Council of Fifty, Minutes, March 1844–January 1846; Volume 2, 1 March–6 May 1845

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penalty; and if we continue passive and nonresistant, we must certainly expect to perish, for our enemies have sworn it.
And here, Sir, permit us to state that Gen. Joseph Smith, during his short life, was arraigned at the bar of his country about 50 times, charged with criminal offences, but was acquited every time by his country, his enemies almost invariably being his judges: And we further testify that as a people, we are law abiding, peacable, and without crime; and we challenge the world to prove the contrary: And while other less cities in have had special courts instituted to try their criminals, we have been stript of every source of arraigning marauders and murderers who are prowling around to destroy us, except the common magistracy.
With these facts before you, Sir, will you [p. [116]]
penalty; and if we continue passive and nonresistant, we must certainly expect to perish, for our enemies have sworn it.
And here, Sir, permit us to state that Gen. Joseph Smith, during his short life, was arraigned at the bar of his country about 50 times, charged with criminal offences, but was acquited every time by his country, his enemies almost invariably being his judges: And we further testify that as a people, we are law abiding, peacable, and without crime; and we challenge the world to prove the contrary: And while other less cities in have had special courts instituted to try their criminals, we have been stript of every source of arraigning marauders and murderers who are prowling around to destroy us, except the common magistracy.
With these facts before you, Sir, will you [p. [116]]
Page [116]