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■SAV4 N > All liEPlJWLUlAN rur.uEu:’. I'lil.L, XTt v&h:i M%» V-\T.k?UL /y VST* I, S21, .e rjr.t r:r::. MOT* pu za •»T> *fc’.v Anvrr.T: orir HEMTiaxs with ftr.ux. MWMRMT. Tl! \PS MITTED TO CDS- GUESS. The Srrrelary nf Staff of th* United Strife;- ■ to the Minister Plenipotentiary nf the XT. fifntes to-Spain, nf. Madrid- flYo. 7.} »LPi»TM««iT nr rrtrr., fr.ielnyton, TRr’i -Verna/,.-, JIBS, bin Yorr. despatches, to Vo. 52. inclusive, with freit* rncloinjr*s, fi:ive been received j 4 this !)•;- paitiiKrt. Aimoii# these endfiettrtf, arc the se ver.! non s addressed to you by Mr. Pi/.arro, in vulafto: to the transactions during the campaii(r. f'-i tit iif ? a* .larfcson against the Seminole lutlfcms indfhe banditti of AVi^mes combined with Winii, tind partiriJarly to his proceedings in Florida, e id.o ( ;t flu boundariesfthe l*. States. In »hr fourth find last of rhoJc notes of Mr. I*i- -’;»rn. he ha& £ivrA forma! u'jtir.r that the King. H’S irastor, has issued orders for the suspension ;f the mfgoc^atiion hetveen the United Slates am! f*pa’is, tint:l satisfaction shall have been made by fh«* /.rm ri' An .^ovyj.tnent to him for these prcr» Hir.gs of Gen. Jaekson, vh'rh he considers as arts of tincqtmocal hostility against him, and UMndrt-^eaiipon his honorand dignity, ihe nnh jcccp'ithle atonement for which, is stated loom. ?iat in a ‘Jiravowcd of the arts of the American General, thus complained of— the infliction upon him of a mutable punisitrnent for his supposed TUMf'O'yhu't,>_n'l the rc-.t/rutioti of tin p** .‘s and lcjriiorl* shaken l»y him from the Spanish ruitho- with indemnity f>»r all the properly taken ar.d jdl flpawges and injuria, public or pri\-te, vjftt.vneu in consequence ofit. Within a very few <:s after t.^js notification, Mr. 1‘izarro must have, received, with copies of the correspondrnr? between Mr. Onis and this Department, the determination which had been taken by the Prvshh i»t. to restore the place of tVrsacob*, with thd fort of Ilarranras, to any per son properly authorised, on the pari of Spain, to receive then?, and the Fori of St. Marks to any Spanish.jfocce adequate to its protection against t*ie In<r«ans, hy v horn fojcibh* occupation had fo*cn threatened,for purposes «>♦ hostility against, tbe United Sta*Ci. The r.ibrvr commanding at the post, has been directed to consider 250 men «ta* cu.rh -adequate force; an !, :n ca r of their ap- T caranre, with proper authority, to deliver it up to the:: CD-iimavicr necordinpriy. From the last mentioned correspor.fk r.ee, the Spanish government must likewise have been stfvd’cd that the occupation of these i.daces in Spanish Florida, by the commander r.f the Ame- ’oan forces, was not .by virtu- of auv ord.-;* r«- • -ived l*v him from this t'lTmnf to that ef fect, nor with any \iewof v. retail '-* tlw* pifjvinec f’-oni the possession of .Sra'n; nor ir. any spirit of >.n»;;Vity tothr Sj>:nbh government that it arose |i HK*;d« nts which occurred in tin prosecution • ayain.s; the Tti-firms—from the imnru ifOtango** In which the For* of Ft. Marks was f .d by the' ludjans tliem-'t Ives, and ftMSTnytlic raaj’jfojfuaions oflirwlil’ty to the United ’ by r f|£Jr^ammamI»n'tof St. Marks and the A'-fiWSv emorofPensoeola, the proofs of whirli were '.’fTpade ksfown fo Gen. Jackson, ami impelled him, nr.oln the necessities of self-defence, to the steps of which the Spanish government complains. It might be sufficient to leave th. vindication of those measures upon those grounds, and to furnish, in the enclosed copies of Gen. Jackson 9 : letters, and the vouchers !>v w hich they are sup ported, the evidence of that hostile spirit on the pari of the Spanish commanders, hut for the terms in which Mr. Pfrnrro speaks of the execution of two British subjects taken, one at the Fort of St. Marks, and the other at Suwany, and the in timation that these transactions may lord to a change in the relations between the two nations, which is doubtless intended to be understood as a menace of war. It may be, therefore, proper to remind the go vernment of His Catholic Majesty of the inci dents in which this Seminole war originated, as well as of the circumstances connected with it. in the relations between Spain and her ally, whom she supposes to have been injured by the pro ceedings of General Jackson, and to give to the Spanish cabinet some precise information of the nature of the business, peculiarly interesting to Spain, in which these subjects of her allies, in whose favor she takes this interest, were engag ed, when their projects of every kind were ter minated, in consequence of their falling into the •bawls of General Jackson. In the month of August, 