Newspaper Page Text
No 4— — Vol. \ll.]
OFFICIAL PAPER.
Gov. Troup to the President.
Executive Department, Ga. i
Milledgeville , Ith Aug. 1825. $
Sir —The letter o! the Secretary of War
of the 18th May. introducing to this govern
ment Maj. Gen. Gaines, and Major Andrews,
as agents of the United States, to inquire
into the causes of the late Indian disturban
ces—to adjust the differences subsisting be
tween the Indians, and to iuquire into the
conduct of the Agent for Indian Affairs, rec
ommended them as officers, distinguished
for ability, prudence and discretion They
were received and treated accordingly.
With’ the conduct of the ODe, you have been
already made acquainted—with that of the
other it remains tor me to place you in pos
session.
In the several conferences held with
Gen. Quines on his first arrival I received
repeated assurances from him of frieudly
dispositions—of upright intentions—of free
dotn (com all hicdot bias or prejudice which
could mislead his judgement, or influence
his decisions on any ot the topicks which,
in the execution of bis trust, might presen:
themselves for discussion. Relying nripii
itly\on the sincerity of these declarations
1 began with regarding Gen Gaines as an
honourable and disinterested arbiter be
tween the United States, Georgia, and the
Indians, and o continued to regard him un
til a short time before his insulting letter of
the 10th nit. was received at this Depail
ineui. It was impossible for this Govern
ment not to repel that insult with indigna
tion. The chief m-igis'rate in his official
message to the Legislature bad stated ex
plicitly that Mclntosh aod his chief's had
given their consent to the survey, and in
support of this statement the letters of Mc-
Intosh were exhibited with his name sub
scribed in his own hand, of which General
Gaines bad ‘ull information. Nevertheless
the certificate of an Indian chief who had
deserted from the Mclntosh party, and of a
white man of whom Gen. Gaines himself
does not pretend to know any thing, is pro
cured fa discredit the statement of the Gov
ernour, and to exhibit him before the pub-
Jick as t‘,._ dupe of the vilest and shallowest
imposture j and in his solicitude to accom
plish this he forgets that it is the consent
given by Mclntosh and his chiefs to the sur
vey which >o ibe information of the agent,
you have taken for granted to be the sole
cause of all the di-torbances in the Nation,
and upon which you have recently issued‘
the mosL offensive orders to this government
connected with that survey.and in your last
one even denounced military vengeance
against those who shall attempt to carry it
into execution. When Gen. Gaines is re
buked io the mildest language which the
unprovoked insult would admit of, he pre
sents himself ttgatn before the publick in a
letter indulging in most intemperate abuse
of all the constituted authorities of a sove
reign state, and cf the great body of its pen
pie. and which he causes to be published
almost, a week before it was received at this
Department.
With regard to the first letter of General
I Gaines, to which I have called your atten
’ tion, he does not seem to have been content
■wil!> addressing a letter so exceptionable to
the bead of this Government. Me assumes
vhe authority to order its publication, on
the allegation of some pretended and unde
fined malicnius falsehoods in circulation, and
which he makes the foundation of an appeal
to the publick—an appeal more censurable
than that for which the gallant and merito
rious Porter, is now answering before a
Court Martial assembled by your order,
inasmuch as the latter only defends himself
jigiiust inculpatory charges made by his
own government, whilst (be former who
was bound by equal respect to this Govern
inent does not pretend that any charges of
any kind had been preferred by it against
him. It is in this letter too that General
Gaines has fallen into the shocking extrav
agaiic.t* of asserting what nobody can be
lieve, Dial the Mclntosh party which made
the treaty, constituted hut a fiftieth part of
the Nation; and it was in the same letter
made known officially to this government
that he bad happily concluded a pacifica
tion ot” the Indians when at that moment he
was as remote from the pacification as he
ever fad been, of which fact I have even
wit’mi the passing hour received the most
incontestible evidence.
