Preamble and Resolutions, 13 January 1845, as Published in Times and Seasons
Source Note
Nauvoo City Council, Preamble and Resolutions, , Hancock Co., IL, 13 Jan. 1845. Version published in “The Voice of Nauvoo!,” Times and Seasons, 15 Jan. 1845, 6:773–774.
al rights; and whether they will not make their city one great sepulchre, rather than be the humble devotees at the shrine of mobocracy. But for the satisfaction of all concerned, we reiterate in the following resolutions, sentiments that we have always expressed in all places as occasion demanded:
Resolved, That the greater part of the thefts which have been complained of, are not in our opinion, true in fact, but have been trumped up by inimical persons, in order to cover their aggressive doings, with plausibility, and entice honest and unwary citizens to unite with them in the same uncompromising hostility against this people.
Resolved, That we defy the world to substantiate a single instance, where we have concealed criminals, or screened [t]hem from justice; but, on the contrary, always have been, and now are, extremely anxious that they should be ferretted out and brought to justice; and to this end would esteem it a favor, that if any person should lose property, or have good and sufficient reason to suspect any place of containing apparatus for making bogus or counterfeit money, that such person would follow up, trace out, and make diligent search, for all such property and apparatus, and if they can trace it into this , we pledge ourselves to assist them legally, to the extent of our abilities in so laudable an undertaking.
Resolved, That it is our opinion that very many scoundrels, such as thieves, robbers, bogus makers, counterfeiters and murderers, have been induced from reports published in the Warsaw Signal, to flock into this in order to carry on their evil practices, knowing that it would be immediately charged upon the Mormons, and thereby they escape—and although we think that the reports of thefts have been very much exaggerated, yet we know from dear bought experience that such things do exist, and further we doubt not there may be some such characters prowling in and about our .
Resolved, That we are extremely anxious to ferret out and bring to justice, all such persons, if any, that are within the limits of our , and for this purpose we have authorised our Mayor to enlarge the police, to any number, not exceeding five hundred, and we also pledge ourselves to double our diligence, and call upon our citizens to assist in ridding our and country of all such infamous characters.