Dear Sir, I have received the copy of the proceedings and resolutions of a meeting of the citizens of , which you did me the honor to send me.

I have observed with regret that occasions have been presented, for disturbing the peace of your : and if I knew what I could legally do to apply a corrective, I would be very ready to do it. But if you are a lawyer, or at all conversant with the law, you will know that I, as a Governor, have no right to interfere in your difficulties.

As yet, I believe that there has been nothing like war among you: and I hope that all of you, will have the good sense to see the necessity of preserving peace. If there is anything wrong in the charters, or in the mode of administering them, you will see that nothing short of legislative or judicial power is capable of enforcing a remedy. I myself had the honor of calling the attention of the legislature to this subject at the last Session; but a large majority of both political parties in that body, either did not see the evil which you complain of; or if they did they repeatedly refused to correct it. And yet a call is made upon me to do that which all parties refused to do at <​the​> last Session. I have also been called upon to take away the arms from the Mormons: to raise the militia to arrest a supposed fugitive; and in fact to repeal some of the ordinances of the city of . is justly famed for its intelligence; and I cannot [HC 6:189] believe that any of its citizens are so ignorant as not to know that [p. 1870]