Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-07-29

lions will be given 10 the complahueIs VI
their cruizers not to board any American
merchant vessel, on any pretext whatsoe-
yer and request, that for the information
of our fellow citizens, whom the same may
concern. you will give to this circular that
publicity within your district, which the
case requires and that you will Immediate
" inform me, or the naval forces OF the U.
States stationed in the Mediterranean, OF
any departure from this arrangement on the
part of the Algernes which may come to
your knowledge, in order that the same
may be corrected forthwith.
| have the honor to be, very respectfully,
Sir, your most ob't serv't,
(Signed) WIN. SHALER,
Consul General Of the U. S. in Barbary.
; To The Consul of the U. S.
at Gibraltar.
! From The National Inteiligencer, Of July27.
The President Of the United States has,
we understand, decided, that Pensacola,
and the other Spanish posts, which have
been taken by Gen. Jackson, In the FlorI-
das, shall be restored TO The Spanish au
thority but with a requisition, that the
King of Spain shall, hereafter, keep such
| force in those colonies, as shall enable him
TO execute, with fidelity, the 9Th article Of
the treaty between the United States and
Spain. That article, so far as il affects
this subject, is in the following words
"The two high contracting parties shall,
bv all the means in their power, maintain
peace and harmony among the several In
dian nations who inhabt the country adj
iacent 10 the lines and rivers, which. bv
: the preceding articles, form the bonnda-
! ries of the two Floridas-and, the better
TO obtain this effect, both parties ob!ige
themselves, expressly, 10 restrain, BIZ farce,
all hosti1ities on the pnrt of the Indian ma
tions Hiring urthia their bonndarp-so that
Spain zgiU not suffer her Indians 10 attack
the citizens Of tie United Sntes. nor The In
dams inhnbiting their territorY-nor will
the United States permit these last men,
: toned Indians to commence hostilites a
| gainst the subjects of his Catholic Majesty,
| or his Indians, in any manner whatever"
On the strict execution of this article, on
the part Of Spain, it is understood that the
President vigorously insists-and that it
was the failure to fulfil it, which produced
the necessity of crossing the Spanish boun-
Diary. during the present war with the Sc
minole Indians.
These tribes occupy the lands on each
side Of the line between the United States
| and Florida-mucht The greater part ofthem
living within the limits Of the king Of Spain.
They are neither citizens Of the United
States, nor subjects of the king Of Spain
They owe no allegiance to the laws Of Ell
Their power. They cannot, therefore, be
tried for treason on account Of their levy
ing war against either nation, within whose
limits they dwell. They are the owners OF
the soil which they occupy-hold at least
a qualified sovereignty over 1t, and exer-
else, on all occasions, the right of making
war and peace. To this purpose they are
sovereign within the country which they
possess-to this purpose the country is
their country.and that country may and
must, OF necessity, become the legitimate
seat OF war, il the war cannot be otherwise
terminated.
This consideration becomes the stronger
when it is remembered, that it was owing
to the acknowledged incompetency Of Spain
to fulfil the stipulation Of her treaty with us,
by restraining the hostilities of the Semi
noles, by force, that the United States were
compelled to take up arms in their own de-
tnce. Yet such was the delicacy OF our
government towards Spain, that the first
order issued to the general commanding in
tina. quarter. expressly forbade him to cross
the Spanish line. This inhibition was re-
peated by second order. But as il was
apparent, that driving the Indians beyond
the limits of the United States, was doing
nothing effectuaI to extinguisb the war ,since
in falling back within the limits of Flo
rida, they were still at home, with all the
means Of incursion aid annoyance which
they possessed at the commencement OF
hostlities, third order was issued, which
authorised the American general, if the
Indians should present themselves IN body,
beyond the line, to cross it and attackthem.
Shortly after issuing this order, massacre
was committed by the Indians, which de-
mons,rated that no alternatives were left