Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-11-20

10 the progress of affairs m that quarter
Throughout the whole OF those provinces
10 which The Spanish, title extends, the
government of Spain has scarcely been
iel,. Its authority has been confined al
u,osi exclusively To the walls of Pensaco-
la and 81. Augustine. within which only
small %arrisons have been mainiaucd.-
Adventures from every country, iugi
ilves from justice, and abscondiug slaves,
have ionnh an as\ lam there. SrVcrai1
tribes Oi !adians, sirung in the number OF
their warriors, remarkable i0y their Zero
city, and wliusr settlements extend 10
our limits, IuhabIt those pruviuces..
These different hordes OF people, conn, CT
Ell together, disrr2ardlng on the one
side, the authority o. Spain, and protect
ed oa the other by an imaginary line,
which separates Florida from The United
States, havc violated our laws prohibit
ing Tue introduction oi slaves, lave prac-
'i>cd various frauds on our revenue, and
| committed every kind OF outrage an our
| peac|ah.r citizens. which tier proximity
~ lis enabled them IA perpcira.r. The
INVASION OF Anieild Island last year by a
small band az ad,Cninrers, not exec raiug
| one hundred amt fifty IN number, who
| arrested II from ihe Incousiderabie Span
| lSh force stationed there, and held i, sew
cral months. duiing Inch single feeble
| effort only was made 10 recover II, which
failed, clearly proves how completely cx-
! inct The Spanish authority had become;
as tie conduct OF those Adventures,
while III possession oftle island, as dis
iInciiy shows tie pernclous purposes for
whcn their combination had been form
| ed
This country had, in fact, become The
theatre 81 every species OF lawless advsn-
'urc. With little population of lis own,
the Spanish authority almost extinct, and
the colonial governments in state
of revolution, having no pretension 10 it,
and sufficiently employed in their own
concerns, II Was in ii great measure deere.
hcf, and The object of cupidity 10 every
advcnturer. A system of buceaneerinS
Was rapidly organizing over if, which
menaced, III ITS consequences, the lawful
commerce of every nation, and par,icu-
Iarly of the United ) ates while ii pre-
senicd temptation Ia every people, on
whose seduction its success principally
depended. In regard to the United
States, the perniciouS effect of this un-
lawful combinations, was not confined TO
the ocean. The Indian tribes have con
stituied the effective force in Florida
With these tribes, these adventurcrs had
formed, al an early period, u connection,
with Il view 10 avail themselves Of thai
force, 10 promote their own projects OF
accumulation and aggrandizemeni. IL is
10 the interference OF some OF these adj
ventures, III disappearing The claims
amt titles of The Indians 10 land, and in
practising on their savage propensilies,
Iha, the Srnlinclp war is principai, 10 be
traced. Men who thus connect them
selves with savage communities, and Sill
mu!aic them To war, which is always al
tended, on ter part, with acts of barba-
riiy tive most shocking, deserve Ia be
viewed III a worse iIshI than The sa,ages.
ihey wohld certainly have no claim TO
AN immunity from the punishment lich,
according 10 the rules of warfare prdc,is
ed by The satages, might justly be in
! tiicled on the savagcs themselves
IL the embarfaSsmentS of Spain pre-
vented her from making an indemnity to
our citizens, for SO long time, from her
treasury, for their losses hy spoiaiion,
and otherwise, il VAS always III her pow
er 10 have provided il by the cession of
this territory. OF this, her government
has been repeatedly apprized, and The
cession WAS the more 10 have been anil
cipated, as Spain must have known that,
in cediug IT, she would in effect. ccds.
and would likewise relieve herself from
The important obligation secured by the
treaty of 1895 and all other compromit-
ments respecting it. lfbe United States,
from consideration of these cmbarrass-
menis, declined pressing their claims in
a spirit OF hostility, the motive ought, at
least, TO have been duly appreciated by
tue government OF Spain. II is well tnown
10 her government, that other powers
have made 10 the United States an inden-
| niiy Tor like losses, sustained BY their CT
tlzrps at the same epoch.
| There is, nevertheless, limit, beyond
which this spirit of aiDity and forbear-
ancc can, III no instance, be justified
II il Was proper 10 rely on amicabIe ne
| gotlaiioD for AL indemnity for losses, il
| would not have been so 10 have permit
| ted the inability of Spain TO fuihl her en-
| gagements, and to- sustain Der authority
| in the Floridas, 10 be perry r,ctl, by 60
reign adventures and sapag's, 10 pur-
| poses so destructive tn The lives Of our
fellow citizens. ard The highest interests
of the Unileh States. The right Of self
| defence never ceases. II is among the
most sacred; and alike necessary 10 ma
| tons and TO individuals. And. whether
| he attack he made by Spain herself, or
! by those who abuse her power, lis obi
CATION is not lie less strong. The inyad-
! ers Of Amelia Island had assumed 30
pular aud respected tile, unjcr which
! HEY might approach and wound us. As
! their obiec; was distinctly seen, and tic
! duty imposed on the Executive, by an
existing law, was profoundly irt, t'fat
! u.tsk Was not permitted 10 protect them.
! II was Thought incumbent on the United
! States TO suppress lie establishment. and
! II WIS accordingly done. The conbiua-
! ton IN Florida, for the unlawful purposes
/ stated. Tie dcis pCTpetrdicd by that com
! l.. Il. LII -