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ifor ti| e Columbian fpufmw.
To Jams* Seacrovf, i i s Q.. Super
intendent of in dun: Affairs, C. A.
Sir,
ON behalf of my late Colleagues, I
return you my hearty thanK.*, for
the early attention you paid my call lor
the authentic documents in your poflef
lion. Permit me, however, to oblerve,
that considering the means prartifed,
rind the characters employed to obtain
your information, the authenticity of
the whole, may well be doubted. I
fnall not ; however, gofo far—for I rea
dily plead guilty, it there be any guilt
attached to the only letter, 1 ever wrote
John Galphin. 1 lhouldhave been hap
py, lir, il you had made your comment
on that pait of ir, which you conit rued
criminal, for lain really fa ignorant, or
ib hardened in my guilt, that altho’ I
have read it over, and over again, I can
diicovei nofentiment it contains, which
dishonours ray head, cr argues a depravi
ty of my heart. If I ieel remorse at
all, it is for condescending, notwithftan
dingallhis importunities, to notice by
one Single line, this worthy lecond of the
worthy superintendent of Indian Affairs.
He is however, brought forward by
you, to ellablifh charges of a serious na
ture, against the late Comrniflioners of
the State. You have produced this
halt breed Indian, as an evidence, and
brought forward Mr. Weatherford’s
oath, to prove what this half breed said
against us. You mud therefore admit,
■what this half breed has said, and wrote,
at other times, to be evidence against
you.
On the 6th day of June, so far from
the Commiifioners tcaung Mr. Galphin,
he began to tease them ; and wrote me
the hrit line I ever had the honor to re
ceivcfrom this very authentic character,
in the words following :
in CAMP, 6th June, I 796*
Dear Sir,
I AM happy to hear you are one of
the honorable board of Commiflioners.
I make no doubt but you have heard of
the notorious falfehoods that have been
ieportedagainft me, which lam willing
to put my felt to any court of juflicc,
and make no doubt but you have a bet
ter opinion of me, than to think that 1
should murder or rob a man. No fir,
my father’s memory ftili lies in mv
bread, and nothing upon earth would
make me do any thing to hurt iny fath
er and mothers character. I have been
fciead a gentleman, and my whole inten
tion is to l'upporc that character, and
hope you may think so of me. I will
be glad that you will write me in the
Eiorninp-.
w
And I have the honor to be, fir,
Your moil obedient servant,
JOHN GALPHIN.
JAMES JACKSON, Es^.
(dommijjioner of Indian Affairs.
On the 7th of Jure, lie sent me the fol
lowing epillle :
‘•The *}th June y I 796.
Si r,
I WROTE you a day cr two a go,
and as yet never had the honor cl an
answer. I now infill, if convenient,
you will be so good as write me ; if not,
I muff retire with my people. Had 1
not proposed coming to the Treaty,
none of my town would have come ;
and I am certain that nothing can be
done without them. I was happy to
hear you was one of the Commilhoners,
when I flattered myfelf that matters,
perhaps might be fettled to the latisfac
tion of both parties. Our principle
chiefs are not here—that is the Hollow
ing King and Y’oung Prince; and with
out their consent to a Treaty* I know*
and am well convinced it will be dif
annuiled. I was sent forward by those
chiefs, and can bring them forward if
required.—l presume the business now
in hand, will be of little weight, without
those chiefs are present, which you may
plainly fee by the talk they sent by rue
to Jantes Seagrove, Esq. Will be happy
for an answer before my departure. I
wifli if poliible, to return home to-mor
row.
And have the honor to be, fir,
Your inoft obedient servant,
_ t . JOHN GALPHIN.
JAMES JACKSON, Esqv.
V -r. CommijJioner of Indian Affairs.
i P. S. The talk sent by me, I dcliv-
Fercd to Mr. Barnard.
On the 9th, he came on board the
State vefici, and without being called on
for tne purpolc, or aiked a question on
the head, asserted, that the land would
not be procured, and that it was owing’
to the talks Mr. Scagrove had sent to
•she nation* \ was not cm board; but on
Columbian j^lufeum,
Settilla river at the time, but refer for
the truth of this, to the journals of the
State Commiflioners* and Mr. Moore's
oath.
