the case, and the instructions of the Secretary of War to General Kearney to "make a dash into California, conquer the country, and set up a government there" in the name of the United States, show that the Cabinet were not only familiar with the Prophet's scheme, but that certain statesmen, at this date, endorsed it.

      A passing review of our national affairs of that period, will connect here most suggestively with the Mormon Prophet's bold proposition to the United States Government to possess the Pacific Coast by a hundred thousand Mormon colonists.

      From the period of Mr. Jefferson's administration the United States had been striving to checkmate the European Powers, especially Great Britain, France Russia and Spain, in their schemes to occupy the Pacific coast and firmly establish thereon the dominion of Europe. At length the contest for the Pacific Coast laid between the United States and Great Britain, Mexico herself resigning to our ambitious mother country to prevent the march of American empire upon herself. The ships of both nations were riding in the Bay of San Francisco, the admirals were watching for their respective opportunities.

      In 1845 Great Britain had matured a masterly scheme to forestall our government in the possession of California, with the co-operation of Mexico. Mr. Forbes the British Vice-Consul, was the principal agent of his government in carrying out this finely conceived design. A declaration of the independence of California from Mexico was to be made, to be followed by a petition from a convention of Californians, to be taken under the protection of Great Britain. 1 But the most diplomatic part of the scheme of the British government was to emigrate ten thousand of its subjects to the valley of San Joaquin, to own and occupy the country. An Irish priest by the name of MacNamara was chosen to fill this part of the scheme, and he went to Mexico in 1845, on n's mission to arouse the holy zeal of that republic against the "usurpation of the anti-Catholic and irreligious nation." He urged that no time should be lost or "within a year, California would become a part of the American nation, be inundated by cruel invaders, and their Catholic institutions the prey of Methodist wolves." Thus the Irish priest worded his petition to the Mexican government, urging an Irish emigration to that country for colonization in the interest of Great Britain. The Mexican government listened to this petition, and everything moved on favorably to the completion of the diplomatic scheme, which would have given California into the hands of Great Britain. Indeed, a treaty to this effect was actually signed between the British and the authorities of Mexico and her province of California, and then came events of another shaping, culminating in the war between Mexico and the United States.

      Thus may be seen from the counterpart records of those times, that the Mormon Prophet was before-hand with Great Britain in the design of possessing the Pacific Coast by colonization, as the record shows that early in 1844 he petitioned the United States for the privilege of raising 100,000 men "to extend protection to persons wishing to settle Oregon and other portions of the territory of the United States, and extend protection to the people in Texas," while at the same time he was planning the removal of his entire people on to the Pacific slope, as seen in his diary note of February 20th, 1844, already presented. And it is a singular fact in American history that two years later, and nearly simultaneous with the signing of the contract between the British Consul Forbes, Governor Pice of California, and General Castro, President Polk and his cabinet were entertaining the policy of sending a battalion of one thousand Mormon soldiers (this being the original number) overland into California fully equipped and armed, to take possession of and defend that country, while another thousand were designed to be sent from the Eastern States by way of Cape Horn for the same service.

      President Polk, at this later date, designed to checkmate the British Government, with its ten thousand Irish emigrants, with from twenty to forty thousand Mormon Protestants under the American flag. Thus the true history of those times compared, shows the extraordinary fact that, two years after the assassination of the Mormon Prophet, the United States Government was actually prepared to accept his grand colonizing plan to take possession of the Pacific territory, which he offered in his memorial to President Tyler and the Congress of the United States, bearing date March 26th, 1844. Nothing seems more certain in the record than the fact that had not the assassination of the Mormon Prophet so soon followed his colonizing offer to the United States, he had moved with his people to the Pacific Coast two or three years earlier than the occupation of Utah. And had he gone on to California he would have raised the American flag there, and struck the first blow with his Legion, instead of Fremont doing it in 1846 with his volunteers.

      Had the Prophet moved with his people, either to the Rocky Mountains or California proper, it had been at the head of his Legion. Force of circumstances, it seems, would have made him thenceforth a Prophet-General, while the very strength of his Napoleonic character would have shot him, like Jove's thunderbolt, into the action between the United States and Mexico.

      CHAPTER II.

       GOVERNOR FORD URGES THE MIGRATION OF THE MORMONS TO CALIFORNIA. COMPACT OF THE REMOVAL. ADDRESS TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. THE EXODUS MORMON LIFE ON THE JOURNEY. A SENSATION FROM THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

      Soon after the assassination of the Prophet and his brother Hyrum, Governor Ford, in a letter to President Young, under date of April 8th, 1845, urging the migration of the Mormons to California, said: "If you can get off by yourselves you may enjoy peace; but, surrounded by such neighbors, I confess that I do not see the time when you will be permitted to enjoy quiet. I was informed by General Joseph Smith last summer that he contemplated a removal west: and from what I learned from him and others at that time, I think, if he had lived, he would have begun to move in the matter before this time. I would be willing to exert all my feeble abilities and influence to further your views in this respect if it was the wish of your people.

      "I would suggest a matter in confidence. California now offers a field for the prettiest enterprise that has been undertaken in modern times. It is but sparsely inhabited, and by none but the Indian or imbecile Mexican Spaniards. I have not enquired enough to know how strong it is in men and means. But this we know, that if conquered from Mexico, that country is so physically weak, and morally distracted, that she could never send a force there to reconquer it. Why should it not be a pretty operation for your people to go out there, take possession of and conquer a portion of the vacant country, and establish an independent government of your own, subject only to the law of nations? You would remain there a long time before you would be disturbed by the proximity of other settlements. If you conclude to do this, your design ought not to be known, or otherwise it would become the duty of the United States to prevent your emigration. If once you cross the line of the United States Territories, you would be in no danger of being interfered with."

      Knowing the intentions of Joseph Smith to remove the Mormon people, Senator Douglas and others had given similar advice to him; and the very fact that such men looked upon the Mormons as quite equal to the establishment of an independent nationality, is most convincing proof that not their wrongdoing, but their empire-founding genius has been, and still is, the cause of the "irrepressible conflict" between them and their opponents. The advice of Governor Ford, however, was neither sought nor required.

      Brigham Young, carrying out Joseph Smith's plan, had nearly matured every part of the movement, shaping also the emigration from the British Mission; but the Rocky Mountains, not California proper, was the place chosen for his people's retreat.

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