| 773 He was followed by brother Orson Hyde who proved by the scriptures that baptism was for the remission of sins. He next called upon brother Lyman Johnson, who spoke at some length upon the necessity of men being upright in their walk and keeping the Sabbath day holy. He then called upon brother Orson Pratt who delivered an excellent discourse on the principles of the final restoration of al things. The services of the day were concluded by a powerful exhortation from Eleazer Miller. His voice was said to be heard a mile and a half.
I would here remark concerning brother Eleazer Miler who was one of the first that brought the gospel to us in Mendon N. Y., when he used to retire to a little grove near my house for secret prayer, he would get so filled with the spirit and power of the Holy Ghost that he would burst out into a loud voice, so that he was heard by the surrounding inhabitants for more than a mile. After the day's services were over at this place many strangers were in our camp making remarks upon the preaching which they had heard. They said that brother Joseph Young by his preaching they should judge was a Methodist. They thought brother Brigham Young was a close communion Baptist. Brother Orson Hyde they supposed was a Campbellite, or reformed Baptist.-Brother Lyman Johnson they supposed was as Presbyterian, and brother Orson Pratt a Restorationer . They enquired [inquired] if we all belonged to one denomination. The answer was, We were some of us Baptists, some Methodist, some Presbyterians, some Campbellites, some Restorationers &c. On Monday morning when we passed through Jacksonville, they undertook to count us, and I heard one man say,, who stood in the door of a cabinet shop that he had counted a little rising of five hundred, but he could not tell how many there were. This thing was attempted many times in villages and towns as we passed through, but the people were never able to ascertain our number.
(To be continued)
THE VOICE OF NAUVOO!
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
PREAMBLE.
It is with feelings of deep and inexpressible regret that we learn that the inhabitants of various parts of this state are seeking to accumulate all the real and supposed crimes of the whole community for the secret or ostensible purpose of raising a tide of influence against the Mormon community that shall sweep them into irrecoverable ruin. This course of conduct, originating with our mortal enemies and gathering in its wake, other men that would revolt at the idea of lending a hand to oppress a long abused people that are struggling against foes within and foes without; is at the present almost insupportable to our feelings.-We have scarcely laid by our mourning weeds for murdered men, whom we promptly surrendered up to the State of Illinois for an equitable trial-And now we see in embryo another campaign to spill yet more blood and effect an utter extermination and massacre. We sought to rid our city of counterfeiters and black legs; these together with our foes without and within, had established a printing press of unparalleled rancor and malignity. But our efforts to obtain freedom from such vicious monsters cost us much tribulation and precious blood.
The impunity thus far granted the murderers by the Senate and other authorities of the State of Illinois, had emboldened them and their apologists to set on foot a series of other exciting causes that they hope will either destroy the community, or prevent their criminals from being brought to punishment. We have not so much fear that our enemies will succeed in their fiendish designs against us, as we have that the peace and good order of the people of this State will be disturbed, and fearful anarchy and bloody misrule will ensue among those who listen to and countenance the fell designs of those who are stealing from quiet citizens of the State and palming upon them a spurious and false currency, and charging to the Mormons their own crimes. If they shall succeed, the citizens will be involved in continual larcenies, and neighborhood broils, and crimes, the end of which cannot now be foreseen. We deprecate such evils and calamities because we desire the good of all mankind; as the gratuitous labors of the greater portion of our citizens in spreading truth throughout the world under much poverty and suffering, abundantly prove.
As for us, our course is fixed, and while we are peaceable and loyal to the constitution and laws of our country, and are ever willing to join hands with the honest, virtuous, and patriotic in suppressing crime and punishing criminals, we will leave our enemies to judge, whether it would not be better to make Nauvoo one universal burying ground, before we suffer ourselves to be driven from our hard earned and lawful homes, by such high-handed oppression, and it may yet become a question to be decided by the community, whether the Mormons will, after having witnessed their best men murdered without redress, quietly and patiently, suffer their enemies to wrench from them the last shreds of their constitutional
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