Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-03-07

this government, believing that 1t had a
well founded right, not only to that part
Of West Florida which their troops had
occupied, but To Il greater extent oi TERRI
tory, comprelicnded In the limits of the
vice-royalty of Mexico, had judged that,
with the same proprieiy that the king, nay
master, occupied those possessions, the
United States might retain that part of
West Florida they held, until it was deci-
died, by a friendly convention, TO whom II
belonged.
Permit me TO observe, that there is no
parity in the cases. The country TO which
you ailude, extending to the Rio Bravo,
or del Norte, has been under the domlni-
ons of Spain, not only before and since
France ceded Louisiana to his majesty by
the treaty ofl76i, but from the time ottlc
discovery and conquest OF Mexico, with
out ever having been passed by treaty 10
any other nation; whereas, the Fioridas
ceased to be French or Spanish pos
session, and passed into the hand, of En-
gland, under the name of East and West
Florida, in the year 1863. They remained
under the power of his Britannia majesty,
as such, until the year 1893, when, by con-
quest, tile Spanish arms, and by solemn
treaty, they passed under the dominion
of his Catholic majesty. From this you
will infer, that (be the Interpretation
which may be wished TO be given to the
treaty of ,etrOcessiol of Louisiana, made
between France and Spain in 1900, what
ii may) the two Floridas can never be di-
rectly or indirectly included i'll it +; first,
because these provinces being III the le-
gitimate possession OF England from The
year 1863 TO 1893, France could not cede
them TO Spain By The treaty of l764-nor
Spain retrocede them TO France, not hay
ing received them from her, unless there
should have been an article on this point,
in which express and direct mention was
made of the cession 3 and secondly, be-
cause the two contracting parties Spain
and France) have declared, in the most So
Tenn manner, the first, that she did not
cede TO France any part of the Floridas
the second, that she had not acquired
them by the treaty of st. lldefonso, or OF,
ret,ocesSion of 1900: nor had had the least
intention TO set up claim to them. \ GU
know very well, that, according TO all the
acknowledged principles OF justice, no
one can be put out OF the possession OF
whatiie holds, until the right of the per-
son who claims ii shall be proved and re-
cosnized; and that, by natural conse-
quence of this principle, Spain having
beenin possession OF West Florida when
the United States laid claim to it, it is
proper she should keepit until this repub-
lie shewsa better right, which ought 10 be
done III friendly negotiation between
the two powers and that it would be an
ticlpatIng the negotiation, TO begin by
taking possession of the territory, the
right to which, so far as it respects the
United States, oughtto be the object of
the negotiation itself. These are the
L made on you, III the name of his majes-
.ty, in my letter of the both December
and tiatter myself, that, rejecting ON
facts SO well known, you cannot do less
than consider them Just.
pass now to the second point-this is
confined to asking the punishment, accor-
ding to law, of those turbulent and sediti-
Gus individuals, who have taken up arms
within the territory of this confederation,
and from thence, carrying desolatIon, de
structIon and horror into the frontier pro-
Vinces of the crown of Spain and not
contentwtl the atrocities they have here
tofore committed, they are now actually
engaged i'll recruiting troops, and prepar-
ing ornaments i'll the bosom of this coun-
try, again TO invade these provinces. |
have named the ring-leaders of these re-
bells, who have violated the neutrality
and the most sacred laws of the o. States,
by the well known fact, of their having
armed in their territory, and marched
from thence in military and hostile array,
TO subvert the peace and good order of
the dominions of the king, my MASTER
have named Toledo, Bernardo Gutter
rez, Doctor Robinson, and others, who
perPetrated the horrible deeds at St. An
tonic de Bexar; whorecruited their troops
III Louisiana, and even III the limits of n
Orleans, and proceeded from thence, as an
army, to assault the Province of n. Mexi-
co; who committed there outrages never
heard of even among savage tribes; and
who, after being defeated, again took re-
fuge in the territory ofthis Union-wbere
they are now eHdeavouring TO raise new
forces 10 repeat the same excuses. To-
ledo, Bernardo Gutierrez, Doctor Robin
son, and their followers, to this fine.
move about with impunity in Louisiana.
and even in the city of n. Orleans itself.
The infraction of the laws of the United
States, and the violation of the dignity
and honor Of the American people. of
which they are guilty, is public and noto-
rlOus, not only III thIs country, but i'm the
Whole world. stated to YOU in addition.
on this point, that the TIng-ieaders had
named 10 you were expecting considcra-
ble Te-intOrcemeuts from Kentucky and
tennessee, 60 undertake a iosliic exped =
ton agaInstt the neighbouring possessions
ofmy sovereign and that had been adj
vised, that these re-iniOrcements, compo-
sed Of American citizens, we're raised for
a