1814, while a war ex- rited between the United Statts and Great Bri tain, to which Spain had formerly declared her self neutral, a British force, not in the fresh pur suit of a defeated and dying enemy—not over- st epping an imaginary and equivocal boundary between their own territories and those belong ing, in some sort, ai* much to their enemy as to Spain, but approaching hy sea, and by a broad and open in van tan of the Spanish province, at a thousand miles, or an ocean’s distance trom any British territory’, landed in Florida, took posses sion ofPcnsaeola and the Fort Barrancas, ami in-, vried, by-public proclamations, all the runaway Negroes 1 -ali the savage Indians—all the pirates on l all the traitors to their country, whom thev knew or imagined to exist within reach of their summons, to join their standard, and wage an exterminating war against the portion of the U. States Immediately bordering upon this neutral and thus violating territory of Spain. The land commander of the British force, was a certain Uoloncl Nicholls, who, driven from Pensacola by the approach of General Jackson, actually left to b * Mown up, the Spanish Fort of Barrancas, when he found it could not afford him protection, and, evacuating that part of the province, landed at another, established himself on the AppaJa- chieola river, arid there - erected a Fcrt. from v hich to sally forth with his motley tribe of Mack, white, and red combatants, against the defence less borders of the V. -States, in that vicinity. A pari of this force consissed of a corps of colo- ni d marines, levied in the British colonies in which George Woodbine w as a Captain, and Ro ll—21 bortChrystie Ambrister was a Lieutenant. I.1X.1 As between the U. States and G. Britain, I.X.] we should be willing to bury thi$ transac tion in the same grave of oblivion with other transactions of that war, had the hostilities of Col. Xicholls terminated with the war. But he ri d not conftidcTlhepeace which ensued between the Unite A States and Great Britain, as having put an end either to his military- occupations or to his negotiations with the Indians, against the United States- Several months after the ratifica tion of the treaty of Ghent, he retained his past and hi ft party-color* ri forces, in military array. H*r?A By thj? 9»U article of that treaty, the U. ~S\‘: f e*had sVpubited to put an end, immediately >• _ - .• r • ' i .Tl:-.: „?» had enjoyed in the year 1811. Thi* article hai no application to the Crock nation, with whom ij.c United State? had already nude pea-'--, by a treat v concluded on the Srh day of A«’g.;»t, 181*1, • than four !..*>n : ks before the treaty <«f tifei.t v.»s jugned. Yet Col. Nifbolls not only .i.'e. *d to consider i* as appivmg to t!»c Semi- ,,*ilr i of Florida, giui the out-law ed Bed Sticks, whom be tuul ir.-Joced to join him there, but :.$-:::dly pemuad'-d them that thry were entitle*!, riv v.rtue of ti»e treaty of Ghent, to all the lands u >;; h had hi longed t»* the C.wk nation within the United Sta*e.s, in the year 1811, a:wl tliat the I ft. i. HI ' government of Great Britain would 1 j •• ppnr* them in that pretension. He aaserteti r- I •. *«. , Vs *loctriue :u a correspotu!e::ce with 4ien. IP.w kins, then the Agent of the United State» • »h the Cretks and gave him notice, in their : with a mockers'of solemnity, that they had concluded atrt i.y of Alliance, offensive an*l de- f Miv\oand a treaty of Navigation and Commerce IV.; with (»reat Britain; of w hich more was to be heard after it should be ratified in F.ngkmd. Col. yj.hoJisthcn eiaciiateclhis Fort, wlr'cli, insoiae of the enclosed papers, is called the Fori at Prospect Bluff, but w hich he denominated the firii- .2 post on the Apptyichtccla; took w ith liim tlie w hite portion of his force, and embarked for England, with several of the wretched savages w hom he was deluding to their fate—among w hom was the Prophet Francis, or Ilillis Hadjo— and left the Fort, amply supplied w ith military stores and ammunition, to the Negro department IV YV of his allies. It afterwards was* known by the name of Negro Fort. Col. Hawkins im mediately communicated to this government the correspondence betweeeu him anfl Nichol^, her. i\ fen eel to, (copies nf which marked No. 1 ! to 5 aie herewith enclosed,) upon w hich Mr. Monroe, X. 1 then Secretary of State, addressed a letter ('ropy marked (i t ) to Mr. Baker, the British i:*rge 11*Affaires, at Washington, complaining of N'cholls’s coiwluct, and shewing that his pre ti'ii'v tiiat thc 9ih article of the treaty of Ghent, hi h;;'e any application to his Indians, w: XI. • ti rly destitute of foumlation. Copies of the iinvspomlt nee were transmitted to the Minister ot the United States, then in England, af ev v s ratification, to hostilities with aril the •’tribes cr natiors of Indians with whom they might be a» ipT nt the time of the ratification, and to gesture to them alt tbe possessions which they VP 'th inti ructions to remonstrate with the British government against these proceedings of Nich- olls, an<! t«> shew how incorruptible they were with the peace which had been concluded bc- XII. a. !