Newspaper Page Text
Ill-1
SOUTHERN
RECORDER.
VOL. I.
MILLEDGEVILLE, TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1820.
No. 10.
PUBLISHED WEEKLY,
(on TUESDAYS)
HY S. GIMMTLA.YD if It. M. ORME,
XT THREE DOLLARS, IN ADVANCE, OR
four dollars at the expiration
or the year.
tff" Advertisements conspicuously inscr-
todat the customary rates.
GENERJlL JACKSON'S MEMORIAL.
[concluded.]
As it was not known at this time whe-
Jther the Governor of Tennessee was at
Knoxville, or in the Cherokee nation,
your respondent made his appeal to his
old and tried comrades in arms, desiring
them to follow him to the field, in de
fence of their invaded country. In af
fording the desired relief, no time was to
be lost. Delay was replete with danger;
and defeat and disaster would have been
the result, had the dilatory process of
drafting been resorted to. The same
day on which the appeal was made, the
Governor of Tennessee was written to,
and apprised of the attempt to obtain vo
lunteers, and that 1000 drafted militia
would be required, should the appeal
not be promptly and successfully answer
ed. In reply, the Governor gave his
entire approbation to the measure, and
co-operated in raising an additional com
pany of mounted volunteers, which was
commanded by Capt. Dunlap, and which
joined the army at Fort Gadsden.
All the volunteers were raised and
organized under the laws of Tennessee,
the officers of whom were elected by
{themselves, and not appointed by your re-
tpondent, as asserted by your committee.
Although earnestly solicited to appoint
them, he peremptorily refused. To the
officers who had served him in the late
Creek and British war, he stated, not
only in his appeal, but also upon their
meeting at Nashville, that they were to
organize themselves in the manner they
might think proper; that the grade of the
officers was to be determined by them-
•elves; and that those raising companies
were to command them. The only n-
gency of your respondent in the whole
transaction, was the appintment of Col.
Hayne, inspector General of the South
ard Division, to superintend their orga
nization, and lead them to Fort Scott,
where he took the command. Every
measure touching the raising and orgn
niziog this volunteer corps, was regular
ly communicated to the Secretary of
War, and received his unqualitied ap
probation.
The committee admit, that the laws of
Congress authorise the President to call
«n the Governors of the different states
for such portions of militia as he inay
deem requisite; but deny that there is
any law in existence vesting him with
authority to accept the services of vo
lunteers. Here they have endeavored
to make an impression on the nation that
volunteers are not militia ; and that the*
circumstance of volunteering their servi
ces in preference to being drafted, es
sentially and radically changes their cha
racter. There is certainly no position
more unsound ; as is clearly evinced
by the fact, that most of the calls of the
general government have been met in
this way, by the patriotic and gallant
yeomanry of our country : until now it
has never been complained of.
When a requisition is made by the
President on any state in the Union for
a quota of militia, it is sufficient if they
are forth coming; and it is believed that
he has no authority, under the laws or
•onstitution of the United States, to en
quire into the mode in w hich they have
been raised and organized. This is a
question to be determined exclusively
between the governor of a state and its
own citizens. It is one of the attributes
of state sovereignty, guaranteed by the
federal constitution, and with which the
Executive and Congress cannot inter
fere. If an officer of the United States’
army should be guilty of an infringement
of this state prerogativ e, the complaint
of its Governor or Legislature should be
considered as the only basis to authorize
an enquiry into his official conduct.
