Newspaper Page Text
tionto the repented and invarame declarations of!
the government, given to this nation and the world,
through the official medium of presidential mes
sages, and the correspondence of all her public
ministers, and sanctioned by all her public laws,
on the subject of neutral rights? Will it not be
said that we have changed our national policy?
Shall we not be addressed in the following lan
guage, by the nations of Europe?
“The time was, when the United States were
also weak, she had no navy, she had no army. In
those days she was a strong advocate for neutral
rig; ts, anxious that free ships should make free
goods; that the neutral flag of the republic should
protect all sailing underit,even protesting against,
and complaining of the violation of her neutral
rights, by the belligerents of Europe. But these
times have passed away; the nation has tried her
strength in battle, and found herself quite equal
to the struggle; she has had time to strengthen
her army and increase her navy; her former
weakness forgotten, herformer precepts aban
doned, and feeling jgHMfend forgetting right,
she w alks over a to conquer
and subdue a feeble, though neu
tral colony, whose very weakness (pleaded in ex
cuse for the aggression) should have rather con
stituted ait appeal to a generous people for pro
tection.”
In this unfavorable light, the committee have
too much reason to fear, will the civilized world
lew tins transaction, and, if sanctioned by the
nation, they regret to say, there will be too much
reason given thus to consider it.
But there are still other reasons disclosed, and
facts developed, that discover the motives of the
commanding officer more fully than those qbove
Stated. More than two months after this cam
paign had ended, and the Seminolie war was ter
minatbd, another expedition is planned, and the
land and naval forces of the United States order
ed to execute it; which is to reduce the fortress
of St. Augustine, the capital of East Florida. The
reasons offered for this measure, are stated in his
orders to Gen. Gaines, dated Nashville, 7th Au
gust, 1818, and are as follows:
’ “I have noted with attention Major Twiggs’s
letter, marked No. 5. I contemplated that the
agents of Spain, or the officers at fort St. Au
gustine, would excite the Indians to hostility, and
furnish them with the means of war. It will be
necessary to obtain evidence substantiating this
fact, and that the hostile Indians have been fed
and furnished from the garrison of St. Augustine.
This being obtained, should you deem your force
sufficient, you will proceed to take and garrison
fort St Augustine with American troops, and
hold the garrison prisoners, until you hear from
the president of the United States, or transport
them to Cuba, as, in your judgment, under ex
isting circumstances, you may think best.
“Let it be remembered, that the proceedings
carried on by me, or this order, is not on the
ground that we are at war with Spain; it is on
the ground of self-preservation, bottomed oh the
broad, basis of the law of nature, and of nations,
and justified by giving peace and security to our.
froutiei-s; hence the necessity of procuring evif
dence of the fact of the agents or officers of
Spain.haviqg excited the Indians to continue the
war against us, and that they have furnished them
with the means of carrying on the war: this evi
dence being obtained, you will, {if your force is
sufficient,) permit nothing to prevent you from
reducing fort St. Augustine, except a positive
order from the department of war.
> “Orders some time since have been given to
the officer of the ordnance commanding at
Charleston, to have in readiness a complete bat
tering train, the number and calibre of the guns
pointed out. I have no doubt you will find them
in readiness.
“I enclose you the report of capt. Henley, of
the naval force on that station: you will open a
correspondence with commandant A. J. Dallas,
to ensure his co-operation, provided it should be
k required.”
so In this projected expedition, it was not thought
■jecessary or expedient to consult the executive
■branch of the government: the order sent to gen.
iGaines was peremptory, on the discovery being
made that the Indians had been supplied with
ammunition and provisions, and excited to war;
the blow was to be struck, and nothing but an ex
press order from the secretary of war was to pre
vent it. Long before this period, the command
ing general bad, by his letters to the secretary of
war, declared the Seminolie war at an end, and
after which, not a single new act of hostility had
been committed. Y et, in this state of peace, is a
military officer directed to ascertain certain facts,
and, on such facts being substantiated, to make
war on the neutral colony of a nation in peace and
amity with the United States; thus disregarding
not only the legislative and executive authorities
of (lie -United States, but setting at nought the
usages of all civilized nations, by making war
without a previous and public declaration. Were
Shis nation subject to the will of a military despot,
. and were there no constitutional barriers to the
inordinate exercise of military ambition, more
than this could scarcely have been expected,—
It is with pain .the committee are constrained to
make these observations; but, where* the vital
principles of the constitution have been violated,
as they conceive, it would be criminal in them,
under the instructions they have received from
the senate, and the duty they owe the nation, to
tbe silent. SLence on their part would have
considered an acquiescence in those roeas
&J|jL and they fear this precedent and example
f|;^^?ple ac lecl and followed on future occasions.
be admitted in the soutn, will
‘ 1 _. ‘ “ Jjjaiiidered as authorised in the north?