>.l tween two nations. These remon strances were accordingly made first in persona! Yllf. a. b.] interview with Earl Bathurst and Lord Custlercaii, and afterwards in written notes, addressed successively to them (copies of which together with extracts from the despatches of the American Minister to the Secretary of State, reporting what passed at those interviews, are enclosed.) Lord Bathurst, in the most uneqm- \ coal manner, confirmed the facts, and disavowed the miscondtict of Nieholls; declared his disap- proliution of the pretended treaty of Alliance, offensive, and defensive, which lie had made; iissnred the American Minister that the British government had refused to ratify that treaty, and would send back the Indians whom NichcUs liail brought with him, with advice to make their peace on such terms as they con’d obta'n. Lord Castlereagh confirmed -the assuranccThat the treaty would not be ratified; arid if, at the same time tint these assurances were given, certain distinctions of public notoriety, were shewn to the Prophet IBllis Hadjo, and* he was actually honored with rf commission, as a British off.eer, it is to be presumed that these favors were gr.t:,c-: cd h»m as rewards of past services, anti not as encouragement to expect any support from Great Britain, in a continuance of savage hostili ties against thcU. States, all intention of giving any such- support having been repeated!?* and earr.es; Iv dis.rv c» wed. The negro fort, however, abandoned by Col. Nic bells, remained oil the Spanish territory, oc cupied by the banditti to whom he had left it, and held by them as a post, from whence to com mit depredations, outrages and murders, and as a recepticle for fugitive slaves and malefactors, XIV.] to the great, annoyance both of the United Stat«. s and of S| ^•'ish Florida. In April, 1816, General Jackson wrote a letter to the Governor of Pensacola, calling upon him to put down this common nuisance to the peaceable inhabitants of both countries. That letter, together with the XY\] answer of the Governor of Pensacola, have already been communicated to the Spanish Min ister here, and hy him, doubtlcs*, to his govern ment. Copies of them are, nevertheless, now ; again enclosed ; particularly as the letter from XXII*.] the Governor, explicitly admits—that this fort, constructed by Nieholls, in violation both of the territory and neutrality of Spain, was still no less obnoxious to his government than to the United States? but, that he had neither suffi cient force, nor an authority, without orders from the Governor-General of the liar anna, to destroy It was afterwards, on the 27th July, 1816, destroyed hy a cannon shot from a gun vessel of the United States, which, in its pa go, up the ri’y;r, was fired upon from it. It was blown up, an English flag still flying as its standard, and immediately after the barbarous murder of a host’s crew, belonging to the navy of the United States, by the banditti left in it by Nieholls. he year 1817, Alexander Arbuthnot, of the Island of New-Providence, a British subject, first appeared, as an Indian trader in Spanish Florida; and as tiie successor of Colonel Nieholls, in the employment of instigating the Seminole and out lawed Red Stick Indians to hostilities against the United States, by reviving the pretence that they were entitled to all the lands which had been ceded to the Creek nation by the United States, in August, 1814. As a mere Indian t ra der, the intrusion cf this man, into a Spanish province, was contrary to the policy observed by all the European powers in this hemisphere, and by none more rigorously than by Spain, of exclu ding all foreigners from intercourse with the In dians within their territories. It must be known to the Spanish government, whether Arbuthnot had a Spanish license for trading with the In dians in Spanish Florida or-not ; but they also know Spain was bound by treaty, to restrain by Ibrcc nil hostilities on the part: of those Indians, against the citizens of the United States, and it is for them to explain how, consistently with those engagements, Spain could, contrary to ail the maxims of her ordinary policy, grunt such a li cence to a foreign incendiary, whose principal, if not his only object, appears to have been, to stimulate