History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day...

To His Excellency, Daniel Dunklin, Governor of Missouri:

Dear Sir:Notwithstanding you may have become somewhat tired of receiving communications from us, yet we beg of your Excellency to pardon us for this, as we have this day forwarded a petition to the President of the United States, setting forth our distressed condition, together with your Excellency's views of it, as well as the limited powers with which you are clothed, to afford that protection which we need, to enjoy our rights and lands in Jackson county. A few lines from the Governor of the state, in connection with our humble entreaties for our possessions and privileges, we think would be of considerable consequence towards bringing about the desired result, and would be gratefully acknowledged by us, and our society, and we may add, by all honorable men.

We therefore, as humble petitioners, ask as a favor of your Excellency to write to the President of the United States, that he may assist us, or our society, in obtaining our rights in Jackson county, and help protect us when there, till we are safe. As in duty bound, we will ever pray.

(Signed)

W. W. Phelps,

John Whitmer,

A. S. Gilbert,

Edward Partridge,

John Corrill.

Letter of W. W. Phelps to U.S. Senator Benton of Missouri on the Subject of the Petition to the President.

Liberty, Clay County, Missouri.

April 10, 1834.

Dear Sir:As our society has just sent a petition and hand-bill to {488} the President of the United States, setting forth their distressed condition since expelled from their homes by the Jackson county mob; and as you may remember that I was about to establish last summer, previous to the destruction of my office by the mob, a weekly newspaper, in favor of the present administration, I have thought best to address this communication to your honor, and refer you to said petition and hand-bill, and assure you, at the same time, that my determination is to publish a weekly paper, in Jackson county, in favor of the present administration as soon as our society is restored to its legal rights and possessions.

As a people we are bound to support our republican government and its institutions; and more than all, my press, which was wrested from me, is now printing a mean opposition paper, by "Kelly and Davis." Any communication from you will be well received by

Your obedient servant,

W. W. Phelps.

Hon. Thomas H. Benton.

Letter from Governor Dunklin to the Brethren, Answering the One Inviting Him to Write the President on the Subject of the Saints' Petition.

City of Jefferson,

April 20, 1834.

To Messrs. W. W. Phelps, Edward Partridge, John Corrill, John Whitmer, and A. S. Gilbert:

Gentlemen:Yours of the 10th inst., was received yesterday, in which you request me as executive of this state to join you in an appeal to the President of the United States for protection in the enjoyment of your rights in Jackson county. It will readily occur to you, no doubt, the possibility of your having asked of the President protection in a way that he, no more than the executive of this state, can render. If you ask for that which I may be of opinion he has power to grant, I should have no objection to join in urging it upon him; but I could no more ask the Presidenthowever willing I am to see your society restored and protected in their rightsto do that which I may believe he has no power to do, than I could do such an act myself. If you will send me a copy of your petition to the President, I will judge of his right to grant it; and if of opinion he possesses the power, I will write in favor of its exercise.

I am now in correspondence with the federal government, on the subject of deposits of munitions of war on our northern and western borders, and have no doubt but I shall succeed in procuring one, which will be located, if left to me, (and the Secretary of War seems willing {489} to be governed by the opinion of the executive of this state), somewhere near the state line, either in Jackson or Clay county. The establishment will be an "arsenal," and will probably be placed under the command of a lieutenant of the army. This will afford you the best means of military protection, the nature of your case will admit. Although I can see no direct impropriety in making the subject of this paragraph public, yet I should prefer it not to be so considered for the present, as the erection of an arsenal is only in expectancy.

Permit me to suggest to you, that as you now have greatly the advantage of your adversaries, in public estimation, there is a great propriety in retaining that advantage, which you can easily do by keeping your adversaries in the wrong. The laws, both civil and military, seem deficient in affording your society proper protection; nevertheless, public sentiment is a powerful corrector of error, and you should make it your policy to continue to deserve it.

With much respect, and great regard,

I am your obedient servant,

Daniel Dunklin.

The Brethren in Missouri to Governor Dunklin, Informing Him That They Expect the Arrival of Reinforcements from Their Brethren in the East.

Liberty, Clay County, Mo.,

April 24, 1834.

Dear Sir:In our last communication of the 10th instant, we omitted to make inquiry concerning the evidence brought up before the court of inquiry, in the case of Colonel Pitcher. The court met pursuant to adjournment, on the 20th of February last, and for some reason unknown to us, we have not been able to obtain information concerning the opinion or decision of that court; we hoped that the testimony would have been transmitted to your Excellency before this, that an order might be issued for the return of our arms, of which we have been wrongfully dispossessed, as we believe will clearly appear to the commander-in-chief, when the evidence is laid before him.

As suggested in your communication of the 4th of February, we have concluded to organize according to law, and apply for public arms; but we feared that such a step, which must be attended with public ceremonies, might produce some excitement; and we have thus far delayed any movement of that nature, hoping to regain our arms from Jackson county, that we might independently equip ourselves, and be prepared to assist in the maintenance of our constitutional rights and liberties, as guaranteed to us by our country; and also to defend our persons and property from a lawless mob, when it shall {490} please the executive at some future day, to put us in possession of our homes, from which we have been most wickedly expelled. We are happy to make an expression of our thanks for the willingness manifested by the executive to enforce the laws, so far as he can consistently "with the means furnished him by the legislature;" and we are firmly persuaded that a future day will verify to him that whatever aid we may receive from the executive has not been lavished upon a band of traitors, but upon a people whose respect and veneration for the laws of our country, and its pure republican principles are as great as that of any other society in these United States.

As our Jackson foes and their correspondents are busy in circulating slanderous and wicked reports concerning our people, their views, etc., we have deemed it expedient to inform your Excellency that we have received communications from our friends in the East, informing us that a number of our brethren, perhaps two or three hundred, would remove to Jackson county in the course of the ensuing summer; and we are satisfied that when the Jackson mob get the intelligence that a large number of our people are about to remove into that county, they will raise a great hue-and-cry, and circulate many bugbears through the medium of their favorite press; but we think your Excellency is well aware that our object is purely to defend ourselves and possessions against another outrageous attack from the mob, inasmuch as the executive of this state cannot keep up a military force "to protect our people in that county, without transcending his powers." We want, therefore, the privilege of defending ourselves and the constitution of our county, while God is willing we should have a being on His footstool.

We do not know at what time our friends will arrive, but expect more certain intelligence in a few weeks. Whenever they do arrive, it would be the wish of our people in this county, to return to our homes, in company with our friends, under guard; and when once in legal possession of our homes in Jackson county, we shall endeavor to take care of them, without further wearying the patience of our worthy chief magistrate. We will write hereafter, or send an express. During the intermediate time, we would be glad to hear of the prospects of recovering our arms.

With due respect, we are, sir, your obedient servants,

(Signed)

A. S. Gilbert,

Edward Partridge,

W. W. Phelps,

John Corrill,