■*’ „ there to be won, and
and are there not In
■ and may not the
that those
c. . furnish
of military feme by reducing the British fortres
, ses of Canada, and unfurling the star spangled
banner of this nation on the walls of Quebec?
We hope better things of the distinguished ;
officer at the head of our armies, and we had hop- j
ed better things of the hero of New-Orleans,but t
we have been disappointed; and, if the conductj
of the officers in the south be sanctioned and ap
proved by the nation, we are free to declare the
reduction of Quebec (where Montgomery fell,
unabie to conquer) would present a much strong
er claim to public approbation.
It is necessary here to remark, that a copy of
the order issued by general Jackson to general
Gaines, for the reduction of St. Augustine, was
transmitted to the secretary of war, and a eoun- j
termanding order promptly despatched to gener-1
al Gaines, which reached him before the milita- j
ry expedition set on foot by general Jackson had ■
commenced; and thus was suddenly .rrested a I
military scheme, (as unconstitutional as it was
impolitic) and which might, as stated by the sec
retary of war, in his letter of the Bth day of Sep
tember, 1818, have involved this nation in a war
with all Europe.
In thus promptly prohibiting the unauthoris
ed seizure, at the will of a commanding general,
of the possessions of a neighboring natibfi with
whom the United States are at peace, the com
mittee recognize that sacred regard to the rights
of other nations, which ought never to be
ed from by the executive of a free country, ana*
that vigilant attention to the conduct of the offi
cers of the army which is necessary to secure a
due subordination of the military to the civil
power.
They consider that on tins occasion, the execu
tive of the United States has (by promptly re
storing St. Marks and Pensacola, wrested from
Spain in violation of instructions) pursued the
course that the constitution demanded, that all
former precedents justified, and to which the
public sentiment gave a decided approbation.
In reviewing the execution of Arbuthnot and
Ambrister, your committee cannot but consider
it asanumnecessary act of severity, on the part
of the commanding general, and a departpwe
from that mild and humane system
soners, which, in all our conflicts with sroge or
civilized nations, has heretofore been capidered,
not only honorable to the national but
conformable to the dictates of SoumT policy.—-
These prisoners were subjects of Great Britain,
with whom the United States arjf at peace.—
Having left their country, and united ghe# -fete
‘with savages, with whom the Uied'SlßmjKwci;c
at war, they forfeited their clapn to ■feprotec
tion of their own government, and jfsßjecfed
themselves to the same treatibent, might,
according to the practice add principles of the
American government, beintended towards those
with whom they were |jfe<?ciated. No process
of reasoning can degrade iherirsbeiow the sava
ges with whom they \pre connected. As prison
ers of war, they wegKentitled to ckim from the
American govermneH that
most savage of <mr fbei have uniformly experi
enced when (banned in our power. Hu-1
manity shudders at the idea of a cold hlooded
execution disarmed, and in ne pow
er of theiConquerer. And, although Ravages
who respect no laws, may, according to th\strict
principles of the law of nations, have theiiown
system of cruelty inflicted on them by the wy of
retaliation, it is believed that such a syijem
wouljl degrade and debase the civilized namon
who Could resort to it, and is not only repug Ait
to the mild principles of the Christian reiigiai,
but a violation, of those great principles of moral
rectitude which distinguish the American chal
acter. Retaliation in the United States has al
if ays been confined to specified acts of cruelty.-!
It is not believed that any attempt has ever been
made to retaliate for charges so general as those
exhibited against Arbuthnot and Ambrister, viz:
“Inciting the Indians to war.” During the revo
lutionary war, only two cases occurred of per
,sons seized for the purposes of retaliation, neither
of whom was executed. The case of Asgill,
seized on accouut of the murder of Huddy; and
governor Hamilton, of Vincennes, foe specific
acts of cruelty also. Hamilton was confined
for a short time with rigor, and afterwards re
leased. During the late war, marked with some
cases of cold blooded massacre on the part of
our enemy, particularly the one at the riyer
Raisiu, no such retaliation was resorted to.
The principle assumed by the commanding
general, that Arbuthnot and Ambrister, by uni
ting in war against States, while we
were at peace with Britain, “became out
laws and pirates, and liable to suffer death,” is not
recognised in any code of national law. Nothing
can be found in the history of civilised nations,
which recognises such a principle, except
cree of executive directory of France, during
their short career of folly and madness, which
declares that, neutrals, found on board enemy’s
ships, should be considered and treated as pirates.*
The committee forbear to make any other re
marks on the violation of the usual and accustom
ed forms in the punishment and conviction of
Arbuthnot and Ambrister, except that even des
pots claiming to exercise absolute power cannot,
with propriety, violate their own rules.