those hostilities which Spain had ex pressly stipulated by force to restrain. In his Xl.lX.j informal instigations he was but two suc cessful. No sooner did lie make his appear ance among the Imiians, accompanied by the Prophet Ilillis Hadjo, returned from his e.xpedi- I..1 tion to England, than the peaceful inhabi tants on the borders of the United States, were visited with *11 the horrors of savage war; the robbery of their property, and the barbarous and indiscriminate murder of women, infancy, and Amencat; commander met fhe pnnnp.J res st ance fiomthcm ; there it w-a, that were found XXXVIII.] the still bleeding sc-ips of our citi zens, freshly butchered by them; there it was that he released the only temnan who had been suffered to survive the massacre of the party un der Lieutenant Scott. But it was not anticipated !*\ this go; eminent that the commanding offi cers of Spxiii, in Florid:* whose espcc>al duty it was, in conformity to the solemn engagements contracted hy their nation, to restrain, by force, those Indians from hostilitiesagamst the United States, would be found encouraging, aiding abetting them, and furnishing them with sup plies for carrying on such hostilities. ?'he ccr in command, immediately before Genera! Jackson, was, therefore, specially instructed ? respect, as far as possible, the Spanish author t v, wherever it was maintained, and copit s < those orders were also furnished to General Jackson, upon his taking the command. In the course of his pursuit, as lie approached St. Marks he was informed, direct from the Governor cf Pensacola, that a party of the hostile- lvhians had threatened to seize that Fort, ,acd that he ap prehended the Spanish Garrison there was notin' strength sufficient to defend it against them. This information was confirmed from other sour ces, and by the evidence produced upon the trial of Ambrister, it proved to have been exactly true. By all the laws of neutrality and of war, us well as of prudence and of humanity, Ire was warranted in anticipating his enemy, by the amicable, and that being refused, by the forcible occupation of the Fort. There will need no citations from i printed treatises on international law', to .prove the correctness of this principle. It is engraved in adamant on the common sense of mankind : no writer upon the laws of nations ever pretend ed to contradict it ; none of any reputation or authority ever omitted to assert it. XXXIV ] At fort St. Marks, Alexander Arbuth not, the British Indian trader froih beyond the seas, the firebrand, by whose torch tins Negro laoian war against our borders had been renin- died, was found an inmate of the cou.mandam'i l Uxe'yi and it was also found that, by ihecom ma..dant himself, councils of war hail been per mitted to bt held within it, by the savage chiefs and warriors,* that the Spanish store-houses had been appropriated to their use; that it w ,)pcn market for cattle, known to have been rob bed by them from citizens of the United States, and which had been contracted for and purchased by the officers of the garrison. That information, bad been afforded from this fort by Arbuttmot to the enemy, of the strength and movements ol the American army; that the date of the depar- e of express had been rn.ted by the Spanish cummi sary, and ammunition, munitions of war, and all necessary suppl.es furnished to toe In- ians. The conduct of the governor of Pens -cola w as not less marked by a disposition of ennuty Jo the United States, and by an utter d-sng.ird •«> the bligations of the treaty, b> which he was bound to restrain, by force, the Indians from hostilities st them. When cJilled upon to vindicate tin.- territorial rights and authority of Spain, by the iestruction of the Negro fori, his prfjtc*. t-si.- .bad declared it to he not less annoyii.g and perns- is to the rpnuiih subject* in Florida, than to the United States, but had ph-aded his inability to subdue it. lie, ii:m>eif, had exp^'-sed his np prehensions that foil St. Marks would h.- :o.c • ‘ Jy taken by the savages, fro.n its Sp uiish as » - i- on; yet, at !be Mine rime, he bad icfns d tb- uii^ge up the* Escambia riv.-r, u:ik-: s u ;o , » the laymer.t of «;xceasi;c duties, to prcvisioi.s de>- g.inst !he UrtitfJ Stiles and tlrcir -» ex-! cliarjli.j; (lie Britiei: govern n:«-n( wilh i?l ;c, t. is pos.iive, is unqualified The fact, t!ut ,, ,|, e lmii.aits into -var will sup, for to by ilit detention of them, \va must diitrensi'jg pjiva'.ioni. free ing r * fl ed savage ent •» of ammumtio. had been rec had been i i of toe United States. Supplies mumti >n» of war and provision .td by them from iht-nce. T!i». d and sheltered there, from the for a series of years they have received shelter, sistance, supplies and protection, in the pract’C oi Mich host*liti*-*, from the Spanish corr.m«ml» * [XXXfl.] in Florida, iNclcaranduu.quiv‘iC-1. H j_Xl.lI ] .he commanders l> th I’- hsaC 'i and St Mark*hare alleged, this ha-tven he r suit of their weakness, rather *lwn ?.'