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answer to Port Vincennes. The promised
aufwer was never received. While the rnef
fenger wai at the Miami village, two oegroei
were brought in from our letilcmeots, pti*
loners i and upon his return to L ? Angulle, a
chief informed him that a part'/ of 70 war
iiora from the more Hiftant Indiana, had ar
rived and we.e gone against the fettlementa.
Iu three days after his departure from the
M.ami village, a prisoner was there burnt to
death. Similar cruelties were exercised at
the Out'anon towns, about the fame time;
and in the cpuife of three months immediate
ly after the last mentioned invitation, up
ward* of one hundred persons were hilled,
wounded and 'alien prisoners, upon the Ohio,
and in the diftritt of Kentucky.
It it to be remarked, that previouflyto the
last invitation, the people of Kentucky, who
in conlequcoce of their injuries were meditat
ing a blow against the hoflile Indians (as before
intimated) were retrained by the President
es the United States from eroding the Ohio,
until the effeft of the friendly overture in
tended to be made fh.-uld be known.
It ia also to be obfetved, that the Wyan
dott and Delawates, af'er having frequently
and fruitlcfsly endeavouied to influence the
Miami and Wabalh Indians to peace, upon
matuie con vision dually declared that force
ouly could eflfccVthe objeft.
As an evidence that the conduct of the ho
ifile Indians has been occasioned by other mo
tives than a claim relatively to boundaries,
if is to be obfe! ved, that their deprecations'
have been principally upon the difttid of Ken
tucky, aud the counties of Virginia lyiug
along the foi.th fide of the Ohio, a country to
Which they have ao claim.
It appears by refpeftable evidence, that
from the year 1783, until the'month of Ctfo
ber, 1790, the tune the United States com
menced offenfive operations against the said
Indians, that on the Ohio, and the frontiers
on the sooth fide thereof, tbev killed, wound
ed and took prisoners, about *SOO men, wo
men and children, bell ties csrryiug off up
wards of »000 horses, and other property to
the amount of fifty thousand dollars.
The particulars of these barbarities exer
eifed upon many of the prisoners of different
Hges and sexes, although supported by indif
putabfe evidence, are of too shocking a na
ture to be prefected to the public. It is fuf
fleient upon this head to obfdrve, that the to
mahawk aud fealptng knife have been the
mildest inftrumeute of death. That iu fomc
cases torture by fire, and other execrable
means have been used.
But the outrages which were committed
Upon the frontier inhabitants,, were not the
only injuries that were sustained ; repea ed
attacks upon detachments of the troops of ;he
United States, were at different times made.
The following, from its peculiar enormity,
deserves recital: In April 1790, Major
Doughty was ordered to the friendly Chicka
saws on public business. He performed this
duty in a boat, having with him Enlign Sedam
and a party of 15 men. Wmle afeeuding
the Tennessee. river, he was met by a party
of 4.0 Indians, iu four canoe's, confiding prin
cipally of the aforefud banditti es Shawaueic
and Cherokee*.- They approached under a
white flag, the well known emblem of peace.-
They came on board the Major’s boat, re
ceived bis presents, continued with him uear
ly one hour,, and then departed in the molt
friendly manner- But, they had scarcely
cleared his oars, before they poured iu a fire
upon his crew, which was returned as fuon as
eircumftances would permit, and a mod un
equal combat was sustained tor several hours,
when they abandoned their design, but not
until they had killed and wounded eleven out
of fifteen of the boat’s crew. This perfidi
ous condutf in any age, would have demanded
exemplary puniihment.
All overtures of peace failing, and the de
preciations dill continuing, au attempt at
coercion became indifpenfible. Accordingly
the expedition under Brigadier-General Har
xnar, ia the month of October, 1790, was
directed. The event is known.
After this expedition the Governor of the
weftern territory, in order that nothing might
be omitted, tci effect a peace without further
conflict, did, on his arrival at Fort Hartnar
in December, 1790, fend through the Wyan
dots, (he Delawares, conciliatory meflagee te
the M.amis, hut still without effect.
The Cornplantsr, a wat elite? of the Ssne
cis, and other Indians of,the fame trite,
being in Philadelphia in the month of Febru
ary, 1791, were engaged to undertake to im
prela the bofliie Indians with the confluences
of their jerfifting in the hofliliies, and also
of the juttice and moderation of the Unhid
Statds.
In pursuance rtf this design, Col. Proftor,
on the 14th of March, was feat to the Corn
planter to hasten his departure, and to accom
pany him to the Miami village; and mes
sages were sent to the Indiana declaratory of
the pacific fentimenta of the United States
towards them. But both Col. Profrnr and the
Complanter, although zealoufiy desirous of
executing their million, encountered difficul
ties of a particular nature, which were in
surmountable, and prevented the execution
of their orders.
Major-General 9t. Clair, in the monfS of
April, feoc meilages from Fort Harmsr ter
the Delawares, expressive of the pacific de
signs of the United States, to all the Indian
tribes.
A treaty was held at the Painted Post by
Col. Pickering, in June 1791, with a part of
the Six Nations, at which the humane inten
tions of the general government towards them
particularly, and the Indian tribes generally,
were fully explained.
Captain Hendricks, arefpgftable Indian re
siding with the' Onetdas, appear ing zealoufiy
disposed to attempt convincing the hodile In
dians of their tniftaken conduct, was accord
iugly sent for that purpose, but was frultra.ed
by unforfeen obttacles, in bis laudable at
tempts.
The different measures which have been
recited muit evince, that notwithllanding the
highly culpable conduit of the Indians in
qi.eftiun, the government of the United Sra'es,
uninfluenced by the resentment or any falfe
principles which might arite from a cotifci
oufnefs of fupetiirity, adopted every proper
«xpe<iient to tetminate the Indian bolliliths,
. without having recou.fe to the lift ex’remiiy,
and after being compelled to resort to it, has
still kept ftaa.lily in v sw the (e-eftiblilhmeut
to peace, a: d its primary aud 1 Me objcCt.
