The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-05-06 00:00:00


AM,

7RICAN PAPERS.

CONGRESS.-1N SENATE, MARCH 25.
SEMINOLE WAR.

The Wowing Mertage•was received fres the Pre-
sident of the United States:
•• To THESENATE AND 111011.14 E OF REPRESENTATIVES OF

THE UNITED STATES. •
66 I now lay before Congress all the information
in the possession of the Executive, respecting the war
with the Seminoles, and the measures which it has
been thought proper to adopt, for the safety of our
fellow-citizens on the frontier ezposed to their ra-
vages. The enclosed documents show that the hos-
tilities of this tribe were unprovoked, the offspring of
a spirit long cherished and often manifested towards
the United States, and that, in the present instance,
it was extending itself to other tribes, and daily as- ,
suming a more serious aspect. As soon as the nature
and object of this combination were perceived, the
Major-General commanding the Southern Division of
the troops of the United States was ordered .to the
theatre of action, charged with the management of
the war, end vested with the powers necessarpto
give it effect. Thei.season of the year kin; unfa-
vourable to active operations, and the recesses of the •
'country affording shelter to these savages, in case of
retreat. may Prevent a prompt tarminattas of the
war ; but it may be /slily presumed, that it . will not
be long before this tribe and its associates receive the
punishment Whirl; they irate; provoked and justly
merited.
" As almost the whole of this tribe inhabits the
country within the limits of Florida, Spain was bound,
by the Treaty of 1795, to restrain them from commit-
ting hostilities against the United States. We have
seen with regret, that her Governt has altogether
failed to fulfil this obligation, nor are we aware that
it made any effort to that effect. When we cousider
her utter inability to check, even in the slightest de.
gree, the movements of this tribe, by ber very small
and incompetent force in Florida, we are not dis-
posed to ascribe the failure to any other cause. The
inability, however, of Spain, to maintain her autho-
rity over the territory and Indians within her limits,
end in consequence to fulfil the Treaty, ought not to
expose the United States to other and greater in-
ju ies. Where the authority of Spain ceases to exist,
there file United States have a right to pursue their
enemy on a principle of self defence. in this in-
stance, the right is more cuinplete and obvious, be-
rause we shall perform only what Spain was booud to
have verformed herself. To the high obligations end
privileges of this great and sacred right of self.de.
fence, will the movement of our troops be strictly
confined. O,ders have been given to the General in
command not to enter Florida, unless it be in pur-
suit of the enemy, and in that case to respect the
Spanish authority wherever it is maintained ; and he
will beinstructed to withdraw his forces from the
Province, as soon as he shall have reduced that tribe
to order,and secured our fellow-citizens in that quar-
ter, by satisfactory arrangements, against its unpro-
voked and savage hostilities in future.
`• Washipoon, March 2.5. JAMES MONROE."
Transmitting a statement of the items of expendi-
ture by the Commissioners under certain Articles of
the Treaty of Ghent.

• .

Je y - -
'These several Messages, with the accompanying
document's, were ordered to he lila on 'We tatsiew:
and he printed, and the. Hoes. adjourned at elate.
boor. •
On the 2.lth of March, Mr.. BARBOUR, from the
Committee of Foreign Relations, to whom had begin
referred the represesitations_in behalf of Mr..Meitle,
made a Report, in Senate, of considerable length,
• taking a full view of the subject, recognizing the
wrongs of "Mr.. Meade, and declaring substantially,
that if the demand of the Executive for his release be
not ceinpliod with, the offence ought to be visited with
severe retribution.

STATE OF sottH AM,ERICA.
REPORT OF TUE SECRETARY OF STATE, TRANSMITTED,
BY TILE PRESIDENT TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTA•
TIMES, ON THE 25TH OF MARCH.
The Secretary of State, to whom has been referred
the Resolution of the &roe of Representatives of
the 10th of December, has the honour of • submitting
the documents herewith transmitted, as containing
the' information possessed at his department, request:
ed bK that Resolution.
In thecomtnunications received fromDonManoel 11.
dr Aguirre there're references to certain conferences',
between him and the Secretary of State, w hich appear
to require some ezplanation.
The character in which M. Aguirre presented him-
self was that of a public agent from the Government
of Lu Plata, and of private agent of that of Chili—his
Commissions from both simply qualified him as agent;
but his letter from the Supreme Dirertor,Pueyrredon,
to the President of the United States, reqaested that
he might be received with the consideration due to his
diplomatic character. He had no commission as a
public Minister of any rank. nor any full power to
'negotiate as such. Neither the letter of which be was
the bearer, nor he himself, at first interviews with
the Secretary of State, suggested that he was an.
therised to ask the acknowledgment of his Govern.'
mega as independent— a circumstance which derived
additional weight from the fact, that his predecessor,
I),in Martin Thompson, had been dismissed by the
Director Pueyrredon for having transcended his
pee ers ; of which the letter brought by M. Aguirre
pre.iootire to the President..
-It was some time after the commencement of the
S.,ssion of Congress that lie made this demand, as
will be seen by the dates of his written communica-
tions to the department. •In the conferences held
with him on that subject, among other questions
which it naturally suggested, were those of the man-
lier in which the acknowledgmenCof his Government,
should it be deemed advisable, might be made ? and
what sere the territories which he considered as
forming the state or nation to be'recognized ? It was
observed, that the manner in which the United States
had been scknowledged as,en Independent Power by
France, was, by a Trestli, concluded with them, as
an existing independent Poser, and in which each
one of the Slates then composing the Union wis die.
tinctiy named : that somethiig ofthe seine kind seemed
to be necessary in the 6'st acknowledgment of a new
•rnment, that some lb-finite idea &Wit be formed,,
Goy. 'he precise boundaries, but of the general ex.
'tot rbt• ccuntry thus recognized. lie said) the
el
tent of
..