February 15, 1849 ~ Thursday

Feb 15^th 18489 [FIGURES] To President Young
And Council 2 sheets
On Territorial Bills
And Government 1 sheet
To Historian 1 sheet

I wrote A letter to President
Young And Council containing
two full sheets of fools cap writing
in my Journal Hand giving an
account of my leaving Council Bl[uffs]
my meetings at Mount Pisgah & Garden Grove, My providential
delivery from Death, visit at the Temple & Nauvoo, meeting at St
Louis, Death [of] our child on the journey, Arival at Boston, Burning
of Albany, Stay of my family in Maine & return to Cambridgeport
my travels Among the Churches. Represented the branches as
808, the capacity of the Saints to gather, the course I have
persued in teaching, the report of the Elders that the world have
no interest in hearing the gospel in this land, the No we have baptized
the cause why this people are Hardened And do not hear, interview
with Capt Joseph Russel, price of his property, & help &c. I spoke
lengthy of Elder A Badlams case gave cause for his going to Calafor[nia]
spoke of the benefits of going to the valley instead of the Sacramento. I
rejoiced in the News from the valley & of the progress of the work
in Europe, spoke of Elder Barnes going to Zion, Little & Hardy traiding
Appleby sickness. Requested letters, council, Prayers &c &c.

I wrote Another letter to President Young & council filled A shee[t]
of letter paper spoke upon the visit of A. W. Babbitt his doings in wash-
ington He wished me to go there, the post offices at Garden Grove
Pisdgah Salt Lake valley &c spoke upon the various bills concerning thact contry
the cause of my not going to washington; my views on goverment
of that country, T. H. Benton course & views on Calafornia, Babbitt car
rying the Mail, His future intentions, difficulties between him & O
Hyde, spoke of the visit of Mr Shed, W^m Smith Appearance &
teaching, gold fever excitement, 200 ships gone there, End of the Exciteme[nt]
be a tale for the Recorder, Railroad discussed via Pannama, Mexico, Santif[e] ,
Salt Lake, Oregon &c. I am called upon for information to go by land to
gold digings via Salt Lake I oppose the route do not think the saints would
wish it. Would it not be well for soldiers to plant some claims in the
salt Lake valley to secure it against land speculaters. I closed this let[ter]
with the following. Notice to the inhabitants of the salt Lake valley
As the inhabitants of Boston Are about preparing A light train of
cars, Engins, Baloons &c to Navigate the air to carry passengers And good[s]
to the gold digings, should they come over the valley And burst
there boiler & run off the track, And it shoiuld rain hot water, boilers
engins, cars, Baloons, sails, dry goods & men, Be not alarmed as it
will ownly be a shower of the march of intellect, internal improvement
ingenuity, and yankee Notions.

I Also filled A sheet of letter paper to the Historian of the Church on
the signs of the times. I spoke of forwarding the Herald to him, made
An extract from my Journal concerning the leading features of the
signs of the times of 1848. Spoke of the revolutions of France, Jermany
Prusia, Austria Russia, the fall of the papal crown & power, the restorati[o]
n of the Jews, opening the way for the spread of the gospel, progress
of the work in the British Isles, the situation of the American Gover[n]
ment, foundation for dissolving the Union, the blindness of the
people And increase of crime. I closed by making An address concern[ing]
Zion in the following words