It is stated, by your committee, that it
Was not found necessary to furnish the
President with a list of the names of the
militia officers ; “and not until the pay
rolls were made out and payment de
manded, were the persons known to the
Department of War.” A majority of
Jour committee were within reach of all
the information necessary to the correc
tion of this error. Col. Hayne’s commu
nications to the Secretary of War were
on tile in that office; from which they
might have been informed of the num
ber and grade of the officers, as well as
ot every particular relative to the orga
nization of the volunteers ; together with
the express and decided approbation oi
that department of the government. Ap
pended to the report are the pay rolls
filed in the office of the Paymaster Ge
Herat, Why they omitted to examine
the muster roll is the Oar Office, from
Which the fay roll was transcribed, your
Respondent is at a loss to determine.—
Upon an examination of the pay rolls,
they should have known that, agreeably
t* the rules and articles <jf war, they
must have been made out from the mus
ter rolls, which designate by name the
number and grade of the officers muster
ed into service. The muster roll, to
gether with the letters of Col. Hay ne.
would have satisfied the committee that
the volunteers had been organized a-
greeably to the laws of Tennessee ; and
that it was a procedure over which the
geucral government could exercise no
control.
By the rules & articles of war, ‘troops
of all descriptions shall he mustered once
in two months for payment; nor shall
any payment be made upon muster rolls,
not signed by the Inspector-General, or his
assistant; or, in the absence of these, by
some officer of the army of the United
States, especially assigned to this duty
by the general or other officer com
manding the department in which the
troops so mustered shall he.’
Again, “ the officers and soldiers of
any troops, whether militia or others,
being mustered and in the pay of the U.
States, shall, at all times, and in all pla
ces, when joined or acting in conjunc
tion with the regular forces of the Unit
ed Slates, be governed- by the rules and
articles of •sear, and shall be subject to be
tried by courts martial, in like manner
with the officers and soldiers of the re
gular forces, save only that such courts
martial shall be composed entirely of mi
litia officers.”
From these extracts it must appear
evident, that no payment can be made,
but upon muster rolls, signed by the In
spector General, &c. and that, from the
time they are made out and received at
the War Office, the militia are consider
ed in the service of the ITnitcd States.—
Neither Congress nor the l’resident have
any authority to enquire how their offi
cers have been appointed : whether
they have been received as volunteers,
or raised by the more tedious and vexa
tious method of drafting. Were the idea
of your committee correct upon this sub
ject, the people of the different states
would he deprived ofthe invaluable pri
vilege of selecting between these two
modes of complying with calls made up
on them for the defence of our common
country. The general government hail
the services ot those troops, which is all
that can he required ; and they have
long since been mustered out of service,
and paid from the public, treasury.
The committee confess that the Se
cretary of War approbated the manner
in wl ieh the Tennessee volunteers were
raised and organized; but say, that “it
is hut justice to the department to state,
that it was not until the ofiiccrs that had
assisted in thus officering and organizing
this corps were examined by the com
mittee, that they were apprized of the
illegality of the measure.” Surely the
Secretary of War must have examined
the communications of C'ol. Ilayne and
your respondent, stating every particu
lar touching (he mode agreeably to which
they were raised and organized, as also
the muster rolls, giving the grade and
number of the officers by name; allot*
which were transmitted, and acknow
ledged to have been received, at an ear
ly period, at that office. He certainly
could not have compromitted himself so
far as to give his approbation to a mea
sure before he v.as made acquainted
with its nature and tendency.
Troops ofthe same description of the
Tennessee volunteers, were received &
employed by the government on cur
northern frontier and southern borders,
during the late struggle with England,
and in the war with the Creek nation of
Indians. They fought the battles ofTul-
ledcga, Emuckfaw, the Horse Shoe, and
New-Orleans, & protected Mobile from
British visitation. Volunteers, similarly
raised and organized, were commanded
by Governors Shelby, Harrison, Ed
wards, and General Porter of New-York,
during the same period. The field offi
cers of the Georgia militia were appoint
ed in the same manner, on the west bank
of the Oakmulgee ; and one of the pre
sent Senators from Tennessee actually
appointed the officers of his own regi
ment, which he raised without any au
thority, and which he commanded on an
expedition against the Seminole Indians
in 1012. The most of those troops were
paid off by the United States, received
the approbation of the general govern
ment, and the applause of the nation.
