The enemies of the Latter-day Saints thought that the murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith would be the end of "Mormonism." They rejoiced in the accomplishment of their frightful deed of blood, and boasted of the downfall of the Church. To their great surprise the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the Church. The object they hoped to gain was not attained; therefore their anger was rekindled against the Church. Other leaders had arisen and the progress of the work was steady and onward. Those who had caused the death of the Prophet and the Patriarch now turned their attention to the destruction of the entire "Mormon" people. Through their papers, the Warsaw _Signal_, Alton _Telegraph_, Quincy _Whig_ and others, they circulated all manner of false reports. They accused the Saints of theft and every other abominable crime in order to stir up the populace against them. Schemes were launched to provoke the "Mormons" to commit some overt act, that it might be seized upon as a pretext to gain the aid of the officials of the state under color of law; yet by the anti-"Mormons" the laws were constantly broken without restraint. Their malicious and murderous threats passed unnoticed so far as any check upon such actions was concerned. Attitude of Governor Ford During all the trouble Governor Thomas Ford went out of his way to inform the Saints that they were bitterly hated, and that the great majority of the citizens of the state rejoiced in the death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. Notwithstanding his bitterness, he made an investigation of the charges circulated against the Saints and reported that-- "On my late visit to Hancock County I was informed by some of their (the 'Mormons') violent enemies, that their larcenies had become unusually numerous and insufferable. They indeed admitted that but little had been done in this way in their immediate vicinity. But they insisted that sixteen horses had been stolen by the Mormons in one night, near Lima, in the County of Adams. At the close of the expedition, I called at this same town of Lima, and upon inquiry, was told that no horses had been stolen in that neighborhood, but that sixteen horses had been stolen in one night in Hancock County. This last informant being told of the Hancock County story, again changed the venue to another distant settlement in the northern edge of Adams County." In his message to the legislature he said in reference to this subject: "Justice, however, requires me to say, that I have investigated the charge of promiscuous stealing, and find it to be greatly exaggerated. I could not ascertain that there were a greater proportion of thieves in that community, than in any other of the same number of inhabitants; and perhaps if the city of Nauvoo were compared with St. Louis, or any other western city, the proportion would not be so great."