Petition to United States Congress, circa 29 November 1839, Draft
Source Note
JS, , and , Petition Draft, , to United States Congress, Washington DC, ca. 29 Nov. 1839; handwriting of ; 35 pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes dockets.
they seek and obtain it:— Your Constitutions guarantees to every Citizens even the humblest the enjoyment <of> life liberty and property. It promises to all religious freedom, the right to all to worship God, ben[e]ath their own vine & fig tree according to the dictates of their conscience— It guarantees to all the Citizens of any one <the several> state<s> <the right> to become Citizens of another <any one of the> state<s>; and to enjoy all the rights and immunities of the Citizens of the State of his adoption.
Yet in all those of all these rights have the been deprived, They have without a cause been deprive without a trial been deprived of life liberty and property. They have been pe[r]secuted for their religious opinions, They have been driven from the State of at the point of the bayonet, and prevented from enjoying and exerciseing the rights of of Citizens of the state of .
It is the theory of our laws, that for the violations of every legal right, there is provided a legal remedy— What then we would respectfully ask is the remedy of the Mormons? Shall they apply to the Legislature of the State of for redress? They have done so. They have [p. 34]