Were it neceflary to aud proofs of the pa
cific and human dilpofhi >ns of the general
government towards the Indian tribes, the
treaties with the Ciceks and with the Chero
kee* might be cited as demonstrative of its
moderation and liberality.
The prefeat partial Indian war is a remnant I
of the late geueral war, continued by a num
ber of separate banditti, who, by the iocef
fant pfattice of fifteen years, seemed to have
formed inveterate and incurable habits of en
mity againrt the frontier inhabitants of the
United States.
To obtain protection against lawless violence
was the main object for which the present go
vernment was instituted. It is indeed a main
object of all governments. A frontier citi
zen poliellcs as flrong claims to protection as
any other citzeu. The frontiers are the vul
nerable parts of every couutry ; aud the obli
gation of the government of the United States,
to afford the requisite protection, caomt be
lets facted in refeience to the inhabitants of
their welteiu, than to thofc of their Atlautic
frontier.
It will appear from a candid review of this
fubjeCt, that the geueral government could
no longer abitain from attempting to punish
the hotiile Indians. t
The ill success of the attempts for this pur
pose, is emiely unconnected with the justice
or policy of the meifure. A perfevciance in
exertions to make the refractory Indians a:
lead lenfible, that they cannot continue th ir
enormous outrages with impunity, appears
to be as indifpei.fi’ le, in the exifliug potture
of things, as it will be advifeable, whenever
they lhall manifeft symptoms of a more ami
cable disposition, to convince them by deci
sive proofs, that nothing is so ir.trh retired
by the United States, as to be at liberty to
treat them with kindeefs and beneficence.
H. KNOX, Secretary at War*
War Department* Jan. 26, 179*.
AUGUSTA, March 10.
Si led Extrads from the Proceedings of Con
gress.
Wednesday , Jet a- 11.
A meflage frost the Prcfident es the United
States was received by Mr. Secretary Lear,
together with a report of the Secretary of the
Department of War, refpectiug t..c fiiuatiu*
of affairs in the weftern country.
Order was immediately givcirfoc clearing
the galleries.
Tuefday , jaa. 17.
Mr. Dayton laid on the table the following
resolution : “ That the President of the United
States be requeued to cause to be laid before
the House copies of the official communica
tions which have taken place between the
Governor of the date of Penn.fy’vania and
• the Secretary it War, in relation to an aCtual
invasion of their territory, or imminent
danger thereof, and the railing of troops
within or under 'he direction of the said date.*'
The Hjufe then resolved i.felf into a com*
mittee of the whole on the PrefideLt’s com
munications refpeC’tiug the flare of the wefiera
frontier} upon which the gallery was clCated*
From the FEDERAL GAZETTE.
T1 his Excellency Arthur St. Clair, Governor
of the IVeJlern Itrritory, Superintendant of
Indian A fairs, M<jor~ General and Cjth
mauler in ChteJ oj the /imaican Army.
S I R,
THERE are no persons who fynipathize
more sincerely for the private diflrefS'
and public misfortune occifioned by your last
desert, than the friends of the late Gen Bu ier,
whole honor, military reputation, and meW
rnory, you have injured, by intimating that
he wnhneld from you some very maeriai in
telligence, which was communicated to him
by Captain Slough in the coutfe of the night
before the action, which the world understand
to be a plain fuggefiiou as one cause of youc
defeat.
As this imputation against Gen. Butler ir
publilhed tb the world, his friends have a" right
to rcqucit the favor of you to raake ; known
t > ttffni, in like manner, every circumstance
relatiug hereto, an 1 particularly the words,
as nearly as may be, in which Capt. Slough
informed you he had communicated the iu- r ‘
telhgeuce, the hour of the night, in who e
pretence, and Gen Butler’s reply to him.
You will readily perceive, Sir, that the
General's fr.eads requiie nothing f>r hi iuftiw
ficatioa but a Ample answer to-these particu
lars That will enable them to invedigrtc
the charge again l him, tinlefs their in ca
tions fhali be .eudered abortive by a decia-’
I ration that no perfou was ptefent when Capt*
Slough made the communication.
As the pieleut Indian war is said to have
been e iteied into by 7 »ur recommendation,
and tne arrangements of both campaigns to"
have been yi-urs, toge her with ;hi exclu.lv*
power of makiag peui e, your country his
expected from yo. an exe tion of the abilitier
you poltefs in one department or the other.
Year defeit appeals to the world to hive
arisen from deli':ency of intellige ice, from
your not knowing your enemy, from your
detach.ng one fourth or one firth of vour army'
after sixty militia deserters, and from your
incautious encampment: Exculpate yojrfelf
from these, and no imputation against Gen.
Butler will be necefiiry- A. B.
N. B. Gea. Butler’s friends requefl that all"
Printers wh » have publilhed Gen. St. Clair’s
pofiteript alluded to above, will give this a
place in their papers.
i 0 his Excellency General St. Clair.
THE friends of the oeceafed Col. Oldham 9
request the favor of you topuUnh the “ or
ders of much coufequence,” which you had
givea him over uight immediately preceding
your defeat, his negietfing to execute which
ym fugged as one cause of ir. They with <•'
be certified by whom and whole presence ibofe
orders were delivered.
An Ordinance
For appointing Conflables for the
‘Town of Augufia and the limits
thereof .
AS h is ntcefiary that proper
officers should be appointed for cn*
forcing the ordinances and decrees of this
Corporation, therefore ifc it ordained by the
Honorable the Mayor and Aldermen of ‘be said-
Town of Augujia, and it is hereby ordained