♦ their wi!l; t.bry have assisted th-* Ind.ars against toe Uniict Suites to avert tiieirhostilities from the pruvii.r*. w’hicii they had nut sufficient force to defend :« gainst tlitin; it may sa we. in some measure. *o u\ eulpate, iadiv duady, tlu*te officers; but it mu» carry demonstration ;rresi-’ib!e t»» th. Spanssh go vernment that the right of tik United Mates cat. a* l.ille compound with impotence as with peifi dy, and that Spain n.ust immediately make lur iSection, either t? plac. a force in Florid i adequate at once t > tl>e protection < f her territory and t<* the ftiTdrncut of her cngigemen*?, or cede to tliv United Slices a provu.ee, of winch she retains no* thing but the nominal possession b<it which is, in f«c:, a dirdect open to the occupui cy of every enemy, civilized or savage, of the United States, and serving no other earthly purpose than as a post ,<»f annoyance to them. Thut the purposes, as well of the negro Indian banditti, with whom we have been contending as i f the British invader of Florida, who first assembled and employed them, anj of the Brit ish intruding and pretending traders, since the peace, who have instigated and betrayed them to dcstracrion. have beta not less ho%tiie to Spain- thun to th* United States, the proofs contained ip -he documents herewith enclosed,areconcludve. Mr. Ihzarro’s note of *9ih of August, speaks of h.s Catholic majesty’s profound indignation at the ‘sanguinary executions, on the Spanish soil, o< the stibjfcts of pow ers in amity with the king”— meaning Arbuthnot and Ambrister. Let Mr I*i arro’s successor take the trouble of reading the enclosed tiocume.its, and lie will di:cover wh Arbuthnot and Ambrister were, and wnat were XLIX.] tlnir purposes: That Arbuthnot was on- LVI11 ] ly the successor of NY'>ol$, and Am- bnst r the agent of Woodbine, and the subaltern of M*Gregor Mr Pizarro qualifies general Jack sort’s necess.trry pursuit of a defeated savage ene my beyond the Spanish Florida iine, as a shume- ful invasion oj his nojesty's territory—yet, tliat territory was the territory also of the savage ene my, and Spain was bound to restrain them, by force, from host lities against the United States- and it was the failure of Sj^ain to fulfil this engage ment, which had made it necessary for gentrai Jackson to pursue the savage across the line.— What then was the character of Nigfiol's inva-ion of his majesty *s territory; and where was his ma jesty’s profound ihdignation at that? Mr. Pizar ro says, his majesty’s forts and places have beer violently seized on by general Jackson. Had they not been seized on, nay, had not the principal * f his torts been blown up by Nieholls,and a Brit ish fort on the same Spanish territory been erect ed during the war, and lift standing as a negro in defiance of Spanish authority, alter the peace? Wlicie was Ins majesty's profound indig nation at that? Has his mfjusty suspended formal ly ad negotiation with the sovereign of colonel ftichell*, for the shameful invasion of his territo ry u i .out calor of provocation, without pretme. •.f necessity, without tiie shadow or even avow.!: •fa pr-.text? Has his majesty given s'.i'M.n warn mg to th; British governmertt, that these ciiienls ‘ of transcendent moment Capable ol ;u Ji.cinir an essential and thorough change in ihi p ihticjl relations of ttie two countries’ ? N'.- 'Jiol » and Woodbine, in their invitations h: j pro-, th: | oiises tt) »he slaves to runaway Jjom their mac .s des-1 ters and join them, did not confine themselv which, | the slaves of tik- United States— -diey rect to the J witli as hearty u welcome, :n».l employed w:tt itidtcj j equal readiness, the fug roves from t h«dr music, .'ow- XXV'.] in Florida, as those from Georgia. har- wifli the 1 United Staley and deserting them after the peace. You will remark anion" the papers pro duc'd on hi* trial, a power of attorney, XLIX. No. 1 1 dated ITtJi June 1817.giv en Dim by twelve Indian*, partly of Flori da, partly of the fug it it e outlaws ]r-*m :'«e United Mates. He states ili.it (hi* power, and his instructions, were, to me morialize the British government, and the governor general of tiie Havana Tln*se papers are not only substaotiall v provetl, as of his hail wiiting, on the trial, but in [Compare XLVII.a. the daily newspapets anu XLIX. b.] of London, of the XLYIl.c.