| 774 rights; and whether they will not make their city one great sepulchre [sepulcher], 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 doing, with plausibility, and entice honest and unwary citizens to unit 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 them from justice; but, on the contrary, always have been and now are, extremely anxious that they should be ferretted [ferreted] 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 city, 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 county 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 city.
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 city, and for this purpose we have authorised [authorized] 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 city and country of all such infamous characters.
Done, in Council, this 13th day of January, 1845.
D. SPENCER, Mayor.
W. Richards, Recorder.
MEETING OF THE CITIZENS.
At a large meeting of the citizens of Nauvoo, convened at the stand, on the 14th day of Jan., 1845; Daniel Spencer, Mayor of the city, was called to the chair, and James Sloan appointed secretary; and Samuel Bent, Alpheus Cutler, C. C. Rich, Phinehas Richards, and David Fulmer, were appointed a committee, to draft a preamble and resolutions, expressive of the sense of this meeting on the proceedings of the city council, and for the action of this meeting. The committee retired and in a short time, returned the following which were adopted unanimously:
PREAMBLE.
Whereas, The city council of the city of Nauvoo, have presented to this meeting, a preamble and sundry resolutions setting forth the fact, that enemies to the people of this city, and as we believe, enemies to the common welfare of the people of this State, are attempting to get up an extensive popular excitement, prejudicial to this people and the country at large; and whereas, said resolutions set forth an unqualified reprobation of all unlawful and villainous conduct whether under the false color of Mormonism, or the real guise of mobbers, blacklegs, bogus makers, thieves, wolf-hunters, or murderers; therefore, we hereby express our perfect concurrence in the said preamble and resolutions.
And whereas, The Wasrsaw Signal, the Alton Telegraph, and the Quincy Whig, have been, and as we believe industriously engaged in circulating falsehood; disseminating discord, and the principles of mobocracy; and whereas, Mormon extermination, pillage, robbery, and murder, have received both countenance and apology in these scurrilous prints, as we believe; and whereas, the pen of murderers as we believe, has occupied the columns of these papers in order to deafend [defend] the cries of innocent blood that ascends to heaven for vengeance; and whereas, a large share of the thefts spoken of and blazed through the land, are wholly without existence when traced out, as appears not only from the instance record in the Governor's Message concerning horse stealing, but from other similar instances, too numerous to mention; and whereas, it has been zealously reported, that much stolen goods could be traced to Nauvoo, and that no citizen could enter our city to search for thieves, and stolen goods, because the thief and goods would be screened from detection by the Mormon fraternity, and the person in search, would be in jeopardy of his life; and whereas, thieves and counterfeiters have in some instances fled to our city, either under the mistaken apprehension that we would screen them, or
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