LITMIR.BIZ

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four commissioners: General Hardin, Commander of the State Militia; Senator Douglass; W. B. Warren; and J. A. McDougal, to demand the removal of the Mormons to the Rocky Mountains. The commissioners held a council with the Twelve Apostles at Nauvoo, and the Mormon leaders promptly agreed to remove their people at once, a movement, as we have seen, which they had been considering for several years. Now were they brought face to face with the issue. The Mormon leaders sought not to evade it; but, with their characteristic Israelitish methods, resolved to grapple with the tremendous undertaking of the exodus of a people.

      On that exodus, hung, not only the very destiny of the people, but the peace of the State of Illinois. Probably it was a sensible comprehension of this fact that prompted General Hardin to ask of the Twelve Apostles, at the council in question, what guarantee they would give that the Mormons would fulfill their part of the covenant. To this Brigham Young replied, with a strong touch of common-sense severity: "You have our all as the guarantee; what more can we give beyond the guarantee of our names?" Senator Douglass observed, "Mr. Young is right." But General Hardin knew that the people of Illinois, and especially the anti-Mormons, would look to him more than to Douglass, who had been styled the Mormon-made senator; so the commissioners asked for a written covenant, of a nature to relieve themselves of much of the responsibility, and addressed the following: "Nauvoo, Oct. 1st, 1845.

      "To the President and Council of the Church at Nauvoo: "Having had a free and full conversation with you this day, in reference to your proposed removal from this country, together with the members of your church, we have to request you to submit the facts and intentions stated to us in the said conversations to writing, in order that we may lay them before the Governor and people of the State. We hope that by so doing it will have a tendency to allay the excitement at present existing in the public mind.

      "We have the honor to subscribe ourselves,

      Respectfully yours,

      John J. Hardin,

      W. B. Warren,

      S. A. Douglass,

      J. A. McDougal."

      The covenant itself is too precious to be lost to history; here it is: "Nauvoo, Ill., Oct. 1st, 1845.

      "To Gen. J. Hardin, W. B. Warren, S. A. Douglass, and J. A. McDougal: "Messrs:—In reply to your letter of this date, requesting us ' to submit the facts and intentions stated by us in writing, in order that you may lay them before the Governor and people of the State,' we would refer you to our communication of the 24th ult. to the 'Quincy Committee,'etc., a copy of which is herewith enclosed.

      "In addition to this we would say that we had commenced making arrangements to remove from the country previous to the recent disturbances; that we have four companies, of one hundred families each, and six more companies now organizing, of the same number each, preparatory to a removal.

      "That one thousand families, including the Twelve, the High Council, the trustees and general authorities of the Church, are fully determined to remove in the Spring, independent of the contingencies of selling our property; and that this company will comprise from five to six thousand souls.

      "That the Church, as a body, desire to remove with us, and will, if sales can be effected, so as to raise the necessary means.

      "That the organization of the Church we represent is such that there never can exist but one head or presidency at any one time. And all good members wish to be with the organization: and all are determined to remove to some distant point where we shall neither infringe nor be infringed upon, so soon as time and means will permit.

      "That we have some hundreds of farms and some two thousand houses for sale in this city and county, and we request all good citizens to assist in the disposal of our property.

      "That we do not expect to find purchasers for our Temple and other public buildings; but we are willing to rent them to a respectable community who may inhabit the city.

      "That we wish it distinctly understood that although we may not find purchasers for our property, we will not sacrifice it, nor give it away, or suffer it illegally to be wrested from us.

      "That we do not intend to sow any wheat this Fall, and should we all sell, we shall not put in any more crops of any description.

      "That as soon as practicable, we will appoint committees for this city, La Harpe, Macedonia, Bear Creek, and all necessary places in the county, to give information to purchasers.

      "That if these testimonies are not sufficient to satisfy any people that we are in earnest, we will soon give them a sign that cannot be mistaken—we will LEAVE THEM.

      "In behalf of the council, respectfully yours, etc.,

      Brigham Young, President.

      Willard Richards, Clerk.'''

      The covenant satisfied the commissioners, and for a time also satisfied the anti-Mormons.

      But their enemies were impatient for the Mormons to be gone. They would not keep even their own conditions of the covenant, much less were they disposed to lend a helping hand to lighten the burden of this thrice-afflicted people in their exodus, that their mutual bond might be fulfilled—a bond already sealed with the blood of their Prophet, and of his brother the Patriarch. So the High Council issued a circular to the Church, January 20, 1846, in which they stated the intention of their community to locate "in some good valley in the neighborhood of the Rocky Mountains, where they will infringe on no one, and not be likely to be infringed upon." "Here we will make a resting place," they said, '.' until we can determine a place for a permanent location. * * * We also further declare, for the satisfaction of some who have concluded that our grievances have alienated us from our country, that our patriotism has not been overcome by fire, by sword, by daylight nor by midnight assassination which we have endured, neither have they alienated us from the institutions of our country."

      Then came the subject of service on the side of their country, should warbreak out between it and a foreign country, as was indicated at that time by our growing difficulties with Mexico. The anti-Mormons took advantage of this war prospect, and not satisfied with their act of expulsion, they raised the cry, "The Mormons intend to join the enemy!" This was as cruel as the seething of the kid in its mother's milk, but the High Council answered it with the homely anecdote of the Quaker's characteristic action against the pirates in defense of the ship on which he was a passenger, when he cut away the rope in the hands of the boarder, observing: "If thee wants that piece of rope I will help thee to it."

      "The pirate fell," said the circular, "and a watery grave was his resting place."

      Their country had been anything but a kind protecting parent to the Saints, but at least, in its hour of need, they would do as much as the conscientious Quaker did in the defense of the ship. There was, too, a grim humor and quiet pathos in the telling, that was more touchingly reproachful than would have been a storm of denunciations. In the same spirit the High Council climaxed their circular thus: "We agreed to leave the country for the sake of peace, upon the condition that no more persecutions be instituted against us. In good faith we have labored to fulfill this agreement. Governor Ford has also done his duty to further our wishes in this respect, but there are some who are unwilling that we should have an existence anywhere; but our destinies are in the hands of God, and so are also theirs."

      Early in February, 1846, the Mormons began to cross the Mississippi in flat boats, old lighters, and a number of skiffs, forming, says the President's Journal, "quite a fleet," which was at work night and day under the direction of the police, commanded by their captain, Hosea Stout. Several days later the Mississippi froze over, and the companies continued the crossing on the ice.

      On the 15th of the same month, Brigham Young, with his family, accompanied by Willard Richards and family, and George A. Smith, also crossed the Mississippi from Nauvoo, and proceeded to the " Camps of Israel," as they were styled by the Saints, which waited on the west side of the river, a few miles on the way, for the coming of their leaders. These were to form the vanguard of the migrating Saints, who were to follow from the various States where they were located or had organized themselves into flourishing

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