| 81 TIMES AND SEASONS
"TRUTH WILL PREVAIL"
Vol. 1. Whole No. 6.] COMMERCE, ILLINOIS, APRIL, 1840 [Whole No. 6.
A HISTORY, OF THE PERSECUTION, OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST, OF LATTER DAY SAINTS IN MISSOURI.
CONTINUED.
In the winter and spring of 1838, the saints were prospered in all their pursuits; the church received great accession by emigration, as hundreds of families moved in from various parts of the United States and Canada.-Some time in the month of March, President Joseph Smith jr. arrived with his family, accompanied by several brethren, from Kirtland, Ohio; soon after this President S. Rigdon arrived with his family also, they both settled in Far West. At this time there were several persons living in Far west, who were disaffected with the church and had dissented from it, and were cut off from the church according to the rules and regulations of the same. These characters were busy in striving to stir up strife and turmoil among the brethren, and urging on mean and vexatious lawsuits; they were also, studiously engaged in circulated false and slanderous reports against the saints, to stir up our enemies to anger against us, that they might again drive us from our homes, and enjoy the spoils together we are disposed here, to give the names of some of those characters, believing that justice to an endured people, requires it at our hands. They are as follows, viz: Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmore, W. W. Phelps, John Whitmore, and Lyman E. Johnson, of whom we may have occasion to speak hereafter.
We shall now make an extract from P. P. Pratts history published in Detroit last season, which is a correct statement of facts.
"On the Fourth of July, 1838, many thousands of our people assembled at the city of Far West, the county seat of Caldwell, erected a liberty pole, and hoisted the bold [bald ?] eagle, with its stars and stripes, upon the top of the same. Under the colors of our county we laid the corner stone of a house of worship, and had an address delivered by Elder Rigdon, in which was painted, in lively colors, the oppression which we had long suffered from the hand of our enemies; and in this discourse we claimed and declared our constitutional rights, as American citizens, and manifested a determination to do our utmost endeavors, from that time forth, to resist all oppression, and to maintain our rights and freedom according to the holy principles of liberty, as guaranteed to every person by the constitution and laws of our government. This declaration was received with shouts of hosanna to God and the Lamb, and with many and long cheers by the assembled thousands, who were determined to yield their rights no more, except compelled by a superior power.
But in a day or two after these transactions, the thunder rolled in awful majesty over the city of Far West, and the arrows of lightning fell from the clouds and shivered the liberty pole from top to bottom; thus manifesting to many that there was an end to liberty and law in that state, and that our little city strove in vain to maintain the liberties of a country which was ruled by wickedness and rebellion. It seemed to portend the awful fate which awaited that devoted city, and the county and pople [people] around.
Soon after these things, the war clouds began again to lower, with dark and threatening aspect. The rebellious party in the counties around had long watched our increasing power and prosperity with greedy and avaricious eyes, and they had already boasted that as soon as we had made some fine improvements, and a plentiful crop, they would drive us from the state, and again enrich themselves with the spoils. Accordingly, at an election held in Davies co., the robbers undertook to drive our people from the poll box and threatened to kill whoever should attempt to vote. But some were determined
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