On the 10th, early in the morning, 1
was peitered with another letter, as
follows :
*The 1 Oth of June, 1796.
Sir,
I SHOULD have been happy to have
seen you perfonaliv, that I could have
informed you the real rcafon of the ob
jection, the chiefs of my nation, have in
not complying with the rcquelt you de
mand ; and nothing but time will now
bring nutters to your wish, which I
will explaine to you, when I have the
honor of feeing yotK The blame is not
to he on the Indians—l will lay no
more till I fee you.
And have the honor to be,
Your moil obedient lervant.
JOHN GALPHIN.
JAMES JACKSON, Esq.
CommijJioner of Indian A fairs.
Being thus teased, I wrote the fame
day, the very criminal letter which you
have produced to prove my guilt* anti
in answer thereto, on the'nth, I re
ceived the follow ing :
In CAMP, June I I lb, 1796.
Sir,
YOU RS of the iotb, I had the hon
or of receiving, and return you my
thanks for your kind advice, and lhail
follow it. Y’ ou have been pleased to lay,
I can fee you at any time ; but r afiure
you, fir* that the chiefs were told by Mr.
Seagrove this morning* to try and per
fnade me from feeing you ; that you was
here only to try to Ipoii their talks, by
demanding lands, a .and that’ he would lee
their lands should not be taken by you.
iic heard i was on board your veil'd,
which he is not pleased at. I wish to
fee you very much—l have fome busi
ness that 1 should be very glad you would
undertake to do tor me. I liave no feai
ing-wax, therefore 1 refer you to my
brother for particulars. 1 will thank
you for fome paper and wax, and a few
biscuit ; and beg you will not as yet,
make this public, and you shall have mat
ters to your fatisfadtioa—l can do more
with thete Chiefs than people think.
I have the honor to be,
Your inoft obedient servant,
JOHN GALPIIIN.
James Jackson* Es<^
Comm £ion<. r of Indian A fair:.
Without recurring at present to oth
er letters, is this not iufficient to prove,
ii at the tcafing of Mr. Galphin, cid
not lay with the late State Coinmiiiion
ers,? but that he teased them—and docs
it not also prove the faddy of his curn
pofition ? where he fays, “ I ftili con
iulted my friends, when they ftili told
tne to encourage the business— l wrote a
tb-.rd letter, when Gen. Jaekfon sent me
word* that 1 mull undertake the busi
ness.” I have inserted lour of this au
thentic gentleman’s epistles already, and
the fourth is a positive dead charge a
gainit you* fir, as the oecaiion of the
failure of the cefiion. Vv ith refpedl to
tue offer of five hundred pounds—ls it
probable, fir, that the late State Cotn
mitnoner; would advance thislum, from
tneir private pockets, or even three
hundred dollars, which you aflert Mr.
Garvin offered lor the mere purpose of
breaking you. You, fir, had great ad
vantages over the State Commiflioners
in this refpert, for you li3d public prop
erty in your hands to distribute as pre
sents, and could bribe at the expense of
the United States. The public goods
in the lands of the Hate Commiifio tiers,
were nnt at their disposal, to make pre
feiits of anti bribe with, but for the ex
press purpose of a payment for a ceftion
of land, which theic is great room for
fufpertion, you were the cause of our not
obtaining. If, however, Galphin was
at market, and fuppofmg the offers he
ailedgCs, to have been made him by us
was the fart, what is the natural con
clusion Which mult strike the moll com
mon mind at a gta.ice ; but that he was
knock and off to the highest bidder,, and
that you became the purchaser. Wheth
er you bought him or not, to make the
infamous ilatement through the channel
of your other authentic friend, Mr.
Weatherford, who fome years since, for
his good deeds, no doubt, was closely
cropped, lays between you.—His evi
dence is to befure a inafter piece ol its
kind—You swear him to what John
Galphin said, to criminate us—why
did you not swear him to clear your
felf, when your other deputies and agents
were paraded before the Federal Com
missioners. This man, fir, from your
own (hewing,-appears to have been your
principal ciniflary ; and why, fir, did
you not swear Galphin to his Ilatement;
you might as well have done so, as to
swear Aleck Cornels, your half breed
interpreter ; the one was as much a
chriftian as the other. If they had all
swore to the statement, however, the
following oaths of Captain Moore, and
Mr. Jacob Cunes, referred to in that
statement, and both well known in Sav
annah, will prove it a moil corrupt and
iniquitous connivance, to answer fir.iu
ter purposes. Before those rcfpertable
depositions, the charge against us of
onbing John Galpin, will vanish like
the balelefs labrick of a vision, whillt
they will confirm suspicions already
grounded of your malcondurt.