*] -4th and *25th of Atiff. last, his letter to Nieholls is pub lished, (somewhat garbled) with a copy [Compare XLVII. c. of Hauibly’s above and XLIX. No. 1.] mentioned letter to him. am! a reference to this Indian power of attorney to him, approved by the com mandant of *bt. Mark's, F C. Luengo — Another of the papers is a letter, written XLVII.*] in the name of the same chiefs, by Arbuthnot, to the governor general .£f the Havana, asking of him permission for Arbuthnot to establish a warehouse on the Appalachicoia; bitterly and falsely complaining that the Arpericjins had made settlements on their lands, within the Spanish lines, and catling upon the gov ernor general to give orders to displace them, ahd send them back to their own country. In this »etter they assign, as a reason for asking this license for Arbuth- :;ot, the want of a person to put in writ- ting for them their talks, of grievances against the Americans. And they add, ih the commander of the foit of St Matks has heard all of our talks and complaints. He approves of what we have done, and what we are doing; anti it is by his recom mendation we have thus presumed to j?d- ir«*s3 your excellency.” You will find these papers in the printed newspaper en clos'd, and in Hie proceedings of the court martial, and will point them, out to the Spanish government, not only as decisive proofs of the unexampled compliances of the Spanish officers in Flotida, to foreign intrusive agents and instigators ol Indian lostilitics against the Hinted St;«Ls. but as placing, bcyo.id a doubt, ‘fat pa uci* |Ution of Jins in still spj.ai hi the cem- ttr*\j Hit of 8t. M , kVi.u!•. gi-uecal d U fit TO id J u pursuit of die A aericftn forces, ami stiHVrccI aga Use Aiuru After the repeated expositions, warning and effects of peace, through the summer and autumn of 1817, on the part of yie United States, had LI. a.] been answered only by renewed outra ges, and after a detachment of forty men, under LXI.] Lieutenant Scott, accompanied by seven women, had been waylaid and murdered by the Indians, ortlerswere given to Gen. Jackson, and an adequate force was placed at his cLsposol to terminate the w ar. It was ascertained that the lory and commit new murders. Finally, on die approach of general Jackson to Fen^acoki, 11 XXXIII.] governor sent him a letter, donour. ;og his entry upon tin; territory of Florida, as t i*»lent outrage uc n *i The rights of Spain, com manding him to depart and withdraw from the same, and threatening, incase of his non compli ance. to employ force to expel lion Ir became, therefore, in the opinion of general Jackson, indispensably necessary to take from the L1V * governor of Pensacola the means of car rying his threat into execution. Before the forces under his command, the savage enemies of his c*. iiutry had disappeared But he knew that the moment those forcts should be disbanded, if shel tered by Spanish forlressess, if furnished with ammunitions and supplies by Spanish officers, and if aided and supported by the instigation of Spanish encouragement, as fie had every reason to expect they would be, they would re-appear, and fired, in addition to tfnor ordinary feroci ousness, will: revenge for the chastisement ti. hid so recently received, would again rush with the war hatchet and scalping knife, into the bor ders of the United States, and mark every fool step with the blood of their defenceless citizens. So far as all tiie native resources of the savage extended, the war was at an end, and general Jackson was about to restore their families and their homes, the brave volunteers who had fol lowed his standard, and who had constituted the principal part of his force. This could be done with safety, leaviug the regular portion of h : s troops to garrison hisline efforts, and two small detachment- i*f volunteer cavalry, to scour the country round Tensacola, and sweep off the lurk ing remnant of savages, who bad been scattered and dispersed before him. This was sufficient to keep in check the remnant of the banditti, against whom he had marched, so long as they should be destitute of other aid and support. It was, in his judgment, not sufficient, if they should be fuller ed to rally thtir numbers under t]ic protection of Spanish forts, and to derive new strength from the impotence or ill wi!l against the United States ol the Spanish authorities. He took possession, therefore, of Pensacla and of the fort of Barancas. a«* heliad done of St. Marks, no*, in a spirit of hostility to Spain, but as a necessary measure of self-defence; giving no tice that they should he restored whenever Spain should place cam narulers and a force there, able and willing to fulfil the engagements of Spain to wards the United States, of restraining, by force, the Florida Indians from hostilities against their citizens The president of the U. S. to give a sig nal manifestation of his confidence in the disposition king of Spain, to perform with good faith this in dispensable engagement, and to demonstrate to the world tliat neither the dcsi.