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Tlio following Iftlor from (Jen. to the
. ominitt. e appointed to enquire into the ex
pediency of occupy iirj; the mouth ot < ‘olmr;-
Lia river, accompanied their rejiort, lie uh-
Malice *>4 which, wc pobJrdi ‘<l lust e>k.
Quartermaster <<’ mcn f* Office, |
YV?.suiNCi /N, April 2f)t!i, 1H24.
Sit —ln reply to votir letter, dated
1 he 30th ult. requestin',: me to commu
nicate “any facts, views or opinions,
~ liicli may liave presented themselves
to me, relative to the probable difficul
ty of making an ■establishment, at the
mouth *f Columbia river, ami the mili
tary advantages,of that establishment,’
1 have the honor to remark, that, ever
-,‘rnce my attention was first directed
to the subject, 1 have considered the
possession and military command of
the Columbia necessary not only to
the protection of the fur trade, but to
tke security of our Western frontier.
That flank of our country, extending
from the Lakes to the Cult of Mexico,
is every where in contact with numer
ous, powerful, and warlike Indian na
tions, who, altogether, might be able to
bring into the field, from twenty to
thirty thousand warriors. Most of
those nations communicßte,either with
tile British to the North and \\ est, or
the Spaniards to the South. In the
event of war, that force, with a few
hundred foreign troops, or under the
influence of foreign c ompanies, might
be made more formidable to us, than
anv force which Kuropc combined,
could oppose to us. On the other hand
if such measures be adopted as to se
cure a proper influence over them,and
in the event of-war, to command their
co-operation, they, with the aid of a
tew small garrisons, would not only at
ford ample protection for that entire
line,but would become the scourge of
our enemies.
The dangers to lie apprehended,can
only be averted by proper military es
tablishments : and whether the post at
the mouth of Columbia he intended to
secure our territory, protect our tra
ders, or to cut off all communication
between the Indians and foreigners, I
should consider ;! line of posts extend
ing from the Council Bluff's entirely
across the continent,necessary. ‘l oose
posts should be situated, as well with
a view to command the avenues thro’
which the Indians pass from North to
South, as to keep open the communi
cation with the establishment at the
mouth of Columbia.
A post should be established at the
Mau<Jen villages, because, there the
Missouri approaches within a short
distance of the British territory, and
it would have the effect of holding in
cheek the Hudson’s Bay and North
“West Companies, and of controlling
the Ricarees.M inTiatarces, Assiniboins
and other Indians, who either reside
or range on the territory, Hast, North
and Y\ est of that point.
A post at or near the head of navi
gation on the Missouri, would control
the Blarkfoot Indians, protect our
Traders, enable us to remove those of
the British Companies from our terri
tory, and serve as a depot at which
detachments moving towards the Co
lumbia might either be supplied, or
leave such stores as they should find ,
it difficult tocarry with them through 1
the mountains. It might also be inadej
u depot of trade, and of the Indian De
partment.
To keep open the communication
through the mountains, there should
be at least one small post at some con
venient point between the Missouri
and the Columbia, and on the latter
river and its tributaries, there should
he efc least three posts. They would
afford present protection to our tra
ders, and, on the expiration of the pri
vilege granted to British subjects to
trade on the waters of the Columbia,
would enable us to remove them from
our territory, and to secure the whole
trade to our own citizens. They would
also etmbleus to preserve peace among
the Indians, and, in the event of fo
reign war, to command their neutrality
or their assistance, as we might think
most advisable. The posts designa
ted, might he established and main
tiliued, at an additional annual ex
pense not exceeding forty thousand
dollars.
By extending to those posts the sys
tem of cultivation, now in operation at
vc Council Hull's, the expense of
supplying them would, in a few years,
be greatly diminished. Mills might
be erected at all the posts at a trifling
expense, and, the whole country
oboijtid.ng in grass, all the domestic
aniimCi# necessary, either for labor, or
-m’.sis fence, might be supported.—
I Ins would render the establishment
more secure, and consequently, more
formidable to the Indian nations in
their vit initv.
