History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 3Smith, Joseph, Jr.
History
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 3
Smith, Joseph, Jr.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
Gentlemen, you whose names are not attached to this list of names,
will now have the privilege of going to your fields and providing
corn, wood, etc., for your families. Those who are now taken will
go from this to prison, be tried, and receive the due demerit of
their crimes. But you (except such as charges may hereafter be
preferred against) are now at liberty, as soon as the troops are
removed that now guard the place, which I shall cause to be done
immediately. It now devolves {203} upon you to fulfill the treaty
that you have entered into, the leading items of which I shall now
lay before you:
The first requires that your leading men be given up to be tried
according to law; this you have already complied with.
The second is, that you deliver up your arms; this has been
attended to.
The third stipulation is, that you sign over your properties to
defray the expenses of the war; this you have also done.
Another article yet remains for you to comply with, and that is,
that you leave the state forthwith; and whatever may be your
feelings concerning this, or whatever your innocence, it is nothing
to me; General Lucas, who is equal in authority with me, has made
this treaty with you--I approve of it--I should have done the same
had I been here--I am therefore determined to see it fulfilled. The
character of this state has suffered almost beyond redemption, from
the character, conduct and influence that you have exerted, and we
deem it an act of justice to restore her character to its former
standing among the states, by every proper means.
The orders of the governor to me were, that you should be
exterminated, and not allowed to remain in the state, and had your
leaders not been given up, and the terms of the treaty complied
with, before this, you and your families would have been destroyed
and your houses in ashes.
There is a discretionary power vested in my hands which I shall
exercise in your favor for a season; for _this_ lenity you are
indebted to _my_ clemency. I do not say that you shall go now, but
you must not think of staying here another season, or of putting in
crops, for the moment you do this the citizens will be upon you.
If I am called here again, in case of a non-compliance of a treaty
made, do not think that I shall act any more as I have done--you
need not expect any mercy, but extermination, for I am determined
the governor's order shall be executed. As for your leaders, do not
once think--do not imagine for a moment--do not let it enter your
mind that they will be delivered, or that you will see their faces
again, for their fate _is fixed--their die is cast--their doom is
sealed_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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