Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-15

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Ient previously made AT Galveston neai the
nt1uta Ul the river trinity.
Upon fnii inresiiga u1n of these papers,
vita N;c@ 10 tiic subject committed 10 tnesn,
AlMi committee arc OF op'EiCn, that IL is but
400 notorious. that nunipfOuS irttacticns OF
tie idw prohibiting the Importation ~. Slaves
lrto lie UnltCd States have been. st,c rtirtrated
:" III lmpGn,H upon our southern fisntier ;
and tley are further OF opinion, that similar
attractions w0uM have been rcrcatc,i & nh in
ctehsinss activity, without the timely inierpo-
s.iIomoi Tie nays,, force under direction ofiht
Executive OF 0nr gosoIuWent. in the rOnrse
O. TIE nvrStg i,toi,, your conniitee n I'VE
ionnd II 0iaicuo 30 Keep separate the special
matter gwen iutp tbelI charge, from topics of
a more general nature, w&icn are uccessafilv
ntet~osen thercwith they therefore crave
dcisrnce Ut the House, while t.icV nre
"a; lme general views, connected wit, the
siDiect, W'nch have Developed themselves IN
ia rtosecutpis OF thvIr enquiry.
wUi1 appear fr0in what had been collect
ei ifc!ni ieev papers mat nam tAU> violations
o' our ilAS nave nerH !Itciy committed b> a
co ehiiatt0D OF !rresc0terS aud smm... Of
vtfioU~ nations, who lorated thcln.eiVgS IN the
.trSt instance utOu AN uninh Ahlt.d SPOT near
the mouth Oi tie river Trinity, " ithi,i The i'm
ris!lciionai hunts OF the Quilted States AS
ciHilned Az virtue OF the treaty of cession OF
louisiana by France. This association of per
soar organized a system of plunder upon The
ai.h seas, directed chietly against Spanish
property, which consisted frequently of slaves
tro.a iic coast OF Africa but their conduct
appears not always 10 have been regulated bv
street regard 10 the national character OF
vessel, falling lutO their hands, when specie
o. other very valuable articles formed Il Dart
III tiir cargo. heir vessels generally sailed
Uiider pretended Mexican flag, although II
uocS NOT 1pped'lnS the establishment of u il-
FeH,cn was sanctioned by or connected with
ANY government. The presumption. too. of
any authority ever having been given for .uch
~ esiaoiishmsni, IS stroasly repellcd rs well
py It's pirAucal character, as by its itinsrant
nature for the FIRST position at CaIvestnu
was abandoned OIL or about the 5th of Anrii
last, tor Ole near Matagorda, upon the S,au
lSn territory; and ut a later. period this last
Was aoaiGo'ed auH Il transfer made To Amelia
IS'anj, IA East florida a pest " icb had hern
previously SeI1eo by persons, who appear TO
nave been equally unauthorized, and WHO were
al tAe TINE ot The sad transfer, upon The point
tits neii"ved. abandoning their enterprise
from Inc iaiiure ot resources, which they ex-
pected 10 have drawn from within our Limits
III defiance OF our laws. There exists on The
part OF taeSe Sea-roVers, AN organized system
OF GAZING enterprise, supported bv force OF
arms, ana ~ only by CORES poudent system
OF coercion mat they eau be met aud CON
strained 10 respect the rights of rroperty and
the Laws o! nations. IL is deeply TO be regret.
tea That practices OF such character vit',in
our immediate neigtborhOod and even within
our Jur.sdictional limits, should have prevailed
Unchecked fox SD long a time more cspeciaIIy
a one OF their immediate consequences was
tlglve occasion to the illicit nitro iuction o
saves ir3m the coast az a frica to these Unitea
States, ana thus la revive a traffic repu"naut
to humanity and to all sound principles rpu-
hcS, as wen as severely punishable by the laws
of tue land,
by the 9Th section of the act prohibiting the
Importation OF slaves, passed IN 1897, tue Pre-.
sident Is fully authorized TO employ The naval
iprce 10 cruise on any part OF the coast Of the
oh'ied STATES, OF territories thereof, where he
may judge attempts viii be made 10 violate
me PROVISIONS Of that act, in order TO seize and
brInS IN ter condemnation all vessels contra.
NehiiS us provisions, 10 be proceeded against
according to law
BN the joint resolution of the Senate and
honSe OF Representatives. of 18th January.
toi and the act Of tile same date the Pres,.
aeht Is iniiy empowered TO occupy any part
OF The whole OF the territory living east of the
river Perdido, and south OF the state of Gsor.
gla, IN the event OF all attempt to occupy the
s@io territory, OF any part thereof, by any 90
reign government or power; and, by tine same
resolution ana act, hemay employ any part of
the army and navy OF the United States which
Ne may deem necessary, for the purpose OF Ia.
KING possession and occupying The territory
aforesaid, and IN order to maintain thefe Elm the
authority OF the United States
Among the avowed projects of the pkrsons
who have occupied Amelia Island, was that
OF making the conquest of East and West Flo
rida, proiessedly for the purpose of establish
In$ there am independent government and
ttiN 'eN AM iaitS III ilOSe provinces nave been.
from the origin of this undertaking down to
the latest period, held ont as lures TO the cupi.
0itS OF adventures, and resources for de-
frayIng the expenses of the expedition. The
greater part oil West Florida being in the ac-
tual possession of the United States this pro.
Ject invoi' ed IN it designs of direct hostility
against them and as the express object of the
resolution and act of the 18th January, 1911
was 10 authorize the President to prevent the
province of East Florida from PASSING into the
hands Of FOREIGN
obvious duty OF the President to exercise the
authority vested in him by that law Ii does
nOl appear that among these itineraDt estab.
iiSheFs OF repubiics, and distributors of Florida
lands There is single Observation-Disclosures OF
the country where the republic was te ne con
situated, ana whose lands were to be fhus hes.
t0"ed the project was there fore an attempt
10 occupy that territory by a foreign power.
" "e'c .ie profession is III such direct OppOsi.
tloH 10 the fact where the venerable forms
by which free people constitute 4 frame of
government tor themselves, are prostitnted by
horde OF foreign freebooterS, for purposes OF
ptuaGeF u, under color Of authority from any
OF tie provinces contendiup for their indpnpn
dencc, the Florldas, or eithc, of ibem lad
beeh permitted to pass into the hands of such
power, inc committee are persuaded il i,
| q"ite unnecessary to point Out To the discern
hiSht Oh the House the perucious influence
"Nlch sum destiny OF the territories in uues
| ton must have tad upon the secnrity. nan
| qhbilN, dhu commerce of this ueiou
| ii IS matter ofpublic notoriety, that two ot
| the persons who have successfully held III,
command AT Amelia Island whether anthDTiL
| ed themselves by any government or nst. have
| isSWeh commissions for privafeers, as in the
! name OF The enczuelian and Mexican govern
| meniH, TO vessels fitted out in the ports of TN,
Unned states, and chiefly manned and officer
| ca ny our own couhifymen, for the purpose o
capturing the property OF nations with which
ne United states are at peace One of thC
| OpJcc's OF Tie occupation OF Amelia Island II
| appears, was 10 possess a convenient resOr
for pryateers of this description, equally re
| prObated blythe laws ofnations. which recop
nIlc them only under the denominations Of Pi
rates. aud by several Of the treaties of the U
| micd States with different European powers
| winch expressly denominate them as sncha
! 10 ~ .,..f - a..