President. He replied that he
believed their cause was just, and Congress had no right to
interfere; that it was a State matter, and must be left to the
Executive.

The Prophet addressed another letter to Wm. H. Harrison, on the
same subject. His answer was but little more satisfactory.

Joseph then drew up a statement of his own, of the power and
policy of the Government. A convention was called, and the
Prophet nominated as a candidate for the Presidency. He set forth
his views in the Nauvoo Neighbor, formerly the Wasp. He stated
that if the people would elect him President it would be the
salvation of the nation; otherwise, the Union would soon be
severed. The two political parties would continue to influence
the people until it would end in civil war, in which all nations
would take part, and this nation be broken up. At this convention
the elders were assigned missions to different States. I was sent
to stump the State of Kentucky, with ten elders to assist me.

"You had better shut up the Seventies' Hall and obey the last
call of the Prophet," Brigham said to me.

Things looked squally before I left, with little prospect of
growing better. I left Nauvoo on the 4th of May, 1844, with
greater reluctance than I had on any previous mission. It was
hard enough to preach the gospel without purse or scrip; but it
was as nothing compared to offering the Prophet Joseph to the
people as a candidate for the highest gift of the nation. I would
a thousand times rather have been shut up in jail than to have
taken the trip, but I dared not refuse.

About one hundred of us took the steamer Ospray for St. Louis.
Our mission was understood by all the passengers on board. I was
not long kept waiting before the subject was brought up. I had
made up my mind to banish fear and overcome timidity. I made the
people believe that I felt highly honored by my mission to
electioneer for a prophet of God. It was a privilege few men
enjoyed in these days. I endeavored to make myself agreeable by
mixing with the passengers on the steamer. I told them that the
Prophet would lead both candidates from the start.

There was a large crowd on the boat, and an election was
proposed. Judges and clerks were appointed and a vote taken. The
Prophet received a majority of seventy-five, out of one hundred
and twenty-five votes polled. This created a tremendous laugh,
and we kept it up till we got to St. Louis. Here the most of us
took the steamer