Having detailed a court martial, for the pur
pose of trying the prisoners, the commanding
general, by his own authority, set aside the sen
tence of the court, and substituted for that sen
tence his own arbitrary will. In trials involving
the life of an individual, a strict adhmAce to form
is in ordinary
against oppression aftd injusticedr
A departure from Vjese is osculated
to inflict a wound ct^icyirand
tarnish the laurels so jiwfy com
manding general by jjilnfarmer Such
* feee Mr. to secretary of state, yol.
10. p. —. \ * .
j•a.| | * . - |
ent session, they refer. j
From the Norfolk Herald, March 10.
VERY LATE FROM ENGLAND.
Arrived in Hampton Roads, yesterday fore
noon, the fast sailing ship Virginia, capt. Fisher,
in 37 days from Liverpool. To the usual polite
i attention of captain F. we are indebted for Li' *
j pool papers to the 27th, and London to the 25th
| of January, being nearly a month in advance of
former dates; having received them* however, at
! a late hour last night, our extracts from them are,
] for the present, necessarily limited. But except
the royal speech, which we have copied, we do
not discover in them any intelligence of much
moment.
The parliament commenced its session on the
21st of January.
The papers announce the death of the queen of
Wirtemburg, and Maria Theresa, <?f Parma, con
sort of Charles IV. of Spain, and mother of Fer
dinand vii. . ,/rSIF
Liverpool article says, “it.was expected
\at the speech from the throne would have been
spoken by the regent in person; but, on account
of its being necessary to revert to the death of the
queen, and to other family calamities, his royal
highness preferred turning that duty over to com
mission, and to remain himself in private at
Brighton.” .
The famous Mr. Hunt has again edme upon
the stage. He lately appeared at a popular
meeting at Manchester, and was received with
great eclat. In the evening he attended the
theatre, and was the cause of some riotous pro
ceedings.
London, January 21.
This day, at half an hour after two o’clock, the
lord chancellor entered the house of lords, and
proceeding directly to the table, received the
oaths as a peer of parliament. Soon after the
noble lord retired for the purpose of putting on
his robes, and returned to the house, accompani
ed by the archbishop of Canterbury, the duke of
Wellington, the earl of Harrowby, and the earl
of Westmoreland, who, with the noble and learn
ed lord, acted as the royal commissioners.
The gentleman usher of the black rod, was
then commanded to require the attendance of
the house of commons at the bar, to hear the
prince regent’s speech read.
The commons soon after appeared at the bar,
preceded by their speaker, when the lord chan
cellor, on the part of the commissioners, read the
following speech: —
“My lords and gentlemen ,
“We are commanded by his royal highness
the prince regent, to express to you the deep re
gret which he feels in the continuance of his ma
jesty’s lamented indisposition.
“In announcing to you the severe calamity
with which it has pleased divine providence to
visit the prince regent, the royal family, and the
nation, by the death of her majesty the queen of
the united kingdom, his royal highness has com
manded us to direct your attention to the consider
ation of such measures as this melancholy event
has rendered necessary and expedient with re
spect to the care of his majesty's sacred person.
“We are directed to inform you, that the ne
gociations which have taken place at Aix-la-Cha
pelle have led to the evacuation of the French
territory by the allied armies.
“The prince regent has given orders, that the
convention concluded for this purpose, as well as
the other documents connected with this arrange
ment, shall be laid before you: and he is per
suaded, that you will view with particular satis
faction, the intimate union which so happily sub
sists amongst the powers who were parties to
these transactions, and the unvaried disposition
which has been manifested in all their proceed
ings for the preservation of the peace, aud tran
quility of Europe.
“The prince regent has commanded us farther
to acquaint you, that a treaty hasheen concluded
between his royal highness and the government
of the United States of America, for the renewal,
for a farther term of years, of the commercial
convention, now subsisting between the two na
tions, and for the amicable adjustment of several
points of mutual importance to the interests of
both countries; and as soon as the ratifications
shall have been exchanged, his royal highness
will give directions that a copy es this treaty shall
be hud befoie you.
“Gentlemen of the house qf commons,
“The prince regent has directed that the esti
mates for the current year shall be laid before
you. ’
“His royal highness feels assured, that you
will learn with satisfaction the extent of reduc
tion which the present situation of Europe, and
the circumstances of the British empire, have
enabled his royal highness to effect in the naval
and military establishments of the counter.
“His royal highness has also the gratification
of announcing to you, a considerable and pro
gressive improvement of the revenue in its most
important branches.