With regard to the second letter, of the
281! 1 u!t. which now that lam writing, ha?,
for the first time be.en put into my hands
and almost a week after its publication, I
hate to remark, that the history of diplo
macy wili not furnish a parallel, so marked
with indiscretion, intemperance, deliberate
disrespect, and the outrage of all decency.
Gen Games forgets as well ivhat he owes
to his own government as to this. His du
ty to you required him to shew respect to
this government in all his intercourse with
it. If in that intercourse he had found nim
self wronged or aggrieved by the authori
ties here, it wa not allowed him to take
the redress into his own hands; upon repre
sentation to you, yon were competent to de
cide the nature and the extent <*f the injury
he had received, and of the redress most
suite'de to it. H* would oot confide the.
exercise of this privilege to you, no doubt
THE MISSION ARY.
questioning your fitness or discretion for
such matters, but chose to rely on his own
dexterity and prowess. He writes among
other things of the “ malignant villany”
which has been extensively practiced on
the credulity of many of the good citizens
of Georgia and other States in reference to
the Indians and the treaty. A charge so
vague cannot be easily understood, much
lesß distinctly answered. Pre-supposiog it
to be directed against the authorities of this
State and to be in all respects true, who
made Gen. Gaines the Judge to pass this
condemnatory sentence on the conduct of
those authorities? It had been understood
that you had reserved to yourself this pow
er, and that Gen. Gaines was here only as
your agent to collect the evidences upon
which that power was to be exercised.
He proceeds to make another reference
to the certificate of the Indian Chief and
the white man; reiterates the expression
of unlimited confidence in the veracity of
Marshall, eulogizes him as among the cnot
worthy of “the little treaty making party,”
and comes again to the conclusion that the
Chief Magistrate of Georgia and others are
not to be credi'ed against the certificate, of
such respectable personages. Within this
hour I liave received the testimony of the
Chiefs of the friendly party voluntarily gtv
en “that the statement of Joe Marshall to
Gen. Gaines is false,” and I enclose you tlu
certificate of my express, a man of fairest
character and undoubted veracity to satisfy
you that Marshall has added falsehood t ■<.
treachery. In this part of his letter he
takes occasion to manifest his resentment
toward the friends of Mclntosh, he calls
them “ the little treaty making party .” then
again “ the. vassal Chiefs of Mclntosh s and
questions their right tn giv • permission to
make the survey. Wont a di-passionate
and impartial umpire is this General Gain: s;
one would have supposed that consulting
the magnanimity of a soldier, if he depart’ .
from the line of neutrality at all he would
be tound at the head ot the weaker, the in
nocent and injured party. But the Gener
al consulting the better part of valour and
counting the odds agaiust him as fifty to
one, throws himself into the ranks of the
stronger party and thns commends himself,
again to you for the discretion which you
had given him in advance.
The General is correct in one of hi po
sitions, and being in the right himself, he
puls yon in the wrong, and so conspicuously
that you s'and on the insulated eminence,
an almost solitary advocate for making and
breaking treaties at pleasure. Gen. Gaines
says, “ the treaty, no matter how procured,
had become a law of the land,” &r.. &r
Me had said to ihe council at Broken Ar
row that the treaty could not be annulled,
and must be carried into effect, &c. &c
Tttis is good sene. The day before yes
terday I received your letter, in which you
say Gen Games having informed yon ihat
the treaty having been obtained bv intrigue
and treachery, it will be referred to Con
gress lor re consideration. Gen. Gaine*
tells the Indians that no treaty lias ever yet
been annulled. You -my this treaty shall
be made an exception to all others ; and
upon the information received from Gener
al Gaines.
