The Latter-Day Prophet: History of Joseph Smith Written for Young PeopleCannon, George Q. (George Quayle)
History
The Latter-Day Prophet: History of Joseph Smith Written for Young People
Cannon, George Q. (George Quayle)
Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844 -- Juvenile literature
When the summer came, Hyrum and William Law went on a mission to
the east, and Joseph went down the Mississippi to Quincy with them.
Governor Carlin lived here and the Prophet visited him, and the two
men had a long friendly talk. The governor had commissioned Joseph
lieutenant-general of the Nauvoo Legion only three months before, and
nothing was said of the order for the arrest of the Prophet that had
been sent out in September of the preceding year.
After Joseph had set out for Nauvoo, Carlin found the old order and
put it into the hands of the sheriff and sent him with a number of
men, one of them a Missourian, to capture the Prophet. They found and
arrested him about twenty-five miles from Nauvoo, but when the man from
Missouri began to threaten and curse, most of those who had come with
the sheriff, being honorable men, withdrew and would have nothing to do
with the arrest. Joseph went back to Quincy and his trial was set by
Stephen A. Douglas for three days later, the 8th of June, at Monmouth,
Warren county.
Sheriff King, who had made the arrest, went back with Joseph to Nauvoo,
but on the way became very sick. The Prophet took him to his own home,
and he himself nursed the officer most carefully. Early on the morning
of the day before the trial, with about twenty good friends, Joseph
started for Monmouth and reached there the following day. The people
were very curious to see him. The different ministers had stirred up a
great deal of hatred, and a mob tried to seize him but the sheriff kept
them back. The trial did not take place that day and Joseph was held
secure in prison until the 9th.
Six prominent lawyers with bravery enough to defend an unpopular cause,
appeared in court for Joseph, and they advanced two strong reasons
why the Prophet should not be sent back to Missouri. The first one
was that the order for arrest, having been sent out once and returned
to Governor Carlin, became void and could not be served again; and
the second was, that the action of Missouri had been illegal and the
indictment of the Prophet was obtained through fraud and bribery.
Stephen A. Douglas was the judge, and he ordered the Prophet to be set
free on account of the reason given. Many of the lawyers on the other
side had been hired by religious people and some had even come from
Missouri to take part in the case.
Mr. O. H. Browning, who later became secretary of the interior in
President Johnson's cabinet, was the principal attorney for Joseph,
and after arguing upon the points of law, he spoke of the injustice of
sending the Prophet back to Missouri to be murdered by the ruffians of
that state. He told of the sufferings the Saints had endured, and so
pitiful was the story that many were weeping when he closed. These were
the last words of his address:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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