Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-03-03

the means Of war. II Will be necessary to
obtain evidence substantiating this fac, and
that the hostile Indians have been fed and
furnished from the garrison Of st. Angus.
tine. This being obtained, should you
deem your iorce sufficient, you will pro-
coed to take and garrison fort St. Angus
tine with American troops, land bold the gar
rison prisoners until you hear from the pre-
sident of the United States, or transport
them to Cuba. az in your judgmeat, under
existing circumstances, you may think best.
''Let it he remembered, that the procee-
dings carried on by me, or this order. isnot
on the ground that we are at WARMTH Spain,
it is on the ground Of self preservation.bot-
toned on the broad basis of the law OF ma
ture and Of nations, and justified by giving
peace and security 10 our frontiers, hence
the necessity of procuring evidence OF the
fact of the agents or officers ofSpain, having
excited the Indians to continue the war a.
gainst Us, and that they have furnished them
with the means Of carrying on the war;
this evidence being obtained, you will Ut
your force is sufficiently permit nothing to
prevent you from reducing fort st. Angus
tine, except positive order from the depart
mert of war.
"Orders some time since have been gil
ven to the officer of the ordinance, cOmman-
ding at Charleston, to have in readiness
/ complete battering train. the number and
calibre of the guns pointed out, | have no
doubt you will find them in readiness.
! 81 enclose you the report of Captain
Henly, Of the naval force on that station
you will open a correspondence with COM
mandant A. J. Dallas, to insure his COO
pe-ation, provided it should be required"
f; In this projected expedition, il was not
thought necessary or expedient to consult
the executive branch of the government;
the order sent to General Gaines was pc.
remptory, on the discovery being made
that the Indians had been supplied with
ammunition and provision, and excited to
war-tbe blow was to he struck, and no.
thing but an express order from the Serre.
tary of war was to prevent it. Lons be-
fore this period the commanding general
had, by his letters to the secretary OF war.
declared the Seminole war at an end, and
after which not single new act of hosiil-
ity had been committed. Yet in this stale
Of peace, is military officer directed to
ascertain certain facts, and on such facts
being >utstantiated to make war OH the
neutral colony of nation in peace and a.
nifty with the U. States, thus disregard
ing not only the legislative and executive
authorities Of the U. States, hut setting at
naught the usages of all civilized nations,
by making warwi!hout previous and pub
lie declaration. Were this nation subject
TO the will of military despot, and were
there no constitutional barriers to the NOR
'linate exercise Of military ambition, more
than this could scarcely have heen expect
ed. tits with pain the committee are con-
strained to make these observations but
the vital principles of the constitution have
been violated. as they conceive, it would
be criminal In them under the Instructions
they have received from the senate, and
the duty they owe the nation, to be silent.
Silence on their part would have been
considered an acquiescence in those mea-
sures, and they fear this precedent and ex-
ample may be pleaded and followed on
future occasions.
Ifthese things be admitted in the south,
will they not be considered as authorized
in the north (? Are there not fortresses
there to be won, and provinces to be con-
quered, and are there not Indians in that
quarter likewise, and may not the officers
in command find means to prove that those
Indians have been or hereafter may be fur
nisLed by the British with arms and muni-
tions Of war, and if so, may be not follow
the example set in the south :? And add
something TO bis stock of military fame by
reducing the 3. fish fortresses of Canada,
and unfur!ing the star spangled banner Of
this nation, on the walls Of Quebec.
We hope better things Of the distin-
guished officer, at the head of our armies.
and we had hoped better things of the he
10 Of New Orleans, but We have been dis
appointed. and if the. conduct OF the ofi-
GERS in the south, be sanctioned and APP
proved by the nation, we are free 10 de.