Part 21 (2/2)
”Whilst the town was guarded we were called together by the order of General Lucas, and a guard placed close around us, and in that situation were compelled to sign a deed of trust for the purpose of making over our individual property, all holden as they said, to pay all the debts of every individual belonging to the Church, and also to pay for all damages the old inhabitants of Daviess may have sustained in consequence of the late difficulties in that county.
”General Clark now arrived and the first important move made by him was collecting of our men together, on the square, and selecting out about fifty of them' whom he immediately marched into a house and confined close. This was done without the aid of the sheriff or any legal process. The next day forty six of those taken were driven, like a parcel of menial slaves, off to Richmond, not knowing why they were taken, or what they were taken for. After being confined in Richmond more than two weeks, about one half were liberated. The rest, after another week's confinement, were most of them required to appear at court and have since been let to bail.
”Since General Clark withdrew his troops from Far West, parties of armed men have gone through the county, driving off horses, sheep and cattle and also plundering houses. The barbarity of General Lucas' troops ought not to be pa.s.sed over in silence. They shot our cattle and hogs merely for the sake of destroying them, leaving them for the ravens to eat.
”They took prisoner an aged man named Tanner, and without any reason for it, he was struck on the head with a gun, which laid his skull bare. Another man by the name of Carey was also taken prisoner by them and without any provocation had his brains dashed out by a gun. He was laid in a wagon and there permitted to remain for the s.p.a.ce of twenty-four hours, during which time no one was permitted to administer to him comfort or consolation; and after he was removed from that situation, he lived but a few hours.
”The destruction of property at and about Far West is very great.
Many are stripped bare as it were and others partially so.
Indeed, take us as a body, at this time we are a poor and afflicted people, and if we are compelled to leave the state in the spring, many, yes a large portion of our society, will have to be removed at the expense of the state, as those who might have helped them are now debarred that privilege in consequence of the deed of trust we are compelled to sign, which deed so operated upon our real estate that it will sell for little or nothing at this time.
”We have now made a brief statement of some of the most prominent features of the troubles that have befallen our people since our first settlement in the state, and we believe these persecutions have come in consequence of our religious faith, and not for immorality on our part. That instances have been, of late, when individuals have trespa.s.sed upon the rights of others and thereby broken the laws of the land, we will not attempt to deny; but yet we do believe that no crime can be substantiated against any of the people who have a standing in our Church of an earlier date than the difficulties in Daviess County.
”And when it is considered that the rights of this people have been trampled upon from time to time with impunity, and abuses heaped upon them almost innumerable, it ought in some degree to palliate for any infraction of the law which may have been made on the part of our people.
”The late order of Governor Boggs to drive us from this state, or exterminate us, is a thing so novel, unlawful, tyrannical and oppressive, that we have been induced to draw up this memorial, and present this statement of our case to your honorable body, praying that a law may be pa.s.sed, rescinding the order of the Governor to drive us from the state, and also giving us the sanction of the Legislature to inherit our lands in peace.
”We ask an expression of the Legislature, disapproving of the conduct of those who compelled us to sign a deed of trust, and also disapproving of any man or set of men taking our property in consequence of that deed of trust, and appropriating it to the payment of damage sustained in consequence of trespa.s.ses committed by others.
”We have no common stock; our property is individual property and we feel willing to pay our debts as other individuals do. But we are not willing to be bound for other peoples' debts also. The arms which were taken from us here, which we understand to be about six hundred and thirty, besides swords and pistols, we care not so much about, as we do the pay for them, only we are bound to do military duty, which we are willing to do, and which we think was sufficiently manifested by the raising of a volunteer company last fall at Far West, when called upon by General Parkes to raise troops for the frontier.
”The arms given up by us we consider were worth between twelve and fifteen thousand dollars; but we understand they have been greatly damaged since taken, and at this time probably would not bring near their former value. And as they were both here and in Jackson County, taken by the militia, and consequently by the authority of the state, we therefore ask your Honorable Body to cause an appropriation to be made by law, whereby we may be paid for them, or otherwise have them returned to us and the damages made good.
The losses sustained by our people in leaving Jackson County, are so situated that it is impossible to obtain any compensation for them by law, because those who have sustained them are unable to prove those trespa.s.ses upon individuals. That the facts do exist that the buildings, crops, stock, furniture, rails, timber, etc., of the society, have been destroyed in Jackson County, is not doubted by those who are acquainted in this upper country; and since trespa.s.ses cannot be proven upon individuals, we ask your Honorable Body to consider this case and if in your liberality and wisdom you can conceive it to be proper to make an appropriation by law to these sufferers, many of whom are still pressed down with poverty in consequence of their losses, would be able to pay their debts, and also in some degree be relieved from poverty and woe; whilst the widow's heart would be made to rejoice, and the orphan's tears measurably dried up and the prayers of a grateful people ascend on high, with thanksgiving and praise to the author of our existence for that beneficent act.
”In laying our case before your Honorable Body, we say that we are willing, and ever have been, to conform to the Const.i.tution and laws of the United States, and of this state. We ask in common with others the protection of the laws. We ask for the privilege guaranteed to all free citizens of the United States and of this state, to be extended to us, that we may be permitted to settle and live where we please, and wors.h.i.+p G.o.d according to the dictates of our conscience without molestation. And while we ask for ourselves this privilege we are willing all others should enjoy the same.
”We now lay our case at the feet of your Legislature, and ask your Honorable Body to consider it, and do for us, after mature deliberation, that which your wisdom, patriotism and philanthropy may dictate.
”And we as in duty bound will ever pray.
”A committee appointed by the citizens of Caldwell County, to draft this memorial and sign it in their behalf. {
EDWARD PARTRIDGE, HEBER C. KIMBALL, JOHN TAYLOR, THEODORE TURLEY, BRIGHAM YOUNG, ISAAC MORLEY, GEORGE W. HARRIS, JOHN MURDOCK, JOHN M. BURK.
”Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri, Dec. 10, 1838.”
The only recognition given by the Legislature to this pathetic appeal, this soul-harrowing recital of ”bitter, burning wrongs,” enough to melt a heart of stone,
”To stir a fever in the blood of age, And make the infant's sinews strong as steel,”
was the appropriation of the paltry sum of two thousand dollars, to be distributed among the people of Daviess and Caldwell Counties, ”_the Mormons not excepted_.”
O lavish generosity! Two thousand dollars for a city sacked and pillaged, fields and farms laid waste, and homes given to the flames; not to mention murders, rapes, expulsions and other outrages nameless for their enormity, committed upon a helpless people by a ruthless mob, in the sovereign name of the state of Missouri!
”THE MORMONS NOT EXCEPTED!”
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