The Messrs. Averys, who were unlawfully “transported out of this ,” have returned to their families in peace, and there seems to be no ground for contention: no cause for jealousy; and no excuse for a surmise that any man, woman, or child, will suffer the least inconvenience, from General Smith; the of ; the city of ; or even any of her citizens. There is nothing for a bone of contention! even those Ordinances which appeared to excite the feeling of some people, have recently been repealed—so that, if the “intelligent” inhabitants of , want peace; want to abide by the ’s advice; want to have a character abroad grow out of their character at home; and really mean to follow the Savior’s golden rule: “To do unto others as they would wish other to do unto them,” they will be still, now, and let their own works praise them in the gates of justice, and in the eyes of the surrounding world. Wise men ought to have understanding enough to conquer men with kindness.

“A soft answer turns away wrath,” says the wise man, and it will be greatly to the credit of [t]he Latter Day Saints to shew the love of God, by now kindly treating those who may have, [i]n an unconscious moment, done them wrong: [f]or truly said Jesus: pray for thine enemies. Humanity towards all; reason and refinement [t]o enforce virtue: and good for evil, are so em[i]nently designed to cure more disorders of society than an appeal to “arms,” or even argument untempered with friendship, and the “one [t]hing needful,” that no vision for the future: guide-board for the distant; or expositor for [t]he present, need trouble any one with what [h]e ought to do. His own good, his family’s good, his neighbor’s good, his country’s good, [a]nd all good, seem to whisper to every person: [t]he has told you what to do: now do [i]t. The constitution expects every man to do [h]is duty, and when he fails the law urges him: [o]r should he do too much the same master re[b]ukes him. Should reason, liberty, law, light, [a]nd philanthrophy now gide the destinies of with as much sincerity as [h]as been manifested for her notoriety, or wel[f]are; there can be no doubt that peace, prosper[i]ty, and happiness will prevail, and that future [g]enerations as well as the present one, will call a peace maker. The Latter Day [S]aints will, at all events, and profit by the in[st]ruction: and call upon honest men to help them cherish all the love; all the friendship; all the courtesy; all the kindly feelings and all the generosity that ought to characterize clever people, in a clever neighborhood, and leave candid men to judge which tree exhibits the best fruit, the one with the most clubs and sticks thrown into its boughs, and the grass trodden down under it; or the one with no sticks in it, some dead limbs and rank grass growing under it; for by their signs ye can know their fruit; and by the fruit ye know the trees. Our motto then, is, peace with all. If we have joy in the love of God, let us try to give a reason of that joy, which all the world cannot gainsay or resist. And may be, like, as when Paul started with recommendations to Damascus, to persecute the Saints, some one who has raised his hand against us with letters to men in high places, may see a light at noon-day above the brightness of the sun, and hear the voice of Jesus saying: “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”

Intelligence is sometimes the messenger of safety; and willing to aid the in his laudable endeavors to cultivate peace and honor the laws; believing that very few of the citizens of will be found in the negative of such a goodly course; and considering his views a kind of manifesto, or olive leaf, which shews that there is rest for the soles of the Saints’ feet, we give it a place in the Neighbor, wishing it God speed, and saying, God bless good men and good measures, and, as has been, so it will continue to be, a good city, affording a good market to a good country, and let those who do not mean to try the way of transgressors, say, Amen. [p. 443]