-e ot conquest nor hostility to Spain, had any influence in the coun cils of tiie United States. Das directed the uncon- dinionaI restoration to any Spanish officer, duly authorized to receive them, of Pensacola and the Barancas, and tint of St. M irks, to any Spanish force adequate for its defence agapist the attack of savages But the president will neither in ti ct puai hment, nor pass a censure upon general f^exson for that conduct, the motives for which were founded in the purest patriotism, of the ne- »r ?;sity for which lie had tiie most immediate and effectual means of forming a judgment, and the vindication of which is written in every page of the law of nations, as well as in the first law cf ature, self-defence. He thinks it, on the contra ry, due to the'justice, which 4fie United State* have a right to claim trom Spain; and you are ac- Against this special injury the governor <T t*- 1 sac »ia did earnestly renonstratc with die J<r« admiral Coc*cburn (-*.; the document maiked XXV.) but against the shameful invasion of ti; territory—against the vi lent seizure of the for :; and places—against ths blowing up of the Barran cms, and the erection and maintenance under Brit ish banners of the mgro for;, on Spanish sou — against the negotiation by a British officer in the muht of peace, of pretended treaties, offensive and defensive, and of navigation and commerce upoo Spanish territory, between Great Britain and Spanish Indians whom Spain was bound to con trol and restrain—if a whisper of expostulation was ever wafted from Madrid to London, it was not loud enough to be heard across the Atlantic, nor energetic enough to transpire beyond the walls of the palaces Trom which it issued, and to which it was borne. The connection between Arbuthnot and Nieholls. and between Ambrister, Wood bine and McGregor, is established beyond ali question, by the evidence produced at the trials before the court martial. I have already remarked to you on the very ex traordinary circumstance, that a British trader from beyond the sea should be per' mitted, by the Spanish authorities, to trade with the Indians of Florida. F-om his letter to Hambiy, dated 3d may, 181 (set the documents marked O on tiie pro ceedings of the court martial) it appears that his trading was but a pretence; and that Iris principal purpose was to act as the agent of the Indians of Florida, and outlaws from the Creeks, to obtain the aid of the British government, in their hostili ties against the United States. He ex pre&sly tells Hambly there, that tiie chief of those outlaws was the principal cause of his, Arbuihn fit’s, being in the country Spanish forces in Florida wm inadequate Ior:l>e ccrdingly instructed to demand of the Span.-h 1 . .. . • • - . <1. ir»,(trnira>nl. r-rmiirv rw .iKtitolpn intn protection even of the Spanish territory itaeif, aj-ainstthe mingled horde of lawdess Indians and Negroes; and,although their detastauons were committed within the limits of the United States they immediately sought refnge within the Flor ida lire, anti there only were to be overtaken. The necessity of crossing- the'line « .is imbspcn- silde; for it was from beyond the line that tiie Indians made their murderous incurs.pns with.ii: tliat ofthc ltnited States. It was there uiat they had their abode, and the territory belonged ,n fact to them, although within the bottlers ofiiie fttree, the ltniitit i t ions Spanish jurisdiction. There it w as tl»at uic j (-nvernment, that enquiry shall bt iustituted int- the conduct of non Jose Mazot, governor of P. n- sacoln. and of Hon Francisco C. Luengo, com mandant of St. Marks, and a suitable punishment inflicted upon them for having, in dtfi.t cr anu V.- ■tl3,tion of ttie engagements ol Spain wjth the 6. St..tes. aided and assisted th esc hordes of savage, in diose verc*li .stiktirs against the United State',, w: ich it was their i.iHei.t duty to res'rain. This ‘ J enquiry is <iu- to '.it c iaracter of tnosc olfic- n ' thfots ives. and to t-- heuer of the Spanish gov. Tlie.-jiiga ; .jit nf Spain to restrain, by '. now hoaUidres a- and that he hud come with an answer from Earl Bathurst, delivered to him by govern or Cameron, of Netv-Providence, to cer tain Indian talks, in which this aid of the British government had been solicited.