It is stated in the report of the commit
tee to the Senate, that the “ whole
strength of this miserable, undisciplined
banditti of deluded Indians, and fugitive
slaves, when combined, did not exceed
1000 men. Opposed to whom, previous
to General Jacksoti's taking command, 4 -
under Gen. Gaines, were a force of 1,800
regulars and militia, besides the 1,500
friendly Indians, illegally subsidized by
the last mentioned General; what then,
in this case, becomes ofthe plea of ne
cessity ?” It is plainly to be inferred,
then, that this motley horde of Negroes
and Indians were too inconsiderable to
justify raising the volunteer force, which
was employed in reducing them to a state
of submission.
It is well known to .all those acquaint
ed with the character of Indians, and
their peculiar modo ef warfare, that it is
almost impossible to form a correct esti
mate of their aggregate force, until the
termination of the war. In this case Ge
neral Gaines had computed them at 2000;
and Arbutlinnt, who officiated as a mili
tary chief of the savages, had represent
ed them, in a communication to the Brit
ish minister, Mr. Bugot, to be 3,500
strong. This calculation was by no means
extravagant, when it is considered that
from 8 to 1200 had been concentrated at
a single point, when Lieut. Scott &i par
ty were attacked, and that they were
daily increasing in number. Whatever
might have been their whole effective
strength, nt any period ofthe war,it could
have been augmented by auxiliary bands
in Floridn, and it was certainly the duty
of the commanding general to call out
such an additional force, as should insure
success in every emergency. Further
more, the greatest portion of the Geor
gia militia then in the field, could be re
tained in service only for about 3 months.
And it was expected that they would ap
ply for discharges so soon as their time
expired. Your respondent considered
the lives of our citizens as too precious
to he risked in a contest with Indians,
where there was an odds of two to one,
unless dire necessity demanded the ex
posure. The consequence of an oppo
site policy was, that the decisive and ra
pid movement ofouroverwhelining num
bers distracted and dispersed the enemy,
compelled them to seek refuge in the
Spanish fortresses, woods and swamps ;
and they never were afforded nn oppor
tunity to display their whole force by
concentration. The war was speedily
and effectually terminated, and much
blood and treasure saved to the nation.
With regard to the Indian and militia
force, under the command ofGen. Gaines
previous to the time your respondent
assumed the command of the army, he
has to remark, that, until a few days an
terior to his arrival at Fort Scott, not a
single Indian warrior had joined the
standard of the United States ; nor had
the first requisition ofGeorgia militia c-
ver united with the command of General
Gaines ; the latter had returned home,
in consequence of which, it became ab
solutely necessary on the part of Gen’l.
Gaines to make a second call on the Go
vernor af that state, for the double pur
pose of defending the frontier and occu
pying Amelia Island.
A few of the friendly Indians joined
your respondent before he reached Fort
Scott, and a considerable number at that
place, making in the aggregate about
four or five hundred. The balance of
the force under his command, was not,
at that time, mere than nine hundred ef
fectives ; and lie confidently affirms, that
when he took up the line of March from
Fort Gadsden, on the 27th of March,
1810, his whole command fit for duty
consisted only of300 privates ofthe re
gulars, about 800 Georgia militia, and
major Lovet’s detachment of friendly
Creeks. MMntosh and his warriors were
organized at Fort Mitchell, after the ar
rival ofyour respondent at Fort Haw
kins, and never united with him until
the 1st of April, about six miles in the
rear of Mickasuky. All these facts uei
accessible to your committee, had they
been disposed to examine the letters of
your respondent, on file in the Depart
ment of War. To this department all
his communications were made; and
there they should have applied for cor
rect information, if it had been wanted.
The next subject which has exposed
your respondent to hitter reproach from
the committee, is the order which was
directed to Gen. Gaines, to occupy St.
