Joseph Knight) has passed through in consequence of mal-administration, mobocracy and cruelty, I feel to lift up my voice to high heaven and pray God to bless the aged veteran, and that his silver locks may go down to the grave in peace, like a shock of corn fully ripe. In a few days his friends returned with the glad news that Joseph had found the plates and had gone down to his father-in-law's for the purpose of translating them. I believe he remained there until he finished the translation. After the book was published, he came to live in the neighborhood of Father Knight's about four miles from me, and began to preach the Gospel, and many were pricked in their hearts, believed and were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. He soon formed a church at Colesville, his meetings were numerously attended; the eyes of all people were upon him with astonishment. O, Mr. Chairman, the world was turned up side down at once, and the devil, always ready to assist and help along in all difficulties that arise among men, personified in some of the religionists, begun to prick up his ears and jump and kick and run about like Jim Crow, calling for rotten eggs to help in the wake; you would have thought, sir, that Gog and Magog were let loose on the young man. He called upon the world's people (as they are called) but got no help; he then flew about in the sectarian churches like lightning, and they immediately came to his aid, and uniting their efforts, roared against him like the thunders of Mount Sinai. When those fiery bigots were let loose, they united in pouring the red hot vials of their wrath upon his head. The cry of a "False prophet! false prophet!" was sounded from village to village, and every foul epithet that malice and wicked ingenuity could invent was heaped upon him. Yes, sir, the same spirit that influenced the Presbyterians of Massachusetts, about one hundred and fifty years ago, in their persecution of the Quakers, when they first began to preach their doctrines in that state, was fully manifested by those religious bigots who were afraid if they let them alone their doctrines would come to nought. * * * But, Mr. Chairman, I am wandering too far from the subject. I will return to the persecutions which followed General Smith, when his cheeks blossomed with the beauty of youth, and his eyes sparked with innocence. Those bigots soon made up a false accusation against him and had him arraigned before Joseph Chamberlain, a justice of the peace, a man that was always ready to deal justice to all, and a man of great discernment of mind. The case came on about 10 o'clock A.M. I was called upon to defend the prisoner. The prosecutors employed the best counsel they could get, and ransacked the town of Bainbridge and county of Chenango for witnesses that would swear hard enough to convict the prisoner; but they entirely failed. _Yes, sir, let me say to you that not one blemish nor spot was found against his character,