General Gaines proceeds to manifest hi*
respect and complaisance for the Chief M i
gistrate of a sovereign stale, hy informing
him that “he has been greatly deceived bv
persons in ivhose honour he placed reliance,
hut who were unworthy of hi* confidence,”
thus taking upon himself the responsibility
to decide for the Chief Magistrate one of
the most delicate of all questions connected
with government and sovereignly, viz: the
question who are worthy of trust, anil who
among the publick servants are or are not
entitled to his confidence. In a little time,
sir, with your countenance and encourage
ment, Get). Gaines would have dictated the
appointments to office in this state, and may
he, the least hesitancy or repugnance >o
comply with such dictation, would he sub
dued hy a parade of United Stales troops.
After quoting a maxim, that “the King
can do no wrong,” and expatiating on the
moral excellence of truth, and her indis
criminate habitation at the palace and the
cottage, the plough and the bureau of state,
with the w inderers of the wilderness and
the honest but unfortunate debtors; of all
which I cannot for the lile of me understand
Ihe application, much loss the farrago which
follows about some body regarding money
a liltle more, and truth a little less—cotidi
tion of despised poverty, and luxuries of
plundered wealth, &c. &c. arid which is
equally unintelligible.
Gen Gaines is scarcely more distinct and
intelligible when in passing a meagre com
pliment to a portion of the citizens of Geor
gia, he professes to “ rely on the wisdom,
justice and patriotism of at least nine tenths
of (hose with whom he has the pleasure of
an acquaintance,” many of whom are culti
vators of the land ; and then again (hat
“the cultivators are the adamantine pillars
of Ihe Union against which the angry va
pouring, paper squibs of the little and the
great demagogues of all countries may con
tinue to be hurled for hundreds of centuries
“ without endangering the ooble edifice,”
&c. &c. All of which may be intended to
convey some meaning and admit of ready
explanation by General Gaines, but which,
nf,n,. ... Go ye into all the world, and preaclythe Gospel to every creature.— Jesus Christ.
the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports.— Washington.
MOUNT ZION, (HANCOCK COUNTY, GEORGIA,) MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 1825.
I assure you sir, is altogether above my
comprehension.
The General soon becomes a little more
explicit, when he says “there is in Geor
gia a small class of men who, like the “ Ho
ly Alliance,” profess to employ themselves
in the laudable work of enlightening and
governing all other classes of the communi
ty, but whose labours consist of vaiu and
daring efforts to prove that the light of
truth is to be found only with the parly to
which themselves respectively belong, and
that all others go wrong.” Party, Sir—
An ageDt representing the government of
the United States before the government of
Georgia, addressing to the chief magistrate
of the state an official paper in which, des
canting on the state of parties, the writer
places himself by the side of the one party,
and fulminates a denunciation Sgaiot Ihe
other. Pray, sir, suffer me to ask if Maj.
Gen. Gaines leceived special instructions at
your hands so to deport himself, to pry into
the state of parties, to find out the relative
strength of them, to place himself on the
side of the strongest, giving to it aid, coun
tenance and co operation, and from this
strong hold to issue insolent anathemas
against the other, through the Governour
of this state; thus directly intermedling in
our local politicks and availing himself of
our unhappy divisions to make the exaspe
rations of party yet more bitter. Genera!
Games will not permit us to mistake him.
lie proceeds to call the particular party to
which he is opposed, the “one sided en
lightening class;” in another place he calls
them “ the small class.” The opportune
ties if Gen. Gaines to inform hitnselF of the
stale of parties in Georgia have been, no
doubt', much better than mine, which have
indeed been very limited, but I have more
generally heard from men better informed
that the relative strength of parties was
- mewbat different from the General’s esti
mate ol if; he seems to have adopted the
same rule of enumeration, under the same
<4 ir.al delusion as in measuring the strength
ol the Indian parties and to have arrived
at the very gratifying conclusion that the
numerical strength was in the proportion of
50 to I—undoubtedly a very incorrect
statement.
