| 1077 return of mail that we might have it in our hands to present when our people are ready to start. If this should meet your approbation and the order sent by return of mail, we think it would be of great convenience to our society.
We would also be obliged to your Excellency for information concerning the necessary expenses of ferriage &C. Are our people bound to pay the ferriage on their return? as they have already sustained heavy losses, and many of them lost their all, a mitigation of expenses on their return at this time, where they could legally be reduced, would afford great relief; not only ferriage across the Missouri river, but other items of expense that could lawfully be reduced.
We remain your Excellency's
Most obedient servants
A. S. GILBERT,
W. W. PHELPS,
EDWD. PARTRIDGE, &c."
"Copy of a letter from Daniel Dunklin Governor of the State of Missouri, to Col. J. Thornton, dated,
"City of Jefferson, June 6th. 1834.
Dear Sir.-I was pleased at the reception of your letter, concurred in by Messrs. Reese, Atchison, and Doniphan, on the subject of the Mormon difficulties. I should be gratified indeed if the parties could compromise on the terms you suggest, or, indeed, upon any other terms satisfactory [satisfactory] to themselves. But I should travel out of the line of my strict duty, as chief executive officer of the government, were I to take upon myself the task of effecting a compromise between the parties. Had I not supposed it possible, yes, probable, that I should, as executive of the State, have to act, I should before now, have interfered individually in the way you suggest, or in some other way, in order if possible to effect a compromise, uncommitted as I am, my duty; though it may be done with the most extreme regret. My duty in the relation in which I now stand tot he parties, is plain and straight forward. By an official interposition, I might embarrass my course, and urge a measure for the purpose of effecting a compromise, and it should fail, and in the end, should I find it my duty to ACT contrary to the ADVICE I had given, it might be said, that I either advised wrong, or that I was partial to one side or the other, in giving advice that I would not, as an officer follow. A more clear and indisputable right does not exist, that the Mormon people, who were expelled from their homes in Jackson county, to return and live on their lands, and if they cannot be persuaded as a matter of POLICY, to give up that right, or to qualify it, my course, as the chief executive officer of the State is a plain one.-The constitution of the United States, declares, "that the citizens of each State shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several States." Then we cannot interdict any people who have a political franchise in the United States from emigrating to this state, nor from choosing WHAT PART of the state they will settle in, provided they do not trespass on the property or rights of others.-Our State constitution declares that the people's "right to bear arms, in defence [defense] of themselves, and of state, cannot be questioned."-Then it is their constitutional right to arm themselves. Indeed our military law, makes it the duty of every man, not exempted by law, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, to arm himself with a musket, rifle, or some fire-lock, with a certain quantity of ammunition &c.: and again, our constitution says, "that all men nave a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences." I am fully persuaded that the eccentricity of the religious opinion and practices of the Mormons, is at the bottom of the outrages committed against them.
They have the right constitutionally guaranteed to them, and it is indefeasible, to believe, and worship JOE SMITH as a man, an angel, or even as the only true and living God, and to call their habitation Zion, the Holy Land, or even heaven itself. Indeed there is nothing so absurd or ridiculous, that they have not a right to adopt as their religion so that in its exercise they do not interfere with the rights of others.
It is not long since an imposter [impostor] assumed the character of Jesus Christ, and attempted to minister as such; but I never heard of any combination to deprive him of his rights.
I consider it the duty of every good citizen of Jackson county and the adjoining counties to exert themselves to effect a compromise of these difficulties, and were I assured I would not have to act in my official capacity in the affair, I would visit the parties in person and exert myself to the utmost to settle it. My first advice would be to the Mormons to sell our their lands in Jackson county, and to settle somewhere else, where they could live in peace, if they could get a fair price for them, and reasonable damages for injuries received. If this failed I would try the citizens and advise them to meet and rescind their illegal resolves of last summer; and agree to conform to the laws in every particular, in respect to the Mormons. If both these failed, I would then advise the plan you have suggested, for each party
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