“President Smith,

Dr. Sir,

I send you enclosed a leter which I have received a day or two since from , Mo, & which being from an authentic source, will serve to shew something of the state of public feeling there, as well as in what manner the matter of your arrest has affected private, individual feelings, and invaded the relations of private life.— The other half of the sheet has been torn off and mutilated by accident, but it contained nothing important, or which would tend to qualify or explain the sense of what is herewith enclosed. The letter was signed “ J. Hall,” who is an old acquaintance and has heretofore been a very intimate and dear friend of mine, and who is now a Lawyer at , and has, I beleive, considerable standing and influence in — I have answered the letter, and barely told my correpondent that he was deceived as to both law and facts, and that any further correspondence with him would be unpleasant.—

The popular excitement in this vicinity which was caused by your arrest has in a measure died away; but there is an anti-mormon party springing up in this , [p. [1]]