As to the proposed posts on fiic Co
i iitmbia, it. is believed thev might be
supplied immediately at a low tate.
may be obtained at New Cali
•fiiiib.t about twenty-five cents per
la !, oud heel cattle ut three or four
dullar* each. Salt, In any quantify
requited, mnv be had at an island near
the Peninsula of California. Should
transportation not be readily obtained
for those articles, vessels might be
constructed by the troops.
To obtain the desired advantages,it
is important, not only that we occupy
the posts designated, but, that we com
mence onr operations without delay.
The British companies are wealthy
and powerful; their establishments
extend from Hudson’s /lay, and Lake
Superior, to the Pacific , many of them
within our territory. It is not to be
supposed they would surrender those
advantages without a struggle, and,
though they should not engage in hos
tilities themselves, they might render
aH the Indians in that extensive region
hostile.
The detachment intended to occupy
the mouth of Columbia might leave
the Council Bluffs in June, and one
hundred and fifty men proceed with
the boats and stores ; and as the coun
try is open, and abounds with grass,
the remaining fifty might proceed by
land, with the horses intended for the
transportation across the mountains,
arid might drive three or four hun
dred beeves to the Mandan villages,
or to the falls of Missouri ; at one
of those places the parties should
unite and spend the winter. The
latter would be preferable, because
there they might be able to estab
lish a friendly intercourse with the
Black Foot Indians,or, at all events
by impressing them with an idea
of the power of the nation, restrain
their depredations upon the neigh
boring tribes, and deter them from
acts of outrage upon our traders.
They might, also, during the winter
reconnoitre the several passes thro’
the mountains, prepare provisions
necessary to support them on the
march, and down the Columbia;
and, if authorised to do so, remove
from our territories all British tra
ders on the waters of the Missouri,
‘i hey would necessarily remain r.t,
or in the vicinity, of their wintering
ground, until June, but might be
occupied during the months of
April and May, in opening a road
to the mountains, and constructing
bridges over the numerous streams
on the route. The work perform
ed, they might, in about twenty
clays, rfcach the navigable waters of
Clark's river, a blanch of the Co
lumbia, and, in ten days more, pre
pare transportation to descend to
their destination, where, after eve
ry necessary allowance for accidents
and delays, they would certainly
arrive by the month of August.
The vessels employed to trans
port the stores by sea, might leave
the United States in the month of
November, and would arrive at the
mouth of Columbia in April, at
least four months before the de
tachment from the Council Bluffs
could reach that point; and, unless
the ships should be detained during
i that time, which could not be ex*
j pected, the sto.es would be expos
ed todamage and depiedation, and
perhaps, by the time the troops
! should arrive, would be entirely
j destroyed. It would, therefore,
seem to me a measure of prudence,
that at least one company of artille
ry be transported with the stores.
That description of force would be
found necessary at the post, and
the ships would afford them ample
acconrj modation.
That the route from the Council
Bluffs t:> the mouth of Columbia is
practicable, has In en proved by the
enterprise ol more than one of our ci
tizens. It, no doubt, presents difficul
ties; but, difficulties are not itnpossi
bilities. We have only to refer to the
pages of our history to learn that ma
ny operations, infinitely more arduous
have been accomplished by Americans.
The march of Arnold to Quebec, or
of'General Clark to Vincennes, during
the Revolutionary war, exceeded
greatly in fatigue, privation, difficulty
and danger, the proposed operation ;
and I believe I may say, without fear
of contradiction, that the detachment
might be supplied, during the whole
route, with less difficulty than in the
war ol 173tf was experienced in sup
plying the forces operating under Ge
neral Washington and Gen. Braddock
against the French and Indians, on
the Ohio.
A post at the mouth of Columbia is
important, not only in relation to the
interior trade, and the military de
fence of the western section of the
Union, but, also, in relation to the na
val power of the nation. Naval pow
er consists, not in ships, but, in sea
men; anti, to be efficient, the force
must always be available. The north
west Coast of America is an admirable
nursery for seamen—many of our best
sailors are formed there ; without a
naval station, however, on the Pacific
the lurcc employed in the whale fishe
ry, as well is in sealing,find the north
west trade, would, in the event of war
with a great maratime power, be, in
some measure, lost to the nation.