This officer took umbrage at my request
to permit the Commissioners on the part of
the State, to act in friendly concert with
him, in making his investigations for Ihe
discovery of troth ; why he did so I cannot
conjecture. This, however, was passed by
without notice, as was his subsequent refu
sal to admit them to a participation of the
Councils ia matters involving the interest
of Georgia. Hi indiscretion in declaring
be.fore the council at Broken Arrow, that if
the congregated world were to contradict
the Chief. Yobolo, he would not believe it,
has been already noticed in the letter which
I last had the honour to address to you. It
is upon the authority of this chief, of llsin
bly, represented to be one of the most infa
mous of men, am! of Ihe Agent of Indiau af
fairs, that yon have come to the conclusion
to return (he Treaty to Congress for revis
ion, it having been procured by intrigue and
treachery.
Gen. Gaines is reported to me to have
said in ihe presence of one of the Commis
sioners on the part of the State, that if
twenty three states out of the twenty-four
were 10 pronounce the Agent guilty, he
would not believe them.
Gen. Gaine has been guilty of the-child
ib indiscretion of threatening to'cut off the
ear-of thp citizens of Georgia, who bap
pened to offend him, as if you had given
him his sword for this special service. But
indeed, sir, it is high time to dismiss the sub
ject of this officer.
In maintaining correspondence with the
Government of the United States, I have
not permitted any false considerations of
dignity, or any false estimates of forms and
ceremonies which usually govern diplomat
i< k intercourse between States to interpose
the least difficulty—so far from it, I have
cheerfully descended to the level of every
thing which it pleased you to employ at any
time u“ your representative or organ, from
the clerks of your bureaus, op to your Maj.
General by brevet, and have acted and
treated with them as equals.
In the deportment of some of these I
have experienced arrogance, self sufficien
cy, a haughty and contemptuous carriage,
and a most insulting interference with our
local politicks, and these characteristicks
not exhibited to one, but all the constituted
authorities oflhe State. Now, Sir, suffer
me in conclusion, to ask if these things have
been done in virtue of your instructions, ex
press or implyed, or by authority of any
warrant from you whatsoever, and if not so
done, whether you will sanction and adopt
them as your own, and thus hold yourself
responsible to the Government of Georgia.
Be persuaded, sir, that whenever here
after you shall think proper, not deceiving
yourselves and us, to send gentlemen to re
present you before this government, of the
character given to those by the letter of
the Secretary of War of the 18th May,they
will be received and respected as officers
of the General Government would be by
the most friendly states of the Union.
With great consideration,
G. M. TROUP.
The President of the XJ. S.
CERTIFICATE.
I was employed by his Excellency Gov
ernour Troup, as bearer of an express to
Gen. Wat. Mclntosh, requesting his assed,
and ihat of the chiefs, to Ihe survey of the
land by Georgia, lately ceded at the Indian
Springs. Alter proceeding into the Na
tioo, Joseph Marshall and William Edwards
accompanied me to Mclntosh’s house. Af
ter delivering the e.xpress to Mclotosb, I
was informed by Mclntosh (bat he bad cal
led a meeting of the chiefs on the following
Sunday, which was the 10th of April, Mar
shall and Edwards were both present when
this conversation took place. Marshall in
formed me, (acting as Interpreter,) that
when the Chiefs were convened and their
wishes consulted, that General Mclntosh
would advise the Governour of it; aod ob
served to me in the presence of Mclntosh,
that he himself had no objection to the sur
vey of the land, and that it would be an ad
vantage to the Indians for the land to be
surveyed, for they could then dispose of a
great deal of their provisions to them, and
thal after the present crop was made, they
could sell out their improvements and he
ready uext spring to set oot to the new
country. Marshall informed me at the
time, that Mclntosh requested him to stay
to the talk, but he said it was oot necessary,
as his consent was then given.
Marshall and Edwards and myself set off
together, and several times during our jour
ney, Marshall manifested his entire appro
bation of the measure of surveying the land,
and observed that he had no doutit, but that
the chiefs would assent to the survey when
they met, which would be on the 10th ol
April JESSE PROSSER.
