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Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 November 1843, Thomas Bullock Second Copy
Source Note
Source Note
JS and 3,418 others, Memorial, , Hancock Co., IL, to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, [], 28 Nov. 1843. Version copied [ca. 29 Nov. 1843]; handwriting of and ; four pages; Adams Family Papers, Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston, MA. Transcription from a digital color image obtained from the Massachusetts Historical Society in 2025.
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
See Historical Introduction to Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 Nov. 1843.
reported, in substance, that the General Government had no power in the case; and that we must look for relief to the Courts and the Legislature of . In reply your Memorialists would beg leave to state, that they have repeatedly applied to the authorities of in vain, that though they are American Citizens, at all times ready to obey the laws and support the institutions of the , none of us would dare enter for any such purpose, or for any purpose whatever. Our property was seized by the Mob, or lawlessly confiscated by the , and we were forced at the point of the Bayonet to sign deeds of trust relinquishing our property, but the exterminating Order of the of is still in force and we dare not return to claim our just rights— the Widows and Orphans of those slain, who could legally sign no deeds of Trust, dare not return to claim the Inheritance left them by their Murdered Parents—
It is true the Constitution of the , gives to us, in Common with all other native or adopted Citizens, the right to enter and settle in , but an Executive Order has been issued to exterminate us if we enter the , and that part of the Constitution becomes a Nullity so far as we are concerned.
Had any Foreign State or Power committed a similar outrage upon us, we cannot for a Moment doubt but that the Strong Arm of the General Government would have been stretched out to redress our wrongs and we flatter ourselves that the same power will either redress our grievances or shield us from harm in our efforts to regain our lost property, which we fairly purchased from the General Government.
Finally your Memorialists, pray your Honorable Body to take their wrongs into—— consideration, receive testimony in the case, and grant such relief as by the Constitution and Laws you may have power to give.
And you Memorialists will ever pray &c.
This is a copy of the original Memorial
Whole number of Names to the original 3419 [p. [4]]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
Thomas Bullock handwriting ends; Orson Pratt begins.