| 166 people should not vote at the next election."-History of Illinois, pp. 412-414.
Whether the "Mormons" did agree not to vote as set forth in the above by Governor Ford, or whether if they did so agree they violated their pledge, it is impossible to tell, there are so many conflicting reports. It is asserted that they did so agree, and then violated their pledge by voting solidly for the Democratic ticket. This so enraged the Whigs that their press again renewed the attack by pouring forth a volume of vituperation and abuse. Thus was the public mind aroused to such desperation that control was impossible.
On this point Governor Ford states:-
"This vote of the Mormons enraged the whigs anew against them; the probability that they might attempt to remain permanently in the country, and the certainty that many designing persons for selfish purposes were endeavoring to keep them there, revived all the excitement which had ever existed against that people. In pursuance of the advice and under the direction of Archibald Williams, a distinguished lawyer and whig politician of Quincy, writs were again sworn out for the arrest of persons in Nauvoo, on various charges. But to create a necessity for a great force to make the arrests, it was freely admitted by John Carlin, the constable sent in with the writs, that the prisoners would be murdered if arrested and carried out of the city. This John Carlin, under a promise to be elected recorder in the place of a Jack Mormon recorder to be driven away, was appointed a special constable to make the arrests. And now the individuals sought to be arrested were openly threatened to be murdered. The special constable went to Nauvoo with the writs in his hands, the accused declined to surrender. And now having failed to make the arrests, the constable began to call out the posse comitatus. This was about the 1st of September, 1846. The posse soon amounted to several hundred men. The Mormons in their turn swore out several writs for the arrest of leading anti-Mormons, and under pretense of desiring to execute them, called out a posse of Mormons. Here was
(page 166) |
