| 161 it? or will Americans suffer such acts to be done, and the disgrace of them to rest on their character under existing circumstances? If they will, let the world know it. But we do not believe they will.
"We agreed to leave the country for the sake of peace, upon the condition that no more vexatious prosecutions be instituted against us. In good faith have we labored to fulfill this engagement. Governor Ford has also done his duty to further our wishes in this respect. But there are some who are unwilling that we should have an existence anywhere. But our destinies are in the hands of God, and so also are theirs.
"We venture to say that our brethren have made no counterfeit money; and if any miller has received fifteen hundred dollars base coin in a week, from us, let him testify. If any land agent of the general government has received wagon loads of base coin from us in payment for lands, let him say so. Or if he has received any at all from us, let him tell it. Those witnesses against us have spun a long yarn, but if our brethren had never used an influence against them to break them up, and to cause them to leave our city, after having satisfied themselves that they were engaged in the very business of which they accuse us, their revenge might never have been roused to father upon us their own illegitimate and bogus productions.
"We have never tied a black strap around any person's neck, neither have we cut their bowels out, nor fed any to the 'catfish.' The systematic order of stealing of which these grave witnesses speak must certainly be original with them. Such a plan could never originate with any person, except some one who wished to fan the flames of death and destruction around us. The very dregs of malice and revenge are mingled in the statements of those witnesses alluded to by the Sangamon Journal. We should think every man of sense might see this; in fact, many editors do see it, and they have our thanks for speaking of it.
"We have now stated our feelings, our wishes, and our intentions, and by them we are willing to abide; and such editors as are willing that we should live and not die, and
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