On the 19th of October, Governor Dunklin made reply to the memorial of the members of the Church and advised them to take their grievances before the courts, for, said he: "No citizen, nor number of citizens, have a right to take the redress of their grievances, whether real or imaginary, into their own hands. Such conduct strikes at the very existence of society, and subverts the foundation on which it is based. . . . The judge of your circuit is a conservator of the peace: if an affidavit is made before him by any of you, that your lives are threatened, and you believe them in danger, it would be his duty to have the offenders apprehended, and bind them to keep the peace." He could not "permit himself to doubt that the courts were open to" the Saints. Futility of the Advice Under ordinary circumstances the governor's advice might have been of some worth. The conditions, however, were of no ordinary nature. The leaders of the mob were Samuel D. Lucas, judge of the county court; Samuel C. Owens, county clerk; John Smith, justice of the peace; Samuel Weston, justice of the peace; William Brown, constable; Thomas Pitcher, deputy constable; James H. Flournoy, postmaster, and Lilburn W. Boggs, lieutenant governor of the state, the latter, however, keeping in the background and aiding and abetting the others in their evil work. For the "Mormon" people to accept the governor's advice, would mean their trial would be conducted before their avowed and open enemies, if they were permitted a trial at all. Counsel Employed by the Saints Nevertheless, accepting the governor's advice, attorneys were engaged to fight the case. They were William T. Wood, Amos Reese, Alexander W. Doniphan and David R. Atchison, who agreed to plant suits and carry them through for one thousand dollars. Notes for that amount were given by William W. Phelps and Bishop Partridge and endorsed by Gilbert, Whitney and Co. However, very little benefit was ever derived by the members of the Church, from this action. Continued Activities of the Mob