The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-10-08
ser Of FINAL and 'pe rhaps irren,ediahle ep


be regarded as an abandonment of their
claims, that they determine upon occupying
the disputed territory. a sDirit of dissatisfac
lion had arisen in the western part OF this
province, which owed its origin partly to
the Gisorganization OF the present govern
men, 3ud partly TO the misconduct of the
local authorities The u. States stood aloof
they did not foster the spirit OF disaliec-
tOu. they did not invite the aileyiance of
7 the revolutionary province. Bot they saw
lth't the Spanish power was at an end. when
they saw that expectations were nS.ulgrd
ut N ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS aed even remuaera.
tion from the federal government, which
were 'eemcd incompatible with its rights
Gnu with its character, when tbev nntciDa-
ted that the probable result of their taking
no agency in me affairs OF Florida, would re
THAI .! its passing under the protection Of
some foreign power, who would become z
more troublesome aud more tornihablc
neighbor than Spain had been The United
State. de,ermioed to assert their claim and
to render i, efectuai. Rumou,s. at that
period OF the great preparation and deter
mined resolution OF the revolutionary party,
which were circulating III the eastern part
OF the cUitineut. probably created the gene
raj belief, that the whole OF West Florida
mus, be on the eve of submitting 10 the con
,en,hn; ami indeed it Is not unlikely that
IT they had pushed up their FIRST success by
an immediate incursou into this part of the
province, instead of suffering the Spaniards
to recover from their pane and the Spirit
| OF their people to subside and the neu rali,y
of the United Ststes TO b. violated by visi
onaty and illegal a, empts at raising
| force wilhin the American iimitS--I in
stad OF this, they had bodily and vigorously
pushed on 10 this part OF th' province with
out encroaching upon the American terrific
ry, is it not improbable that the whole pro-
vince OF Wcst Florida would have acknow-
| lodged the convention before the Proclama
ton of the President of the United States
| had made its appearance IN this COUNTRY
But whatsoever part OF the province had
thrown off it's allegiance to Spain. it was
Violently no more than a reasonable precaj1
| ton N the v. States to occupy the Country
before connection could be formed with
| any oIher government The p esdent of
the u States, therefore, by Proclamation
bearing date the 9th day # October, 1910
after r1citing the CLAIM OF the u. State
to the territory IN question, ter recitug
| that the acquIescenCe of the United STATES
IN the temporary continuance of the same
1ndcr the Spanish authority, was occasioned,
not by distrust of their title, but by their
conciatory views, and by a confidence in
The justice OF their cause and in the success
OF candid discussion and amicable negocia
zion, with just and friendly power, and
alter stating that crisis had at ieng h arri-
we'd Subversive Of the order of things under
the Spanish authority, whereby a failure OF
the u States to take possession, might cad
to eventS ultimately Contraveping the views
of both parties, whilst in the mean time the
Tranquility and security of their adjoining
lerritbfies were endangered, proceeded to
declare that he deemed righC and requ-
size that possession should be taken of he
said Territory in the name and OIL behalf of
he United States, and authorised and dl-
rected VIM. &. {, Claiborne, Governor OF
the Or cans Territory, to execute he same.
and to exercise over the said Territory the
authorities and functions legally appcrtain-
ing to mis- office. In order to carry INTO eft :.
feet the powers vested in Governor Clai
borne, he VS. ins>ruc'ed by an cfficial ,etter
addressed to him the same day by order
OF the President, hat IN Case the occupation
OF the said Territory, on the part of the u.
3 axes. should be opposed by force, orders
W re given 10 Che commanding officer of the
regular troops, to affCrd the requisite aid
aud that if additional force should be neces-
sary, he might draw il from the militia of
the Orleans and M .ssissippi Territory II
was supposed that if resistance should be
attempted by the Conventional turces, the
evident superiority OF strength or the part of
the OOllcu OldteS, WOuiu EcDQer IL unaVall-
ng, that the crisis would terminate which
WIS leading TO events ultimately contra We
ming ths views of bOth the Spanish add A
merican Governments and that hose con
fusions and contingencies which threatened
the country, would be averted, and that
tranquility established in the adjacent Ter
rItory, which had been so seriously endsn
gered. But such was the desire of the fe =
deral administration to preserve the rela,
onS of anIty with foreign power, so stea =
Oily did il persevere in following the foot
steps of the first president OF the u States.
IN case extremely similar, that no sense
of the injuries received from the spanish
Cove rument, nor even the full demonstrate
on of its utter inability to resist the power of
the American nation, could Induce ne Pro
sldent to appeal to force or to assume a
wariike attitude towards the Spanish au no
rites, nor did he even wait as he would
have done II hc wished mere Y 70 m Ike he
instruction in Florida a pIetext for en-
or achments on the Spaniards till he wa,
assured that the revolutionary power had
actually Established itself over the whole of
The province He had seen and lac had seen
wi IN concern, that projects had been con
ceived by American citizens. of rais,n,- \
body for tie occupation of Mobile, and ne
probably feared that if he longer prorrac
ted the measures he contemplated, II would
afford to them too great an opportunity To
I dlsF onor and entangle theii government h,,