But, that establishment made.it would
afford a secure retreat to all our ships
and seamen in that section of the
globe : and the force, thus concentra- 1
(ed, might be used with effect against
the trade, if not the fleets, or posses-j
sions of the enemy, in place of being
driven to the Atlantic, or perhaps cap
tured on their way.
The establishment might be consi
dered as a great bastion, commanding
the whole line of coast to the North
and South; and it would have the
same influence on that line which the
bastions of a work have ori its curtains;
for the principles of defence are the
same, whether applied to a small for
tress, or to a line of frontier, or even
an entire section of the globe. In the
one case, the missiles used ate bullets
and cannon shot; in the other, ships
and fleets.
I have the honor to be, sir, very re-’
spcctfuiiy, vour obedient servant,
Ttl. S.JESUP.
To the lion. John Floyd,
House of Representatives.
Slavery in the West Indies. —Karl
Bathurst in the Lords, and Mr. Can
ning in the Commons, hare introduced
this subject. ‘The following are the
provisions for tire amelioration of the
.Slave condition :
1. ‘The use of the whip is to be ut
terly abolished in regard of female
slaves.
2. The whip is no longer borne by
the driver in the field ; to be no long
er employed as a summary punish
ment of the male Negroes: to be whol
ly laid aside as a stimulus to labour,
and resorted to only as a chastisement
for misbehaviour, deliberately proved
and recorded.
3. Ample provision is to be made
for the religious instruction of the
Negroes, bv the appointment ol two
bishops, with regular clergy under
them.
4. Marriage is to bo encouraged, fa
milies never to be separated, and the
property of the slave is to be protected
by positive law.
5. Banks are to be established, in
which the slave may depo&ite his earn
ings ; the money so piaced to be sa
cred, in all cases, from the master’s
grasp.
6. The testimony of slaves, under
certain limitations depending ou per
sonal character, is to be received in
all civil cases except when the mas
ters’ immediate interests are concern
ed, and in all criminal cases, except
when the life of a white person is in
volved.
7. The slave v. ho has acquired a cer
tain sum of money is to have the power
of purchasing his own manumission,
or that of his wife or child ; and thus
the father may become the instrument
of liberty to iiis offspring.
YV ith respect to the Blave Trade,
the French government had agreed to
admit a mutual right of search, if the
punishment was to be made severe.—
I lie American Government had for
merly made the trade piracy, and now
had admitted a mutual right of search,
by which British ships might visit
American as well as British ships con
cerned in the trade; but upon this con
dition, that British ships should be
sent for condemnation to a British tri
bunal, and American ships to a tribu
nal of their own countrymen.
In the British House of Commons
on the 16th ult. we find a long and
animated speech of Mr. Canning, in
which he observes, *• We offered both
to France and the United States, by
treaty, to give a l ight ot mutual visit
and search in case of suspected slave
trading. I am, says Mr. Canning,
happy in being able to inform the
House, that, not many hours, or rather
not many days ago, a treaty was re
ceived, signed by my Right lion, re
lation, our Ministei to the United
.States, and by the American Minis
ter, according this mutual right of
visit. £Heac, hear!] It lias * been
granted, of course, under certain reg
ulations and restrictions, applying to
both states.”
From the Leinster Journal.
France vs. England and Ireland.
‘l'lie following advertisement,
which we copy from The Times,
London Newspaper, of the 16th
ult. gives a very pretty comparative
view- of the state of the above na
med countries. We were well
aware, notwithstanding the innu
merable falsehoods of the lying lo
ry press, that France had gained
an immensitv of benefits by the
charges which her revolution effec
ted, because we know that the
whole'annual expense of the ad
ministration of that kingdom, in
all its branches did not exceed three
fourths of the yearly interest only
ofour National Debt, independent
ofthe mutter on - ’ Cl>uus>,
an d local taxes which the people ot <
the lutter kingdoms pay* andjwhith >
are defrayed out of the genefal rev- 1
enue in the former > but this tuher
tisement explains the happiness |
which France lias obtained by her
revolution, even although it ter
minated in the forcible reformation
of the silly Bourbons, in that plain,
powerful, and homely way that
comes home to the understanding
of the humblest farmer :
‘‘'"Lands in France. — 1° he let
by Mr. Iloggnrt, several larms, ol
from 60to 500 each, at 12s. 6d.
