yed with alacrity;[139] and the outcome justified the high
expectations which were entertained of this body. The convention
nominated for governor, Adam W. Snyder, whose peculiar availability
consisted in his having fathered the Judiciary Bill and the several
acts which had been passed in aid of the Mormons. The practical wisdom
of this nomination was proved by a communication of Joseph Smith to
the official newspaper of Nauvoo. The pertinent portion of this
remarkable manifesto read as follows: "The partisans in this county
who expected to divide the friends of humanity and equal rights will
find themselves mistaken,--we care not a fig for _Whig or Democrat_:
they are both alike to us; but we shall go for our _friends_, our
TRIED FRIENDS, and the cause of _human liberty_ which is the cause of
God.... DOUGLASS is a _Master Spirit_, and _his friends are our
friends_--we are willing to cast our banners on the air, and fight by
his side in the cause of humanity, and equal rights--the cause of
liberty and the law. SNYDER and MOORE, are _his_ friends--they are
_ours_.... Snyder, and Moore, are _known_ to be our friends; their
friendship is _vouched_ for by those whom we have tried. We will never
be justly charged with the sin of ingratitude--they _have_ served us,
and we _will_ serve them."[140]

This was a discomfiting revelation to the Whigs, who had certainly
labored as industriously as the Democrats, to placate the Saints of
Nauvoo. From this moment the Whigs began a crusade against the
Mormons, who were already, it is true, exhibiting the characteristics
which had made them odious to the people of Missouri.[141] Rightly or
wrongly, public opinion was veering; and the shrewd Duncan, who headed
the Whig ticket, openly charged Douglas with bargaining for the Mormon
vote.[142] The Whigs hoped that their opponents, having sowed the
wind, would reap the whirlwind.

Only three months before the August elections of 1844, the Democrats
were thrown into consternation by the death of Snyder, their
standard-bearer. Here was an emergency to which the convention system
was not equal, in the days of poor roads and slow stage-coaches. What
happened was this, to borrow the account of the chief Democratic
organ, "A large number of Democratic citizens from almost all parts of
the State of Illinois met together by a general and public call"--and
nominated Judge Thomas Ford for governor.[143] It adds significance to
this record to note th