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Communications

Times and Seasons, vol. 2, pp. 266 to 267

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

City of Springfield, Dec. 16, 1840.

Editors of the Times & Seasons:-The act incorporating the " City of Nauvoo " has just passed the Council of Revision, and is now a law of the land, to take effect, and be in force, from and after the first Monday in February next. The aforesaid act contains two additional charters, one incorporating the " Nauvoo Legion ;" the other, the " University of the City of Nauvoo ." All these charters are very broad and liberal, conferring the most plenary powers on the corporators. Illinois has acquitted herself with honor,-and her State Legislature shall never be forgotten.-Every power we asked has been granted, every request gratified, every desire fulfilled. In the Senate, Little cancelled [canceled] every obligation to our people, and faithfully, and HONESTLY and with UNTIRING DILIGENCE, discharged every obligation devolving upon him as our immediate representative in the upper house-mark well

that man, and do him honor. Snyder, and Ralston, and Moore, and Ross, and Stapp, and numerous others, likewise in that branch of our state government rendered us very essential services-and the act passed that body without a dissenting voice. In the House of Representatives, Charles, our immediate representative in the lower house, was at his post, and discharged his duty as a faithful representative-he is an acting and not a talking man, and has fulfilled all his obligations to us. Many members in this house, likewise were warmly in our favor, and with only one or two dissenting voices, every representative appeared inclined to extend to us all such powers as they considered us justly entitled to, and voted for the law: and here I should not forget to mention that Lincoln, whose name we erased from the electoral ticket in November, (not, however, on account of any dislike to him as a man, but simply because his was the last name on the ticket, and we desired to show our friendship to the Democratic party by substituting the name of Ralston for some one of the Whigs,) had the magnanimity to vote for our act, and came forward, after the final vote, to the bar of the house, and cordially congratulated me on its passage. Our worthy Governor is certainly disposed to do us ample justice in every respect, and to extend to us every facility for our future happiness and prosperity. Illinois has certainly done her duty, and her whole duty; and now it becomes us to show ourselves upright, honest, just-worthy of the favors bestowed by noble, generous, and magnanimous statesmen. I have said that we are a law abiding people, and we must now show it. The state has washed her hands in granting all our petitions, and if we do not now show ourselves approved, the curse must fall upon our own heads. Justice, equal justice, should be our fixed object and purpose and the GREAT GOD will prosper us; length of days will be in our right hand, and in our left, glory and honor. In necessariis unitas, in non necessariis liberlas, in omnibus charitas, should be our motto, in the consummation of the great object, (human liberty, and equal rights,) and with the suaviter in mode, and the fortiter in re we must ultimately succeed in overcoming all unjust prejudice, and unreasonable opposition. In haste, JOAB, General in Israel.

For the Times and Seasons