moment some 60 or 70 ships of war
around the coasts of America, besides a
navy of sevel hundred mighty ships of
war; many of them steamers, together
with a powerfull & well trained army well
supplied with the seeds of death.
The americans may flatter themselves & say
"they tried us twice, & failed" when Jonathin
was only only a boy, but now he is a man,
but it must be remembered that at that
time England was at war with France and
indeed with almost all Europe, now she is
comparitively at peace, & with a fleet
& army five times as formidable as in
the last war, & in case of a war now
America must feel her full strength.
and I am convinced they will be decievd
in the military arm of England.
The war will not be in oregon, but
England will strike at the verry vitals of
the nation, they will arm the slaves and
the Lamanites, & exert her utmuost streng-
th, at the onset, in order to consummate
the struggle, speedily. This I have good author-
ity for, believing is the policy now in
embryo, in parliament
moment some 60 or 70 ships of war
around the coasts of America, besides a
navy of sevel hundred mighty ships of
war; many of them steamers, together
with a powerfull & well trained army well
supplied with the seeds of death.
The Americans may flatter themselves & say
"they tried us twice, & failed" when Jonethin
was only a boy, but now he is a man,
but it must be remembered that at that
time England was at war with France and
indeed with almost all Europe, now she is
comparitively at peace, & with a fleet
& army five times as formidable as in
the last war, & in case of a war now
America must feel her full strength.
and I am convinced they will be decievd
in the Military Arm of England.
The war will not be in oregon, but
England will strike at the verry vitals of
the nation, they will arm the slaves and
the Lamanites, & exert her utmost strength at the onset, in order to consummate
the struggle, speedely. This I have good authority for, believing is the policy now in
embryo, in parliament
"Letter from Elisha Hildebrand Davis, 27 March 1846," p. 3, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed May 1, 2024, https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/OywE