Augustine. A letter from Major Twiggs
had conveyed the intelligence that our
savage enemies had been fed and furnish
ed from that garrison ; and it was ren
dered highly probable, that, aided, abet
ted, and encouraged by the commandant,
they were recruiting and embodying at
that place with a view of renewing hos
tilities. A strong presumption was cre
ated that this, like the other Spanish
posts, had become a depot and rallying
point of Negroes and Indians, to which
they had retreated for refuge and pro
tection, after being driven from Negro
Fort, St. Marks, and Pensacola.
The order given to Gen. Gaines was
entirely conditional and prospective; and,
hail the tacts reported been established,
as directed, there would have existed
the same incontrovertible reason for the
occupancy of St. Augustine, as of the
other Spuuisli fortresses. The orders
of your respondent had undergone no
modification; and the measure would
have been indispensably necessary to
their execution, us well as to the peace
and security of our frontiers. Besides,
he had transmitted to the H ar Depart
ment regular information of his proceed
ings in Florida with the reasons and mo
lives by which lie had been governed,
from the 25th of March to the 7t!i of Au
gust, without a sentence of dissatisfacti
on ever having been expressed by the
government
Your committee also report, that,
“ long before that period, the command
ing general had, by his letter to the Se-
single new act of hostility had been com
mitted.” It is true, after the defeat of
the Negroes and Indians, at Mickasuky,
the destruction .of Suwany, and the asy
lum of St. Marks had been arrested out
of their occupation, that your respondent
persuaded himself the war was ended.
But, subsequent information proved t this
opinion to be erroneous. The letter of
Governor Bibb, appended to the report
to the Senate, as well as the deposition
of Charles Baron, details sundry outrag
es committed subsequent to the date of
your respondent’s letter to the Secreta
ry of War; and it is also known that six
men ucre also murdered in the interior,
which it is believed was communicated
by Gen. Gaines to the War Department.
The communications of Gen. Gaines nnd
Major Fanning, annexed to the report,
also give a very different aspect to this
quesiion, and to which your respondent
begs leave to refer your honorable body.
In the animadversions upon the mo
tives ofyour respondent, he cannot with
hold the opinion, that there has been ex
hibited an unusual share of asperity, as
also a want of charity and forbearance
which was not to have been anticipated
from members of so august ami enlight
ened a body as the Senate ofthe United
States, deliberating upon a subject which
they have represented to he of great na
tional magnitude. Leaving the motives
of the committee on this occasion to their
own private review and examination,
your respondent will barely observe,
that they have imperfectly recognized
the maxim, that innocence is always pre
sumed until the contrary appear by proof.
Why they should have enquired into the
motives of your respondent at all, he is
at a loss to determine, as it was a matter
entirely beyond their control and juris
diction. The only subject of investiga
tion was the legality of his official acts,
as designated in the resolution of the Se
nate, ofthe 13th of December.
Your respondent lias no objection to
this course, except as a pernicious pre
cedent, and a violation of authority. He
has no secrets, and will never shrink
from a rigid and impartial examination
into his official conduct. Had the com
mittee adverted to the order to take pos
session of St. Augustine, as well as the
communications of your respondent to
the Secretary of War, upon the subject
of his military operations, they must
have been satisfied that his motives were
to promote the public good—to obey lii
orders, by carrying on a v igorous and ef
ficient war against the savage enemies of
the United Stales ; by which the blood
mid treasure of the nation was to be eco
nomised ; to establish a peace that would
be honorable and permanent, and to give
repose and security to our exposed and
defenceless borders.
In this instance, as well as in some o-
thers, the report ofthe committee is con
tradicted by the evidence of its own do
cuments. The depositions of Col. But
ler, (and Maj. Eaton, a member of the
committee,) conclusively prove that
your respondent had no agency in spe
culating in Florida lands, which is in di
rect opposition to the inference drawn by
your committee. No member of that
committee can, for a moment, seriously
and candidly harbour the opinion that
your respondent would lead a gallant ar
my into the field—jeopardize the lives
of valuable citizens—risk the ruin of
health and reputation, and “ violate the
constitution" of his country, for the pur
pose of speculating with security in
Spanish lands. The “ motives of his
own, unconnected w ith his military func
tions,” were a desire to end speedily a
savage war, and to save the blood and
treasure of the country ; and not, as
charged, to adventure his health and re
putation, and the lives ofhrave men, in
quest of titles to Florida lands. The im
putation is unwarranted and unjust, and
lias its refutation in the very testimony
which the committee have published.
