Second to him in treachery and villainy was his natural brother, Wilson Law, a general in the Nauvoo Legion. Dr. R. D. Foster, a man not only inclined to profligacy, but one who had the means to indulge his inclination to the top of his bent, as he was wealthy. Besides these men there were the two Higbees, Francis and Chauncy, the latter a young lawyer. They were both sons of Judge Elias Higbee, a man highly respected by the Church for his upright life and sterling integrity. All the above named apostates were excommunicated from the Church for their wickedness, chiefly for seduction and adultery; and so abandoned and shameful were their crimes that the High Council which tried them had to sit with closed doors. Besides these leaders in wickedness there were a large number of apostates in Nauvoo and vicinity that had been expelled from the Church. They were recreant to every principle of righteousness, and full of bitterness. Fitful anger rankled in their breasts. They seemed to have lost the power to repent, and even the desire for forgiveness. They were possessed wholly with a fierce determination to destroy the structure--the Church--where in the days of their righteousness they were wont to find spiritual repose. In addition to these enemies, the sectarian religionists, maddened to frenzy because unable to cope successfully with Mormonism, stood ready to persecute to the death those whom they could not convert. Then there were the two political parties, Whigs and Democrats, so equally balanced that whichever party the Saints voted with gained the victory. It often happened that candidates for office made an issue of the Mormon question--promising to exterminate them, or lend their influence to that end if elected. As often as this was done the Saints were compelled in self-defense to vote against them, and their opponents were generally defeated. But whichever party the Saints voted with the other was sure to be offended, and would heap unstinted abuse on their uncovered heads, filling their press with accounts of "the enormities of Nauvoo, and of the awful wickedness of a party which would consent to receive the support of such miscreants." There was also another class of people that did no end of mischief to the character of the Saints at Nauvoo. They were counterfeiters, horse-thieves, cut-throats and all-round scoundrels, which not only infested Nauvoo and vicinity, but the whole western country. "In some districts", says Elder Taylor, "their influence was so great as to control important state and county offices." Of these Governor Ford bears witness, saying-- "Then again, the northern part of the state was not destitute of its organized bands of rogues, engaged in murders, robberies, horse-stealing, and in making and passing counterfeit money. These rogues were scattered all over the north, but most of them were located in the counties of Ogle, Winnebago, Lee and DeKalb." [1]