— Hainblv, hiinseir, had been left by Xoch- u!ls, as<he agent between the Indians and the British government; but having found Nieholls had failed in his attempt to pre vail upon the British government to pur sue this clandestine war, in the midst of peace: and that the_y were not prepared to support his pretence, that half a dozen outlawed fugitives from the Creeks were the Creek nation;—when Arbuthnot, the incendary came, and was instigating them by promises of support from Ureat Bri tain, to continence their murderous in cursions into the United States, Hambly, XLVII. b.J at the request of the Creeks themselves, wrote to him, warning him to withdraw from among that band ot out laws, and giving hint a solemn foreboding of the doom that awaited him, from the hand of justice, if he persevered in the course that he pursued. Arbuthnot, ne vertheless, persisted; and while he was deluding the wretched Indians with the promise of support from England, he was [XLIX.] writing letteis for them to the u. British minister iu the United C. States, to governor Cameron of d. New-Providence, to colonel e. Nichols; to be laid*btfore the f. British government: and even to th. Spanish governor ol ri(. Augustine, and . iJie governor general of the ri avail i, solicit ing, m a‘l quarters, aid and sup port, arms -tod ammunition, fm the In dians, against the United States; bew.ib- ing the destruction of the Negro fort, and -.1 . .Jills have so welt I j.t.'i i tiie nunishtnent 11 a da til . fa Spill.iso lot!, ml eugageti.i-m nt a t bv force, the itnlia iVi.hui roinmcn ! Irmn vorto.itt.t.g t ■ , . against the United States, von pi..: Unisu same iud) :ns, and lit libel..teiy r ing liis Whitten it|.imuatloii to tiieii ..p pointiin nt ni a foi vigner, a British subject a s tlu-ir agent, to s.dieit assistance and supplies irom the governor general ol the Havana, ami from tin British government, for carrying on these sum.' hostilities. Let us come to the case of Ambrister— He was taken iu arms; leading and com manding the Indians, in tiie war against the American troops; and to that charge, upon his trial, pleading guilty. But the primary object of his coming there, was still more hostile to Spain, than to the LVIll.J United States. You find that lie told three of the witness, who testified at bis trial, that he had come to this coun try upon Mr. Woodbine’s business at I'ampa Bay—to see the Negroes righted; and one of them, that he had a commis sion on the patriot arm t/, under M'Oregor; and that he had expected a captaincy.— I what was the intended business of Mdiregor and Woodbine, at Tampa Bay? it was the conquest of Florida from Spain, by the use of those very Indians and Negroes, whom the commandant ol St. Marks was so ready to aid and support in war against the United States. The chain of proof that establish- es this fact, is contained in the documents communicated by the president to congress at their last session, relating to the occu pation of Amelia LVI.] Island by Mc Gregor. From these document you will !ind, that while McGregor was there, Woodbine went from New Providence, in a schooner of Ins own, to joinjtim: That he arrived at Amelia island, just as Mc Gregor, abandoning the companions of his acievement there, was leaving it: That McGregor, quitting the vessel in which he had embarked at Amelia, went on board that nf Woodbine, and returned with him to New Providence: That Wood, bine had persuaded him they could yet accomplish the conquest of’Florida, with soldiers to be recruited at Nassau, from the corps of colonial marines, which had served under Nieholls during the late- war with the United States, which corps ‘*“ had been lately disbanded; and with ne groes to be found at Tampa Bay. and 1500 Indians, already then engaged to Wood- bine, who pretended that they had made a grant of all their lands there to him. LVII.a. b.] Among the papers, the ori ginals ot which are in our possession, in M-Gregor’s own hand writing, instruc tions for sai-ing into 1 .impa Bav, with the assertion that tic calculated to be there by the la»t of A pi 11 oi fust of May, of the prc- d ] se.it ytai; a letter dated 27th Decem ber lest, to one of his acquaintances in ms country, disclosing the same inten- .] lion; anil,the extract of a proclamation winch was to have been -issued at Tam-* Bay, u> the inhabitants of Florida, by the person charged tvilh making (he serrt.,.-*o;t ti.ere, before iiis arrival, annoQiui ; pproach, for the purpose 1 <: ..nog mem from tne despotism ol Sp. : . .u of enabling them to form a g..vrfr.it * r-t for leinsclves He bail p r-uad-ui t _ c who ould listen to Him her -, tint u.s anm t!e .jeet was to so,I tiie F.i.rih-s to (.he L. •rriritites. l it; Mi so a : reason to .. ' , nose tost Ire had made indirect eve j, •! a -lUliiar L. ifjie, to tire li;bi,r n nt. I'.iis was Airlbri ter’ a •* ' Ftonda. He arrived luv ■ .rt,.., j