The dignity of his office, which, at every
exposure, he has sought to maintain, ne
ver has been prostituted to the purposes
of speculation in any way, and it never
shall. Strange, then, that honorable
tnen should make so foul an accusation
without proof; nay, without even cir
cumstances to support it.
Your respondent would beg leave, in
this place, to remark upon the deposi
tions annexed to the report. He ven
tures the opinion, that such documents
never before have been published to the
world as evidence upon which to predi
cate a report. Eaton’s and Mitchell’s
are the only depositions presented in le
gal form. To those two gentlemen, re
gular interrogatories were proposed, to
which they deliberately responded and
affixed their signatures, as required by
law. Doctor Bronaugh’s deposition is
signed, but not given under oath ; colo-
nel Butler’s, colonel Gibson’s, and capt.
Call's, are neither sworn to nor signed.
The depositions of the four last gentle
men were published without their know
ledge. although they had received a pro
mise from the members of the commit
tee, who took down the testimony, that
it should be copied nnd again submitted
cretary of War, declared the Seminole! to them for consideration and signature,
war at an end ; and after which, natal Until the depositions arc fully escutn
ined, and signed, by the witnesses, they
cannot be considered good and complete
evidence. This is n rule, which, it is
believed, is uniformly adhered to in all
judicial tribunals ; it never should be
departed from on any occasion ; ns it is
essentially necessary to nn impartial ad
ministration ofjustice. Every opportu
nity should be given the witnesses to
make a fair and full disclosure of the
facts ; to consider the force and effect of
their expressions, as well as the import
of every sentence. By nn opposite pro
cedure irreparable injustice may be
done, ntid the rights of a public agent sa
crificed by those who should afford him
security and protection.
There are several minor points touch
ed upon by the committee, to which
your respondent considers it unnecessa
ry to give a particular reply ; as they
are of inconsiderable importance, mid
could not be noticed without swelling
this memorial to an unwieldly size. He
llatters himself they have been satisfac
torily answered in the discussion of the
other subjects, out of which they have
incidentally arisen. They will all, how
ever, be more amply and minutely ex
plained, by an examination of documents
heretofore communicated to Congress,
relative to the Seminole war ; to others
on tile in the War Office, and to those
accompanying this memorial ; to all of
which your respondent respectfully re
fers your honorable body.
To concludo : your respondent has
devoted his best services to the cause of
his country, and to the perpetuation of
her liberties. Her constitution and laws
are objects ofliis sincere veneration;
and every anxiety of liis heart has been
enlisted to promote the glory and happi
ness of his country. How far he lias
been instrumental, under the guidance of
Providence, in cffectiug those desirable
objects, he submits to the decision ofhis
enlightened fellow-citizens. He does
not pretend to be exempt from the er
rors common to human nature. Sur
rounded as be was, by every privation
and embarrassment—in all the hurry
and hustle of war, it was next to impos
sible to attend particularly to every mi
nor consideration.
But, upon the grerft errors charged—
n breach ofhis orders—a departure from
the constitution, ami a violation of the
rights of humanity—he openly maintains
his innocence, and denies that the char
ges are correctly made. He calls upon
the Senate by the high claims they prefer
to magnanimity, to protect his reputation
from the unmerited censure cast by their
committee. He asks for justice and noth
ing more ; to extend it, is due to your
respondent, to the Senate, and to the
nation.
ANDREW JACKSON, Major Cm.
Conununiting iuutlicTii Division.
OUll RELATIONS WITH SPAIN.
