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174 THE STORY OF MORMONISM.

and would trust him. What he purposed doing was to demand the surrender of Joseph Smith and others. He wished them to promise him that they would lend their assistance to protect the prisoners from violence, which they agreed to do.

After his arrival at Carthas^e the orovernor sent two men to Nauvoo as a committee to wait on Joseph Smith, informing him of his arrival, with a request that Smith would inform him in relation to the diffi- culties that then existed in the county. Dr J. M. Bernhisel and Elder John Taylor were appointed as a committee by Smith, and furnished with affidavits and documents in relation both to the proceedings of the Mormons and those of the mob; in addition to the general history of the transaction they took with them a duplicate of those documents which had previously been forwarded by Bishop Hunter, Elder James, and others. This committee waited on the governor, who expressed an opinion that Joseph Smith and all par- ties concerned in passing or executing the city law in relation to the press had better come to Carthage; however repugnant it might be to their feelings, he thought it would have a tendency to allay public ex- citement, and prove to the people what they professed, that they wished to be governed by law. The next day the constable and a force of ten men were de- spatched to Nauvoo to make the arrests. The accused were told that if they surrendered they would be pro- tected; otherwise the whole force of the state would be called out, if necessary, to take them.

Upon the arrival of the constable and his posse, the mayor and the members of the city council declared that they were willing to surrender. Eight o'clock was the hour appointed, but the accused failed to make their appearance; whereupon the constable returned, and reported that they had fled. The governor was of opin- ion that the constable's action was part of a plot to get the troops into Nauvoo and exterminate the Mor- mons. He called a council of officers and proposed to