[Joseph Smith] Joseph replies to a letter of James Arlington Bennett written on Oct. 24, 1843, which suggested a secret deal between them that might put Bennett in the governor's chair of Illinois. Bennett calls his recent baptism by Brigham Young "a glorious frolic in the clear blue ocean," and says, "I am capable of being the most undeviating friend, without being governed by the smallest religious influence . . . my mind is of so mathematical and philosophical a cast, that the divinity of Moses makes no impression on me, and you will not be offended when I say that I rate you higher as a legislator than I do Moses . . . go ahead: you have my good wishes. You know Mahomet had his 'right hand man. ' . . . In short, I expect to be yet, through your influence, governor of the State of Illinois." Joseph is not terribly impressed with Bennett's bravado, and answers him, "The boldness of my plans and measures can readily be tested by the touchstone of all schemes, . . . truth; for truth is a matterof fact; and the fact is, that by the power of God I translated the Book of Mormon from hieroglyphics, the knowledge of which was lost to the world, in which wonderful event I stood alone, an unlearned youth, to combat the worldly wisdom and multiplied ignorance of eighteen centuries, with a new revelation. . . . Your good wishes to go ahead, coupled with Mohamet and a right hand man, are rather more vain than virtuous. Why, sir, Caesar had his right hand Brutus, who was his left hand assassinâ€"not, however, applying the allusion to you. . . . I combat the errors of ages; I meet the violence of mobs; I cope with illegal proceedings from executive authority; I cut the gordian knot of powers, and I solve mathematical problems of universities, with truthâ€"diamond truth; and God is my 'right hand man. ' "In spite of this fascinating, if somewhat hostile, exchange of letters, Joseph suggests on Mar. 4, 1844, that James Arlington Bennett become his vice-presidential candidate. Bennett, however, having been born in Ireland, is ineligible.
[Source: Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology]
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