City of Savannah, J
State of Georgia, f
PERSON A L L Y ippea red before
me, James Box Young, one of the
Aldermen of said City, John Moore,
E'q. also an Alderman of the fame, who
being duly sworn, depofeth : ‘That he
accompanied the late Commiflioners ap
pointed on the part of the State, to hold
a Treaty* to Coleraine, and whilst
there, resided on board the State Ves
sel, where lie had great opportunity of
hearing and feeing their tranfartions and
con verfat ions. That he perceives in
Powers & Seymour's paper, in a publica
tion made by Mr. Seagrove, a statement
of John Galphin’s, where he declares,
that the Commiflioners of the State,
promised him five hundred pounds and
an elegant horfc, for services to be per
formed by him against Mr. Seagrove,
and refers to a Captain Moore, who, he
tlie deponent, takes to be himfelf, as no
other Captain Moore to his knowledge,
was at Coleraine, as being present at the
convenation. The deponent does molt
lolemnly declare, that he never was pre
sent at any such conversation : That he
does not know of any bribe offered by
the late State Commiflioners, to John
Galphin or any other person whalfoever i
nor aid he ever hear any conversation
of the Commiifioners to that purport.
He further declares, that so far
from the Commiflioners countenancing
Galphin, they wished to avoid him :
That Galphin was only once on board—
and then General Jackson was absent :
That wlsiht he, Galphin, was there,
without being questioned, he declared
that the Lcliion of Land world not
be obtained, and that it was owing to
the talks which Mr. Seagrove had sent
to the Nation : That this he believes,
•was on the 9th day of June last, and a
day cr two afterwards, Galphin
came down on the bank and abused the
Federal Commiflioners and Mr. Sea
grove ; but was not asked or permitted
to come on board.
JOHN MOORE.
Sworn to before me, this
\Cyth day of Sett. 179 6.
James Box Young, one of the Aider
men of the City of Savannah.
J ACOB CUNES beingduly sworn,
maketh oath, that he has seen a state
ment of a half-breed Indian, named
John Galphin,publifhed in Powers
& Styviour’s paper of the 13th inst. by
James Seagrove, Esq. Superinten
dent of Indian Affairs, where he the de
ponent is referred to as one of the per
forms present in a converfation* where the
late State Commiflioners for holding a
Treaty at Coleraine, promised the said
Galphin, five hundred pounds and an
elegant horfc exclufi'-e, as a bribe to pro
cure the services of said Galphin in the
Creek Nation, and to bring down the
Hollowing King and little Prince* to
Beards-BlufF. l'he deponent was at
Coleraine during the Treaty, but never
heard any conversation of that kind,
either between the Commiflioners and
Galphin, or Galphin and any other per
son ; nor did he ever hear any conver
sation between the Commiflioners and
any other person tending, or which
could be construed to tend towards the
bribing of John Galphin or any other
person whatsoever : and he the depo
nent does lolemnly declare, that he be
lieves the whole statement to be a bare
faced lie, and having had great opportu
nity of hearing and feeing what the
State Commiifioners did, as he the de
ponent was at Coleraine as one of the
militia guard, and residing on board the
State Yeffel.
JACOB CUNES.
Sworn to before r:e, this
14 th Jay of Sept. 179 6.
Justus 11. Shbu b er, J. P.
As to Mr. Garvins offer,-the certifi
cate of the Secretary of the state mil
fion, will prove lhat he was not author
ized by the Commiflioners of the state.
From Galphins own lhewitig, suppo
sing the paper genuine, which there is
great doubt of, it mull appear that Mr.
