DEAR SIR:--I now sit down to inform you of our safe arrival home on Tuesday last, after a cold and troublesome journey of four days. We found our families well and cheerful. The news of our arrival was soon generally known; and when it was understood that justice had once more triumphed over oppression, and the innocent had been rescued from the power of mobocracy, gladness filled the hearts of the citizens of Nauvoo, and gratitude to those who had so nobly and manfully defended the cause of justice and innocence was universally manifest; and of course I rejoiced with them, and felt like a free man at home. Yesterday, a letter was received by Sidney Rigdon, Esq., from John C. Bennett, which was handed to me this morning. From that letter it appears that Bennett was at Springfield a few days after we left there, and that he is determined, if possible, to keep up the persecution against me. I herewith transmit a copy of his letter, and shall rely upon your counsel, in the event of any further attempt to oppress me and deprive me of liberty; but I am in hopes that Governor Ford will not gratify the spirit of oppression and mobocracy so glaringly manifest in the conduct of John C. Bennett. The following is a copy of his letter:-- _Letter of John C. Bennett to Sidney Rigdon and Orson Pratt_. SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, January 10, 1843. _Mr. Sidney Rigdon and Orson Pratt_. DEAR FRIENDS:--It is a long time since I have written to you, and I {251} should now much desire to see you; but I leave to-night for Missouri, to meet the messenger charged with the arrest of Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Lyman Wight, and others, for murder, burglary, treason, &c., &c., who will be demanded, in a few days, on _new_ indictments found by the grand jury of a called court on the original evidence, and in relation to which a _nolle prosequi_ was entered by the District Attorney. _New_ proceedings have been gotten up on the _old_ charges, and no habeas corpus can then save them. We shall try Smith on the Boggs case, when we get him into Missouri. The war goes bravely on; and, although Smith thinks he is now safe, the enemy is near, even at the door. He has awoke the wrong passenger. The governor will relinquish Joe up at once on the new requisition. There is but one opinion on the case, and that is, nothing can save Joe on a new requisition and demand predicated on the _old_ charges on the _institution of new writs_. He must go to Missouri; but he shall not be harmed, if he is not guilty: but he is a _murderer_, and must suffer the penalty of the law. Enough on this subject.