per acre, free of tithes , taxes oi
poor rates. These farms lie togeth
er, are situated 78 miles south ot
Paris on the great road leading to
Lvons. A canal communicating
with the capital , passes through a
part of the land, which \su\so boun
ded by the navigable river Lone,
good dwelling and suitable out of
fices on each iarm, and there is an
inexhaustible supply of rich marl
within a few feet of the surface. A
proportion ofpollards tor fire-wood
will be allotted. 1 here is a flour
ing hop garden on the estate, and no
duty attached to malting or brewing.
For further particulars apply to
Mr. Hoggart, 62, Old Broad street,
Royal Exchange.
We shall make no comment on
the above. Itrequires none- But
how is it possible that the one
country can long compete with the
other; In France, the Farmer is
not subject to anv charge for Tithe,
Church Rates, Poor Hates, Min
ister’s Monev, County Tax, Turn
pike Charge, Hop Tax, Malt ‘Fax,
Beer Tax, Leather Tax, tic. &c.—
And yet here are farms situated in
the best part of France, free of
all these charges (and the tenant,
who mav fish or sport in any way
on his own farm when he lists,
without tax or fear of any tnan, is
allowed wood for his firing,) for
12s. 6d. per acre, a little above
what is charged bv some, but un
der wharis charged by some ofthe
Irish clergy for the Tithe per acre.
Good Heaven! what a difference!
Excellent land, with houses and of
fices, (not mud cabins, but good
stone buildings,mind) to your hand
lving on the charming bank of the
Loire, and on the high road be
tween the two greatest cities in
France, at 12s. 6d- per acre, and
free of taxation as above noticed ;
while the farmer must pay all these
rates, and three times 12s. 6d. for
an acre of land in this changeable
climate. Men would be idiots
who would seek for a change of
government in such a state of tilings
as this advertisement describes,
unless it were to replace such a
being as Napoleon at the head of
the regenerated nation ; a man
whose energetic mind would add
ten fold to the glory, without a
bridging the happiness, of the peo
ple.
There is a rumor from Africa, bro’t
bv a vessel arrived at Barbadoes,
March 18th, that Sir Charles M’Cnr
thy, having under his command, na
tives of Africa and merchants to the
number of 500, proceeding against
Coomassle, the Ashantee capital,’ in
Jan nary last, and was met by 10,000
natives, and totally defeated on the
21st of January. A few fugitives on
ly had escaped and returned to the
Cape. Sir Charles and his party had
not been heard of when the vessel
sailed, and it is supposed they were
all massacred or taken prisoners.
A letter from Manchester (Eng
land) from a correspondent of the Na
tional Advocate, savs :
“ I send you our Manchester paper
which has a sketch of parliamentary
proceedings, and by which you wiil
see that the duty on raw silk is to be
removed immediately. Silk mills
will nowise up here nearly as fust as
cotton mills have done. In fact, our
present ministry arc determined to
give up the restrictive system and
adopt a more liberal one. Another
year will make great alteration in the
corn laws, I have no doubt, and should
your new tariff go into operation,
which 1 don’t expect,John Hull would
either tax Johnathan’s cotton a little
more or take off the duty from other
countries.”
Tragical Event —The Ktoile of
Sunday contains the following ac
count of a fatal event which has
j ust occurred near Paris:—“ Two
families have recently been plunged
into consternation. M. de * * *
whose parents are in affluence, and
who had himselfa fortune ol 100 -
000 francs a year, fell i n love a year
ago with Mademoiselle Brecourt,
a figurante cf the Royal A< :i;l,. a
of Music. The vigilance of j, *
mother, however, for some p n ’.
obstructed the- views of the your
man, who was waiting for an f; ./
portunity of carrying off the l a ,p’
The mother having been appri/,-,1
of his intentions, applied to th<-
Police for assistance, who arrested
Mademoiselle Brecourtat BouryK
la Heine, when only half a league
from M. de * * #. Sometime after,
wards bt*, however, succeeded i u
eloping with Mndemoisle Brec 0 .