Garvin was actuated by private resent
ment against you for ill officej-donc him,
for Galphin mentions that he said h e
would do any thing to break you, an i
that his uiing the Commiifioners name
v. as to induce Galphin, the more readih
to undertake it. Standing in our fitu*/
tion, however, as Commiflioners, with
tne pointed information we had received
fr om Galphin, against you, and when
the Federal Commiflioners refufed to
attend to it, as the extract from our
journals hereto fubjoinei proves; could
we have been censured for taking ever,
that step to procure your talks so Inimi
cal to the object of the state. We could
neither have been censured by the law
of nature or society, and I question, if
we are not blameablefor not taking fome
/tick Step to procure them.
I HEREBY certify, that David
Garvin, was never authorized by the
State Commiifioners, to make any pro
posal to John Galphin, for no step was
taken by them of public import, but
what was agreed on at a full board, and
determined by a majority, and every
tranfartion was preserved and entered on
their minutes. And I further certify
that there is no entry of the. kind on the
journal ; and this if required, I will
swear to.
THOMAS ROBERTSON,
Late Sec relay to the Georgia Mfion. ‘
Savannah, 14th Sept. 1796.
Dark suspicion must have clouded
your brow, and conscious guilt pervad
ed your breast, when you undertook to
break the feai of private cor relpon deuce*
and pry into the secrets of individuals.
Where, fir, is the moral difference be
tween this artion of yours, and breaking
open the mail. Ifit inclofed no bank
notes, it concerned private tranfartions,
which perhaps the intention of the par
ties being now disclosed, may prove an
equal loss, as a settlement of account*
with different persons was there men
tioned, who may advantage themselves
of the disclosure—Like all 1 Liners and
persons of that description, however,
you found as you deferved,nothing in it
which pleased you, and the fame motives*
which induced you to break the seal of
private correspondence, also induced
you to take all the censorious part cf
Mr. Hammonds letter to yourfelf.—
With all your sagacity, you can find
nothing in this letter, criminating the
State Commiifioners. They might,and
probably would have employed Town
fhend, if he had been down as State In
terpreter. They had heard a good
charatftef of the man ; they had author
ity to employ more than one, and they
certainly would not have employed your
emissaries. Perhaps, fir, notwithstand
ing your interception of Mr. Ham
mond’s letter, the talk to take fatisfac~>
tion for Cornel, may yet come forth,
and even Townihend’s cropping, make”
against you. Who authorifed Mr.
Hammond, he belt knows—it is niffi
cient that he does not name the laie
Commiflioners oi the State, and! con
ceive no charge to lay against them.—
When you, however, produce a proof of
it, the late Commiifioners will not heli
tate to answer it, altho’ they need not
blufn, if they even avowed that the au
thority proceeded from them, as I have
before ohferved, in the case of Mr. Gar
vin. l'he breaking open the letter ar
gues your arbitrary difpofirion, which
is so frequently exhibited in Camden,
and where in the double character of Su
perintendent and Collector, you rule
the county —under the former, you hold
the frontier infubjertion, and under the.
latter, the fca coalt. By virtue of your
assumed powers, you imprison citizens
at pleasure. Without even the fanrtion
of the Commiifioners regulations, you
confined a poor man at Mufcoghe, for
making enquiry for his brother in law,
(fee the affidavit of Thomas Clark.)—
And your worthy deputy, who ought to
be the protector of the port of St. Ma
ry’s, not only detained the State veflel
for several days, by going out of the
way, to prevent a clearance,.whilft
lad a fair wind ; but artually loaded a
cannon,, and pointed it to link her, and
was only prevented from firing, by fome
deserving citizens,, who took it from
him, and threw it off the Wharf he
had planted it on, into the river ; and
this, fir, was done under cover of the
night, whilst the State Comniilfioners,
were in the arms of deep, unfufpiciou*
of so bast a tranfaertion.
How far thegeneralgovernmentcan Ur
mir two permanent offices, so diametrical
ly opposite to the duties of each other, t‘*
be held by you, may well be wondered at.
The one calls for at least, half your resi
dence in the Creek nation, and the ot><o*
for the whole of it at the town of St. Ma
ry’s. God forbid, fit, that your con
duct should be typical of the federal ao*
miniltrarion, or that the fathers o. ou*
country in Congress, should ftrjf
N°. 57.