To the Honorable Senators and Representatives of the , in Congress assembled.

WE, the undersigned members of the City Counsel of the city of , citizens of , Illinois, and exiles from the State of ; being in Council assembled; unanimously and respectfully, for ourselves, and in behalf of many thousands of other exiles, memorialize the Honorable Senators and Representatives of our nation upon the subject of the unparalleled persecutions and cruelties, inflicted upon us and upon our constituents by the constituted authorities of the State of , and likewise upon the subject of the present unfortunate circumstances in which we are placed in the land of our exile. As a history of the outrages, has been extensively published, both in this country and in Europe, it is deemed unnecessary to particularize all of the wrongs and grievances, inflicted upon us, in this memorial. As there is an abundance of well attested documents to which your Honorable Body can at any time refer; hence we only embody the following important items for your consideration.

First, Your memorialists, as free born citizens of this Great Republic, relying with the utmost confidence upon the sacred “Articles of the Constitution” by which the Several States are bound together, and considering ourselves entitled to all the privileges and immunities of free citizens in what State soever we desired to locate ourselves; commenced a Settlement in the County of , on the western frontiers of the State of , in the summer of 1831. There we purchased lands from Government, erected several hundred houses, made extensive improvements, and shortly the wild and lonely prairies and stately forests were converted into well cultivated and fruitful fields. There we expected to spend our days in the enjoyment of all the rights and liberties bequeathed to us by the sufferings and blood of our noble ancestors. But alas! our expectations were vain. Two years had scarcely elapsed before we were unlawfully and unconstitutionally assaulted by an organized mob, consisting of the highest officers in the both civil and military, who openly and boldly avowed their determinations in a written circular to drive us from said . As a specimen of their treasonable and cruel designs, your honor[HC 6:125]able body are referred to said circular of which the following is but a short extract, namely