| 404 "I then gave a brief history of the persections [persecutions] from the first settlement in the State to our final expulsion. I also stated that the society were industrious, inoffensive, and innocent of crime; had the Times and Seasons, from which I read Governor Lucas' letter to Alanson Ripley. I also referred to Judge Young's letter from Pike County, the clerk's, and others, respecting our character in their section of country. I gave them some hints of the Haun's mill massacre, and the murder of the two little boys, but referred them more particularly to the documents for information concerning those things; and furthermore that I had not come here to instruct them in what they were to do in the case, but to present them with the facts, having all confidence in this honorable body (the Congress), believing them to be honorable men.
"I demanded from them a restitution of all our rights and privileges as citizens of the United States, and damages for all the losses we had sustained in consequence of our persecutions and expulsion from the State; and told them we could have recourse nowhere else on earth that I knew of; that we could not sue an army of soldiers, neither could we go into the State to sue anyone else. I told them that I knew not how far Congress had jurisdiction in this case, or how far they had not; but as far as they had, we claimed the exercise of it for our relief; for we were an injured people.
"These and some others were the principal subjects of my speech, after which Mr. Jamieson said he was once in the "Mormons" favor; but afterwards learned that it was impossible to live among them, for they stole their neighbors' hogs; and there being so much testimony, he believed it, etc., etc. I replied something like this: making statements was one thing, and proving them was another. Mr. Linn then said he wished me to answer one thing; viz.: If the legislature of Missouri did not refuse to investigate the subject of our difficulties solely on account of the trials then pending. In reply I assured him that I knew they had refused us an investigation; but as to that being the cause, I did not know, but told him they might have done it
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