to Bordeaux: on their arrival ;
that toum, he bought her diam 0p *
and other expensive articles,
in short, was so extravagant,
at the end of a few months he \ v ,
destitute. He then wrote t 0 ‘
rich aunt in Paris to solicit assis
tance which she promised upo a
condition of his abandoning his con
nection with Mademoiselle fi rc .
court. To this, by the urgent en
treaties of the young lady herself
he agreed and they set o>t togeth
er, on the 10th inst. for Paris
where it was proposed that thev
should separate. On arrivingW
ever, at an Inn near Paris, the idea
of seperation caused them such vi
olent despair, that they resolved to
put an end to their existence, and
for this purpose, put a quantity of
lighted charcoal (a common mode
of suicide in France,) into tht
room where thev slept, and in the
morning thev were found suffo>
ted.”
The Evergreen, at Salem, left Ta
ra on the 3d March, in company wi
a Portuguese frigate and gun brig,aml
several other vessels, having on board
all the Portuguese and English mer
chants, the English consul, aatl oilier
Europeans—who left the place in con*
sequence of 15,000 insurgents bein'-
ready to enter the city, who were ex
pected to massacre the European*
without distinction. The town wasiu
cooiplete confusion. On board ofone
ship which left Para in the fleet were
one hundred and ninety-two merchant*
embarked for Lisbon.
The Pioneer, at Salem, left Rio Ja
neiro, Feb’ry. 25th. It was repoted
that the French vessels of war which
had arrived there, were placed at the
order of the Emperor of Brazil. The
British 90 gun ship Cambridge was at
Rio with consuls on board for La Flak
Chili and Peru. A report prevailed
that Spain had ceded the island of
Chiloe in the Pacific to France.
English vessels of war were dailj
arrriving at different ports on the coast
of Brazil.
Murder , in Mexico. —Died,in Mex
ico, on the 28th of March, Mr.-
James Crawford, merchant of Phila
delphia.
About five months since, Mr.C.
and a Mr. Andrew's, were despatched
by the United States’ Bank to Mexi
co, for the purpose of eflecting some
important negociations. On their re
turn from the city of Mexico to Alva
rado, as considerable danger was ap
prehended from an attack bv robber*,
on the supposition of their havin'a
large amount in specie, they were
furnished with a strong escort of 25
men well armed, under the dtrectio®
of Capt. Murray, of the British Navy
On arriving at Puebla, they w ere de
prived of this escort, by the public au
thority, and an inferior guard, of Id
worthless men, badly armed, was sub
si itu ted- A short distance from Pu#
bla most of this guard deserted them,
and they were soon after attacked
a set of banditti, of 25, in ambuscade-
Mr. C rawford, who was an excellent
horseman, being mounted, by his cus
tomary’ gallant port and mien, attiac
ted the first attention of the robbers!
he received the first shot, their balls
passing through his lungs ; four “I
the party were wounded, and a cou
rier, who had joined them at the mo
ment, with despatches for Capt. Mur
ray, killed. Captain Murray and
Mr. Andrews appear to have escap
unhurt. ‘The banditi made prison# 8
of the party, robbed them of evert
thing, including 25,000 dollars in s|> e ’
cie and being joined by those of
guard who had deserted, deliberate
whether to put tliem to death, but
thro’ the intercession of two or thr#
who had some remains of hum* lll *?
they were, after some hours deten
tion and cruel treatment, set Ire*-"’
Mr. Crawford expired in the arms ®
Mr. Andrews, three hours after recei
ving the fatal wound.
T hus fell, in the prime of life, on
the desolate and inhospitable
of a foreign land, by the hands of (
blooded murderers, James Crawford’
—an accomplished gentleman, °l ll
noble, generous, intrepid spirit, i r
pectod and beloved by all wlm hr''*
him. A liberal education had fiW"I*’ 1 *’
the foundation of a well cnltfe* 1 * 1
mind, and an intercourse f*r ~,all
year a with foreign nations had
iiim well skilled in most modern - ts
g tinges.- — jJmcr. Daily Mv.