CHAPTER XVIII.

1833-1834.

NEW STRUGGLE OF OLD WAR--MOB TURNED LOOSE ON SAINTS--THE TERRIBLE DRIVING--APPEALS TO DUNKLIN AND JACKSON--MOB AND SAINTS HOLD CONFERENCE.

Long, long ago, before we were born, before any man on earth was born, a great and terrible war was fought. This was in Heaven, between God, our Eternal and Heavenly Father, and a disobedient son, who lusted after more power. The army of the Lord was stronger, whipped Lucifer and his angels and cast them down to hell.

Some on the Lord's side were very valiant, brave spirits, others were not so brave; and some, perhaps, followed the Lord merely because He was more powerful and not because of real love for Him. These last, when placed on earth, are easy tools for Satan, and whenever God sets up His work, Lucifer uses them in his efforts to destroy it.

This struggle in Missouri was just a new battle of the old war, and it seemed as though Satan's tools were very thick there and were of the worst kind. In one sense the evil one was victor. The Saints were driven from Jackson county, and then from place to place until they fled from the state to save their lives. And yet the Lord's power is far greater than Satan's, and if He had willed it, the persecution would not have taken place; but He let it go on because the Saints did not obey all His laws and prepare themselves to build up the holy city.

When, according to Col. Pitcher's order, the weapons of the people were given up, the mob--now state soldiers--acted like a legion of devils. They rushed in companies on foot and horseback from place to place, stealing, pulling down houses, threatening to murder women and children, and tying men to trees and beating them. Ministers took an active part, and Rev. Isaac McCoy with his gun on his shoulder led one band.

Out on the wild prairie scattered all who could escape, and there they wandered, homeless and torn from their loved ones. Darkness came, and through the crisp air of the November night the stars shone down upon their misery. A few halted at dawn on the bank of the Missouri river and little by little their numbers grew. Each day more came to join them at the ferry, bringing what they could carry from their ruined homes.

A great part of the Saints crossed the river into Clay county, some went into Van Buren and Lafayette counties and some scattered in other directions. Jackson proved not the only county where unkindness was known. And almost all the Saints except those in Clay were driven again. The people in Clay did show some Christian feeling and let the Saints remain.

About a week after the terrible attack of the mob militia, before dawn on the morning of November 13th, all the heavens began to glow with splendid light. Stars shot from their places, leaving behind them a radiant train. All the colors of the rainbow were seen. It was like the most magnificent play of the northern lights. The Saints could easily see this glorious sight--few had roofs over their heads to prevent. They rejoiced, for they took it as a sign of God's glory, and it certainly was. Their enemies saw it also, and they, believing like the Saints that the Lord of hosts was showing His power, were terrified.

Just as soon as the leading brethren could cross the river, they sent out a sworn statement of all that the mob had done, to Governor Dunklin. He ordered a special court of inquiry to be held at once. This was done and Col. Pitcher was arrested for court-martial because he had taken the arms from the Saints.

The governor said he would restore the Saints to their homes by force if they wished it, but that he could not keep soldiers there to protect them. They themselves had no weapons, and of course did not care to go back and be butchered by the mob. They asked to be organized into a militia, but though this was legal it was never done.

They sent petitions to President Andrew Jackson, asking that the United States troops might be stationed in Jackson county to protect them. The soldiers had to be placed along the frontier somewhere, and the Saints thought if placed there, the mob would not dare do any violence. The president would not interfere, saying he had no authority to act in this case. On other occasions President Jackson was not so particular about authority when he wanted to carry out his plans. What an exhibition of weakness in our government! The governor of Missouri and the president of the United States both seemed willing to do what the law would permit, and yet over one thousand people were driven from their homes and kept away, although they used all the lawful means to regain them.

It was a terrible winter for the Saints in Missouri. All the comforts they had gathered about them were gone. They not only were without proper shelter from the storms but even lacked food. And while they were in this condition, across the Missouri river the mobs were tearing down and burning their empty houses and destroying their harvested crops. During one week in the spring of 1834, one hundred and fifty homes were consumed by fire.

In the latter part of February a regular court of inquiry was held in Jackson county, and about a dozen of the brethren were called as witnesses. A company of state soldiers went out with them as a guard. No sooner had they reached Independence, however, than a strong mob gathered and they were hurried back to Clay county without going into court at all. Blood would certainly have been spilled if they had stayed.

The court found Col. Pitcher guilty of calling out the militia to crush an uprising when there was no uprising to crush, and of making the Saints give up their arms when they were at peace. When Governor Dunklin received this report he ordered that the arms be returned. His orders were not regarded, and here is where his weakness was shown--a strong man would have enforced his own proper commands. Instead of being given back, the arms were divided among the mob, and the Saints never did obtain them.

On the day following the entrance into Missouri of Zion's Camp, of which you are later to hear much, on the 5th of June, 1834, the brethren wrote to Governor Dunklin telling him that the Saints were ready to be taken back to their homes in Jackson county. You remember that he had promised to protect them until they were again settled but no longer. They had now obtained new arms, Zion's Camp was coming to help them, and they believed that they could now protect themselves if the mob should rise again to hurt them.

In answering, the governor said that a clearer right did not exist than that of the "Mormon" people, who were exiled from their homes in Jackson county, to return and live on their lands. But instead of raising troops to go back with the Saints, he tried to persuade them to come to some terms with their enemies.

Through the efforts of him and other prominent men a meeting was held on the 16th of June in Clay county between members of the mob and members of the Church. Different proposals were made but none were accepted. The mob offered to buy the lands of the Saints if they would promise that no "Mormon" should ever come back, but God had commanded them to build Zion there, and they could not promise that. The Saints offered to buy the lands of all those who did not wish to live in the same county with them, but this did not suit the mob. The meeting grew very exciting and ended by one of the mob stabbing another.

It was an important gathering, for though no agreement was reached it showed the governor his plain duty. But excitement and mystery were in the air. Zion's Camp was near and the people did not know what to expect.