Milledgeville. 2d Aug 1825.
From the Christian Watchman.
A FRAGMENT.
In the Autumn of 1318, I was travelling
in one of the upper counties ofVirgmia,& on
account ol the badness of the roads, was un
able to reach a respectable house for my
accommodation. I accor' t ---giy turned in
to stay at what is there called a “Wagon
Stand.” They are small, wretched, dirty
places for the entertainment of negro team
sters; sufficiently repelling ia their appear
ance to prevent any one from habing unless
forced to by a combination of unfriendly el
ements. such as mud, rain, wind, and “dark
liess visible. ” Howe-rc-r true lo lay object
as a traveller, I determined to know what
brings I was among. Accordingly, after a
supper of cold turkey, hoe cake and coffee,
I look my seat on my trunk, and found my
self surrounded by about a dozen of the sa
ble posterity of Ham, with the blessing of
perpetual personal slavery, as a reward for
their labour on the soil of men, whose boast
is that “ all men are free and equal by na
ture.”
At length I addressed an old grey-headed
African, and asked him if he was a slave?
Ys, Massa.
How old are you ?
O, I doni know, very old. I die soon,
but no mailer for that, then I go to heaven.
No slave there ; all good. In Jesii“ Chris’
there is neither bond nor free. Buckra, do
you know these tilings?
I inquired, can you read ?
Ah, no; but I hear what the minister
says. I remember all he says about heav
en. 1 feel all just so in here, Massa, said
he, pointing to his breast.
Now, thought I, here is an opportunity
to know what a poor ignorant slave can say
on the subject of religion; so I began to
question him how he knew any thing about
heaven, and what kind of place it was, and
where situated ?
Massa, you ask where heaven is? Up in
the sky where God lives, and all good peo
ple with him.
Who is God ?
He is the Great Spirit who made us all;
he made all things that live.
Did you ever Ree him?
No, Massa, only I think I see him when I
pray; he is every where.
If you never saw birn, and can’t read,
how do you know that there is any such be
ing?
Ah! I feel him when I see the trees and
mountains, the sky and stars; I know they
are God’s work. All the men in the world
can’t make them.
Do yon expect to go to heaven?
Yes.
But you are wicked; you do had things.
Yes, I am very wicked; but Christ die;
1 know him, and I live. He come to save
poor lost slave ; he save me, if I believe.
Yon are old, and will soon die and be bu
ried up in the ground and rot; how can you
live and go to heaven ?
Ah, my body rot, but not my soul ;> that
not made of clay . My body is made of dust,
but my soul thin as air, and always live,
and Christ says, “because I live, ye shall
live also.” God will make us all live in the
day of judgement. Some will live in heav
en with God, and some live in hell with
devils.
But who is the devil ?
Oh, bad man ; first he deceive and cheat
folks, and then burn them in hell. Very
bad and ugly. When I get mad, feel cross,
and won’t do as my Massa says, that is dev
it. But when I am obedient and do as I
ought, and Ipve all and pray, that is Christ,
I inquired, are you not deceived about
all these things?
Oh, no, no, all true. And one-’ I talk
like you ; 1 no believe ; hut now I hear and
know all about the Bihle. Oh, Maeja, if
I could read, 1 no talk like you to poor
slave.
About this time the old slave, being led
to suppose thal I was an npposer to religion,
began to talk very solemnly to me about
death, and judgement to come. He-poke
of the future misery of tbe wicked, and of
tbe great power of God to detect and pun
ish sinners. I sat with a solemn pleasure
while he addressed my conscience in his
broken dialect. After he bad fintshe.d, I
took bim by the hand, aod said. Old man, I
believe you are a Christian; I sometimes
hope lam one myself. All you have satd
1 believe ; only I wanted to try your faith.
