I dictated to Brother Phelps the head of my pamphlet, entitled, "Views on the Powers and Policy of the Government of the United States." A Millerite lecturer came into the office with Brother Clayton, about five, p.m. I had some conversation with him about the definition of the Greek word Hades, and the Hebrew word Sheol, &c. He lectured in the evening in the hall. Prayer-meeting at Elder Brigham Young's. Governor Ford wrote the following expostulatory epistle to the citizens of Hancock County, through the _Warsaw Signal_:-- _Governor Ford's Warning to the People of Hancock County_. SPRINGFIELD January 29, 1844. DEAR SIR:--I have received the copy of the proceeding and resolutions of a meeting of the citizens of Hancock County, which you did me the honor to send me. I have observed with regret that occasions have been presented for disturbing the peace of your county; and if I knew what I could legally do to apply a corrective, I would be very ready to do it. But if you are a lawyer, or at all conversant with the law, you will know that I, as a governor, have no right to interfere in your difficulties. As yet, I believe that there has been nothing like war among you: and I hope that all of you will have the good sense to see the necessity of preserving peace. If there is anything wrong in the Nauvoo charters, or in the mode of administering them, you will see that nothing short of legislative or judicial power is capable of enforcing a remedy. I myself had the honor of calling the attention of the Legislature to this subject at the last session; but a large majority of both political parties in that body either did not see the evil which you complain of, or, if they did, they repeatedly refused to correct it. And yet a call is made upon me to do that which all parties refused to do at the last session. I have also been called upon to take away the arms from the _Mormons,_ to raise the militia to arrest a supposed fugitive, and in fact to repeal some of the ordinances of the City of Nauvoo. Hancock County is justly famed for its intelligence; and I cannot {190} believe that any of its citizens are so ignorant as not to know that I have no power to do these things. The absurd and preposterous nature of these requests give some color to the charge that they are made for political effect only. I hope that this charge is untrue; for, in all candor, it would be more creditable to those concerned to have their errors attributed to ignorance than to a disposition to embroil the country in the horrors of war for the advancement of party ends.