Documents accompanying Inc. laic Message of
the President to Congress.
Extracts of a letter from Mr. Cumphell to
the Secretary of State, dated St. Peters
burg, 20th October, (1st November) IKK),
containing details of a Conversation with
Count Nesselrode.
“Your despatch, No. 3, of June 3(1,1
had the honor to receive* few days ago.”
“ After some general conversation, he*
enquired, (as I presumed he would do, and
waited for him to introdure the subject,) if
I had any certain account of what Spain
was doing, or had done, respecting the trea
ty lately concluded by her Minister at Wash
ington with our government. I had shortly
before received from Mr. Gallatin a letter
confirming the account which had already
reached me through the newspapers, that
the King had refused to ratify the treaty un
til be should obtain some previous explana
tions, relating, as stated by Mr. Gallatin, to
two points : 1st, the declaration Mr. Forsyth
was instructed, on exchanging the ratifica
tions, to put in, that the grant to the Duke
d’Alagon for lands in the reded territory,
which, though intended to he, was not by
the terms of the treaty made null, should be
considered as null—and, 2d an engagement,
required by Spain on the part of our govern
ment, not to recognize the independence
of any ofthe Spanish colonies—and that, to
demand these explanations, a Minister Ex
traordinary was to be sent to Washington,
though Mr. Forsyth had offered, as instruct
ed, to give full explanations on any point
connected with the treaty. I therefore in
formed the Count, l had received authentic
information, though not from my govern'
ment, that the King bait refused his assent
to the treaty until he should obtain expla
nations on certain points, for which purpose,
he proposed sending a Minister Extraordin
ary to Washington. I took this occasion to
remark further, that, by official information
from my goveanment, I felt myself author
ised to state, that. Mr. Onis, the Spanish
Minister, was fully empowered to conclude
the tri aty, and might have yielded more
than he did Without exceeding his authori
ty—and that the points on which it was now
proposed to ask explanations had been fully
discussed before the treaty was signed, and
their extent and meaning explicitly under
stood by both parties—of which the Spanish
court was fully informed—and our Minister
there was instructed to give, ample expla
nations, which he offered to do, on any
points relating to the treaty that might he
supposed to require them. I added, that
the treaty was undoubtedly, under ail cir
cumstances, highly favorable to Spain, and
that, I was satisfied, a strong desire on the
part of my government to preserve peace
ed respecting the terms of the treaty by Mr.
Poletica, with whom I understood you had
freely communicated on the subject. Ha
said Mr. Poletica had advised him that, from
the explanations received from you respect
ing it, the treaty was by him considered fa
vorable to Spain. I then referred to tho
grant to the Duke d’Alagon, briefly stated
the nature of it, as made known to me, and
observed, that should the views of the King,
as now avowed, in relation to it, supposing
the principal point on which explanation
was required, be acquiesced in, the chief
object of entering into the treaty would be
thereby frustrated—that, by one of its pro
visions, the United States government a-
greed to pay, on account of Spain,.to their
own citizens, for spoliations committed by
her subjects, or in her ports, contrary to
Treaty, five millions of dollars, out ofthe
proceeds of llie sales of lands in the ceded
territory ; but, should this grant, said to in
clude a very large portion of those lands, be
confirmed, the sum assigned for that pur
pose would fail, and of course, this provis
ion ot the Treaty could not he complied
with.
He appeard to feel the full force ofthe re
mark, giving his assent to the conclusion
drawn, and proceeded to observe, it was to
be regretted thnt Spain did not understand
her own interest better than she seemed to do
—that it was difficult to conceive, in her pre
sent situation, what could induce her to take
the course she had done, refuse 1 to ratify a
treaty favorable to herself, and concluded by
her Minister vested with full powers for the
purpose. • He then remarked on the great
importance of preserving peace, as far ns
practicable, among civilized nations of tho
world, enquired wliat Spain could now do in
regard to the business by sending a Minister
to Washington, and what course our go
vernment will be likely to adopt on the oc
casion.
