It is with feelings of deep and inexpressible regret that we learn that the inhabitants of various parts of this are seeking to accumulate all the real and supposed crimes of the whole community for the secret or ostensible purpose of raising a tide of influence against the Mormon community that shall sweep them into irrecoverable ruin. This course of conduct, originating with our mortal enemies and gathering in its wake, other men that would revolt at the idea of lending a hand to oppress a long abused people that are struggling against foes within and foes without; is at the present almost insupportable to our feelngs.— We have scarcely laid by our mourning weeds for murdered men, whom we promptly surrendered up to the State of for an equitable trial—And now we see in embryo another campaign to spill yet more blood and effect an utter extermination and massacre. We sought to rid our of counterfeiters and blacklegs; these together with our foes without and within, had established a printing press of unparalleled rancor and malignity. But our efforts to obtain freedom from such vicious monsters cost us much tribulation and precious blood.

The impunity thus far granted the murderers by the Senate and other authorities of the State of , has emboldened them and their apologists to set on foot a series of other exciting causes that they hope will either destroy this community, or prevent their criminals from being brought to punishment. We have not so much fear that our enemies will succeed in their fiendish designs against us, as we have that the peace and good order of the people of this will be disturbed, and fearful anarchy and bloody misrule will ensue among those who listen to and countenance the fell designs of those who are stealing from quiet citizens of the and palming upon them a spurious and false currency, and charging to the Mormons their own crimes. If they shall succeed, the citizens will be involved in continual larcenies, and neighborhood broils, and crimes, the end of which cannot now be foreseen. We deprecate such evils and calamities because we desire the good of all mankind; as the gratuitous labors of the greater portion of our citizens in spreading truth throughout the world under much poverty and suffering, abundantly prove.

As for us, our course is fixed, and while we are peaceable and loyal to the constitution and laws of our , and are ever willing to join hands with the honest, virtuous, and patriotic in suppressing crime and punishing criminals, we will leave our enemies to judge, whether it would not be better to make one universal burying ground, before we suffer ourselves to be driven from our hard earned and lawful homes, by such high–handed oppression, and it may yet become a question to be decided by the community, whether the Mormons will, after having witnessed their best men murdered without redress, quietly and patiently, suffer their enemies to wrench from them the last shreds of their constitution [p. 773]