I see you are built on Christ, and exhort
you to hold last the truth.
On hearing this. Ihe slave forgot hi ser
vitude in his joy to find me different from
what his fears anticipated. Tears flowed
down his furrowed cheeks while he shook
roe cordially oy the hand, and poured forth
sentiments of Christian affection and ardent
feelings in the cause of the Saviour.
After a conversation of some length, be
says to me, Massa, you pray to night? 1 re
plied, I will join with you ; and after being
urged, he knelt down and addressed our
Heavenly Father, in a truly devout and pi
ous strain, evidently praying like one Uo
had access unto the Father. The compa
ny of blacks around us were silent, and at
tentive to what was passing, and -hewed a
deep interest in Ihe subject ot ‘tebate, and a
reverence in the devotions of the old slave.
Wrapped in my cloak, I rep ‘sed ca'mly
on Ihe floor among these slave-, and in the
morning left the nid Christian in Ihe hope
of meeting him in a happier and more equal
state.
On this I make two reflections. 1. This
ignorant slave, who could neither read, nor
reason, nor speculate, on systems or ab
stract ideas, referred to his experimental
feelings as aground of confidence in those
truths which are essential to his salvation.
2. How many opportunities of doing good
are lost by travellers, who make no inqui
ries into the slate and condition of those
among whom they passrog, or transiently
tarrying. Yours, &c, C.
From the London Baptist -Magazine for May.
ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE
SAME BODY.
The peculiar to di
vine revelation, have ever been opposed
by men of subtle, serpentine talents, and of
a philosophickturn of mind, destitute of (he
grace of God.
However profound may be the rational
powers of the human intellect, unenlight
ened by the Spirit of God, its utmost exer
tions will abundantly confirm the scripture
axiom, that, “The natural man receiveth
not the thmgs of the Spirit of God, for they,
are foolishness unto him; neither can he
know them, because they are spiritually
discerned.” 1 Cor. ii. 14.
It is worthy of notice, that those persona
who object to the Bible as a divine revela
tion, do so, in the general, on Ihe ground
of certain doctrines which they find to be
a prominent part of its conter.<“: such, for
instHUce, as the doctrines of three persons
in one. incomprehensible Jehovah; The
Deity of Jesus Christ; Hi- immaculate in
carnation; 11 is vicarious atoning sacrifice;
his imputed righteousness, &c.
These, and other doctrines, the Deists
perceive to be contained in the Bible ; and
most of them are free to acknowledge that
these are the principal reasons why they
deny its divine authority.
We claim, then, their testimony to the
doctrines as revealed in the Bible; and
subpoena them as competent witnesses in
our cause ; and, m return, we readily give
them credit lor greater consistency than
tho9e who deny the doctrines, while they
profess to revere the book.
r l he resurrection of the body is an article
of pure revelation. But fur the scriptures,
it never could have entered into the head
or heart ol man to conceive that a body
that dies, and undergoes the process of pu
trefaction, should ever be reformed and re
animated. But,
“ Almighty God
Has done much more ; nor is his arm impair'd
1 hroueti length of days ; and what be can he will :
His faithfulness stands bound to see it done.”
Ihe philosophy of infidelitv, however,
stands opposed to (hi- grand article ofCbris
tianity. This “ philosophy falsely so cal
led, ’ led Ihe ancient opposers to enquire,
“How are the dead raised? And, with
what body shall they come ?”
It would be considered as extremely un
civil and rustick, in ‘.hi- age of reason , po
liteness, and et queue, were we bluntly to
reply, alter the manner ol so plain a man
a- Paul Ihe apostle, “ Thou fool ” Who,
that impugns wisdom , could bear to
be thus roughly dealt with ? “ TuotJ
fool!!”
it is not very easy (o comprehend what
the irifidei objector mean* by the perplex
ing term, “ the same numerical body
* May we not cal! this an Idiom of lr\fide\ity ?■