I repli d, that, as to Spain, I could form
no opinion of the motives by which she wsb
governed. I did not perceive what she could
do, unless Rhe receded from her objections
to the treaty—and, as to my «wn govern
ment, though I was satisfied of its strong
desire to preserve peace, I could not pretend
to say what course it might conceive itself
called on to take on the present occasion,
though I presumed no decisive measures
would he adopted to change essentially the
relations between the tw# countries until
Congress should convene, early in Decem
ber—and the course then pursued would
probably depend upon what Spain should iu
the mean time do.
He llien enquired how soon I expected to
hear from my government after it had been
advised ofthe refusal on the part of Spain to
ratify the treay—and, being told that I could
not state the precise time, with any degree
of certainty, but that it would undoubtedly
lie as soon as despatches could reach (his
from Washington, lie expressed, with some
earnestness, Ins wish that I should make
known to him, at an early a day as might he
convenient, such information ns I might re
ceive from my government on this subject.”
Count Nesselrode.
Erlraet of a letter from Mr. Forsyth to the Sc*
cretary of Slate, dated
Madrid, Jan. 3, 1820.
“ A few days after the date of my last,
number lu, 1 had a visit from Count Bnlga-
ry, the Kusiau Charge d’Affairs ; he came to
see me in consequence of a conversation he
had just had with the Duke of San Fernan
do, respecting my official letter of the 18th
of Oct. and the subsequent correspondence
in relation to it. 11c stated to me, that tho
Duke regretted the necessity of sending back
the letter, but that, it was so Itarsli m its
terms, lie could not place it before the King;
to this was added a great many assurances
of personal kindness and good will, not ne
cessary to be repeated. I replied, that it was
very mortifying to me, to lie obliged to send
the letter in the first instance, and not less
so, to insist on its beiug received—that the
Duke hud put it out of my power to act o-
therwise than I had done—hut that there
was no difficulty in avoiding the unpleasant
consequences likely to ensue. The Duke
had nothing to do but to give me such as
surances in regard to the grants, a* would
render it superfluous for me to say any thing
about them. Iiis answer was at once curi
ous und dissatisfactory. He said that the
Duke could not give me any assurances, such
was the predominating influence of the gran
tees with the king. He was sincerely dis
posed to settle all the differences with the U.
States, and huped, in a short time, to have
power to effect it; had authorized Count
Bulgary to say to the Russian government
that Gen. Vivts was going immediately to
the United States, and would haveconipe-
tent powers; and that every thing would bo
amicably arranged. I made the Russian
Charge d’Affaircs sensible that one part of
this statement contradicted the other. Gen.
Vivos could not receive powers competent
to Hie purpose of amicable settlement, if the
Secretary of State's despatch was unable,
from the influence of the grautees, to say a-
ny tiling about the l.irge donations. This
was a subject upon which the American go
vernment would listen to no terms; that
friendly arrange meat was out ofthe question,
and Gen. Vives’s visit to the U. States use
less, unless the Spanish government was pre
pared to abandon their pretensions in favor
of the grantees. On the subject of the mis
sion of Gi rt. Vives, I desired the Count to
remind the Duke, that I knew nothing of it.
The general and loose declarations made
months before, that the king would autho
rize some person to ask explanations at
Washington, was all that the Spanish gov
ernment had chosen to communicate to me.
The Count assured me of the personal anxi
ety of the Minister to arrange every thing
satisfactorily between the two countries;
tliwt his hopes were strong of being able to
effect it; that this business of the returned
note was embarrassing, and if I went away
in consequence of its not being received,
that, what he believed to be the wish of the
United States and of his government, and
almost al) other powers, might be frustrated.
alone induced them to agree to its provis-1 Matters were in a bad state at present, and
ions—that I prmui*»d he had been inform- itbi* would m«ke them worse. Tt> tbra, I