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Show 1 . i i lift i i .i iM! mm-mtmamimmm0Mmmm ia,fc jA In December Joseph organized the Nauvoo Police Department with 40 new officers. Nauvoo had become be-come the most lawless city on the frontier and he was determined to put a stop to it. In January Joseph announced his candidacy for president of the United States. In running he hoped to draw nationwide attention and sympathy to the Mormon problems in Nauvoo. In February Joseph uncovered a plot for his own assassination by insiders. He believed those involved included William and Wilson Law, Chauncy and Francis Higbee, Joseph Jo-seph Jackson and Dr. Robert Foster. Port was by Joseph's side continually. In March Joseph unleashed scathing indictments against the conspirators, hoping to frighten them off. Those who had membership member-ship in the church were excommunicated. excommu-nicated. In April Nauvoo had its first public performance, a play called Pizarro. Port played the part Davina, a Spanish soldier holding a spear a real one. In the event anyone tried to molest Joseph who was seated in the front row, Port was ready to run them through. In May Dr. Robert Foster received re-ceived shipment of a new printing press. Not only did those opposing Joseph refuse to leave, but they were now preparing to publish their own newspaper. The Mormons had been the subject of much critical press over the years, but the attacks at-tacks always came from the outside. Now, those who had been on the inside, in positions of authority au-thority and responsibility, were going to start publishing. The feeling of anticipation was intense, among both the faithful and the apostates. The presidential presiden-tial campaign, at least in Nauvoo, was nearly forgotten, in anticipation anticipa-tion of the new anti-Mormon newspaper news-paper getting ready to go to press. Joseph spent more and more time out on the' prairie, riding his big black stallion, Joe Duncan, usually accompanied by Port. Joseph needed time to think, to weigh altern atives, to sort things out to prepare his mind and heart for tragic, history-making events which he knew were about to transpire, but didn't know how to avoid. One afternoon after leaving Joseph at the Mansion House following fol-lowing a long ride on the prairie, Port was walking down to the general gen-eral store when he ran into Chauncy Higbee, one of the editors of the new paper. Higbee was a large, husky man, too large about the middle from too much time behind a desk and too little exercise. His hair was mostly gone and his cheeks were pink and smooth like the hind quarter of a pig. He wore a new white shirt. "Rockwell, I would like to speak to you for a moment," Higbee said. "Only if you have something kind to say about the prophet," Port responded, not in the mood to give ear to the heaps of criticism men like Higbee were piling on Joseph. "Your prophet is a kind and gentle man," Higbee began. "And I believe be-lieve he received the gold plates from a heavenly messenger." "Then why do you persecute him?" Port asked. "Because he can't distinguish feelings of sexuality from the spirit of the Lord, allowing both kinds of promptings to chart his course, not able to tell the difference." Port turned to leave. "Wait," Higbee said. "Why do you think I stay here? Do you think I would remain if I didn't love the gospel, its mission, and its members?" mem-bers?" "You can't love the gospel and hate the messenger that brings it," Port said, stopping, turning to face Higbee a second time. "Can't you see it?" Higbee asked. "The man who spoke face to face with God, who translated the Book of Mormon, who restored to true gospel the man that did all that can't keep his trousers buttoned up!" Port wasn't aware of making a conscious decision to act. He only knew that someone he loved was threatened, and he reacted instinctively. instinc-tively. His left hand shot forward, grabbing the collar of Higbee's clean white shirt before the stubby man could step back. Now that the subject of his wrath was being held firmly in place, Port felt his right fist closing, and the muscles in his right arm and shoulder stiffening. The fist shot forward, crunching against the apostate's side, then his face. The man fell like a stunned ox in a semi-consciousness heap upon the ground. Port turned and walked away. He didn't understand the polygamy issue. He only knew that Joseph was his friend, and that Port's mission in life was to defend and protect his friend. On Friday, June 7, the first issue is-sue of the Nauvoo Expositor rolled off Foster's new printing press. The carefully worded editorial called for separation of church and state, rejection of political revelations, repeal of the Nauvoo city charter, freedom of speech and worship, and an end to the gross moral imperfections imperfec-tions of the spiritual wife system. Any hope Joseph had of winning win-ning friends and support though his presidential campaign were shattered by the Expositor. The former claims of John C. Bennett about the Nauvoo spiritual wife system had been suspect because of Bennett and his background. - . (To be continued) |