| 95 The following letter of Governor Lucas, who was Governor of Ohio from 1832 to 1836, is of importance in this connection:-
"Burlington, Iowa Territory, April 22,1839.
"To His Excellency, Martin Van Buren, President of the United States.
"Sir:-I have the honor to introduce to your acquaintance,
judgment must be for the Reorganized Church and ordering that they be put in possession of the property.
Since my arrival I have had the pleasure of the acquaintance of many of the leading citizens of the county, and find that among them the most tolerant spirit is manifest toward the members of the original and the Reorganized Church. And now, while I am upon the ground and have every means to ascertain the true character of the Latter Day Saints, or Mormons, who resided here from 1830 to 1838, and have been surprised myself with the facts in the case, as so widely differing from what is found in the popular histories of religious denominations of the day and encyclopedias, I have determined to submit to you the result of my candid inquiries.
So far, among the former acquaintances of Joseph Smith, Jr., I have failed to find one who will say that he was not a good citizen and an honest man. "Joe Smith," say they, "was an honorable man and a gentleman In every particular, let the histories say what they may." Now, if these things are true, history greatly belies the man, and in the eternal fitness of things time must correct the false and fickle stories and vindicate his memory. My information is derived from such men as Messrs. Quinn, Storm, Burrows, and Axtell, who are foremost citizens of the county. These parties say that among some of the fanatical and ignorant there is existing great prejudice and hatred against the early Mormons, and I have found in Kirtland two persons who are terribly bitter, but neither of these had any acquaintance with the parties and base their knowledge on the "stories told." One of these is the present pastor of the Methodist Church in Kirtland, and who is now under the charge of being not only a fanatic, but crazy, and his congregation ask his removal; the other, a Mr. Harvey, of Kirtland, a member of the Baptist Church, but ignorant, can neither read nor write, and abuses his own wife for differing from him in religion, and teaches his children to abuse their mother.
As a sample of my testimony I give you my conversation with I. P. Axtell, Esq., a large farmer, and director in the First National Bank of Painesville for many years; a man of energy and experience, and as early as 1844, a member of the Whig convention at Baltimore, which nominated Henry Clay for President. The conversation was as follows:-
Q.-When did you come to this county, Mr. Axtell?
A.-My father moved here with his family in the year 1830. I was but a boy then.
Q.-What was your father's business?
A.-He was a Baptist minister, and kept a hotel then.
Q.-Did you know Joseph Smith?
A.-Yes, Sir. I have seen him many a time; he was often at my father's house; and I with many young people often went to Kirtland to see him and his people. I knew his father also, who at the time I knew him had charge of the Kirtland Temple. He took me with others through the temple at one time; he appeared to be a fine old man.
Q.-When did your father become acquainted with Mr. Smith?
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