“My lords and gentlemen ,
The prince regent has directed to be laid be
fore you such papers as are necessary to shew
fae origin and result of the war in the East In-
royal highness commands us to inform
you, that the operations undertaken by the go
vernor general in council against the Pindarries,
were dictated by the strictest principles of self
defence; and that in the extended hostilities
which followed upon those operations, the Mah
lin bring able to inform you Strode* rotS
I mAot fjoiirishinp’ condition
place in the internal circumstances of the united
kingdom, affords the strongest proof of the solidi
ty of its resources.
“To cultivate and improve the advantages of
our present situation, will be the object of your
deliberations: and his royal highness has com
manded us to assure you of his deposition to con
cur and co-ope rate in whatever may be best cal
culated to secure to his majesty’s subjects the
fall benefits of that state of peace which, by the
blessing of providence, has been so happily re
established throughout Europe.”
The commons then retired, and the house ad*
joumed till five o’clock.
*. >
mmmeg&smm
From the Norfolk Beacon, Mnrch 10.
London, January 23.
“The Paris papers of Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday last, were received this morning,
being all that were due. They communicated
another royal death, that of the queen mother of
Spain, Maria Theresa, consort of Charles IV and
the mother of Ferdinand the VHth. Her ma
jesty expired on the 2d inst. This double cala
mity, the loss of a wife and a parent, within so
short a period of each other, will be severely felt
by the king of Spain.
No public business of any importance has been
transacted in either qf the French chambers.
The funds have maintained a steady price at a
bout 68f.
A Flanders mail arrived this morning, with pa
pers from Brussels to the 21st inst. The preli
minary proceedings in the charge brought against
several persons accused of a plot, tending to place
on the throne of France, the son of Napoleon, and
to give the regency to her majesty the empress
Maria Louisa, are terminated: two of them are
to be set at liberty, the others are to be tried.
January 25.
Yesterday we received the Paris papers to the
22d inst. the contents of which are not important.
The chamber of deputies have been engaged only
in discussing some arrangements respecting the
mode of receiving petitions, and in appointing a
deputation to attend the expiratory service, which
was performed at St. Denison Thursday last, for
the late king of France.
SPAIN. — Irun , Jan. 3.—-The couriers be
tween Madrid and Cadiz, are escorted by strong
detachments of cavalry, posted at different dis
tances in La Mancha, and on the route across La
, Sierra Morena, Travellers proceeding to, or ar
riving frc&n Andalusia, are compelled so unite fir
caravans in the difficult passages; these caravans
are escorted by small detachments of cavalry.
The armed bands have retired into the passes of
the mountains, and seldom come out; however,
one of their bands had the audacity to advance as
far as the canton of Val de Feguas.
v January 7.
The king is so affected by the death of the
queen, that for several days his grief would not
allow him to attend to any public business.
It is to Casa del Campo, situated half a league
from Madrid, that he daily goes to indulge in his
affliction with some persons who are attached to
him. It is said that his majesty has resolved no
more to reside in the place of the Escurial, as the
kings of Spain have from time immemorial been
accustomed to do, because the remains of his be
loved consort are deposited in the pantheon of
the church of St Lawrence, the place of sepul*
, ture for the royal family^
It is affirmed here that the courier from Cadiz
to Madrid, with the escort, has been seized near
the Sierra Morena, by one of the bands of armed
men who infest the defiles of those
Vienna, Jan. 51,
The last accounts from Constantinople, of the
10th of December, contain the following state
ment. On the intervention of Russia and Prus
sia, the Porte has at length recognised the king
of the Netherlands. The new Hospodar of Wall
lac hia, Alexander Suzzo, intended to go to Bu
charest about theendof last month. The aga of
the Janissaries, lately appointed, has been again
deposed by the grand seignior; his lieutenant was
appointed in his place. The Porte is incessantly
occupied with the increase of its navy. A few
days before these accounts came away, a ship of
the line of 84 guns, was launched, and a small
vessel of 18 guns.’* ‘
Liverpool, January 27.
The opening of Parliament, —The first session
of the new parliament, was opened on Thurs
day, by commission. The speech, as our rea
ders will see, after adverting to die continued in
disposition of the king, and the decease of her
majesty, states the- evacuation of France by the
allied powers; the conclusion of the negociations
at Aix-la-Chapelle; the intimate union which sub
sists among the parties to these transactions; the
conclusion of a treaty with the United States of
America; for the renewal of the commercial con
vention; die reduction of the naval tuid military
establishments; the progressive improvement of
the revenue in its most important branches; the
conclusion of the war in India; and the flourish
ing state of the tradfe, commerce and manufac
tures of the country. .? „
It is understood that the coronation of his ma
jesty the king of France, is fixed for the 3d of May,
a day rendered ever memorable in the annals of
that country by the return of the