Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-03-16
CONGRESS.
.tFrom he Na,,opot Ja,.,,,sercer.


HOUSE or REP Personalities.
DEBATE ONTHE SEMINOLE WAR
DIR. &rother' Speecb, continued.
Having reluctantly been compelled 10
endeayor (and he tlatie:ed>eimsclf sue
cessfully,) to vlndicatc this government,
and rescue General Jackson fr0Q The i'm
putatinn of cruelty, in Tue transaction at
Fort Jackson, he would ask The comr,it
lee L" Turn from the Amusing specula-
lions OF gentlemen who are striving TO
pnt lhis nation In file wrong, and look 10
the facts. As early IS The 2lsi Docem-
bsr, General Gaines writes To the Dcrari-
rpenf OF War. in these words: " am
now convinced that tho hostility nf these
Indians IS now, and has long been. af 80
deep die, as 10 leave no ground of cal
culaiioD of tranquility, until the towns
southwest aud east nf this shall receive a
signal proof Of your ability 10 retal;a.e
Tor every outrage. \ party of Seminole
Indians, on HE goth uli. formed an am
hnscade upon the Anpalar hicola. attack
ed one of or. boats ascending near the
shore, and killed, wounded. and took the
greater part of the detachment" The
honorable Speaker rcposes upon The lef-
ter Of an Indian chief to establish the
opposite position, and he emphasized il
with a pathetic tone. The Indian CHEF,
yet red with the blood OF these women
and children taat belonged 10 The detacli-
meni-wiih eyes still glaring with the fe-
rocity which burned in his countenance
when the blaze slowly enveloped and
consumed an American sailor, is Weighed
against tins hero without fear and With
ont reproach From VIVA, system of e
lhics md tins savage draw his morality {?
whence did he derive his notions of ho-
nor! Had his heart been clasiened, his
conscience quickered, and chained 10
The throne OF Heaven by the christian
religion No, his mind has been disci-
plined, and his morals fashioned in the
school at incendiaries. But. i'm july.
1916, before this Indians letter was writ.
ten, al the fort inhabited by Indians and
negrOe., and commanded by an English.
man, hostlifies were waged against the
United States. This mass of hostility,
Tins motley group of insurrcction and
murder, amply suppliedwith ammunition
and arms, deprecated your frontier.
1hey had murdered gallant midsIiip-
man; they had stuck sailor full Of splin-
tiers and bHrnt him TO death. This out
rage against humanity /; this cruel deed,
had been perpetraied upon sailor. one
who had borne the star-spaDgied ban
ner IN triumph over tie wave" He look
ed upon the land of his fathers: in the
itour of furtnrr he saw the flag of liberty
wave IN the air, and the arms of his COM
panions CLEAN i'm the sun his bursting
heart invoked the vengeance of his coun,
try. Gallant spirit, you called moi i'm
vain! This horde of brigands was given
TO the winds
Mr.. Chairman,it cannot now be denied
that this being defensive war. resulting
from the nee essity of repelling invasion,
military movement was The bounden duiv
OF The Executive, not only upon the prin-
cIple OF self preservation, law written
by the finger Of nature upon all anima,-
ed creation. but under the practice of The
government and the laws ofihe country ::
and II will be found that the rights od
war, extended 10 The management of the
war by the international law, were cxer.
cised with extraordinary forbearance-
never transcribed. II wopld require no
prophetic spirit TO predict, that. so loue
as you continued your military opera.
tIons TO chasing The Indians from yomr
territory, The warwonld rage, and The CT
-tizens would continue TO fall under the
tomahawk and scalping knife. This gov
eminent has ever exercised lis rights with
iorbcarance. In the love of peace. il has
relinquished many. This nation has
bent under fhe weight Of insult, and sell
dom appealed 10 the exercise other rights,
IN full latitude, until compelled TO il bs
principles Identified with The paramount
duly of all governments. How long were
your cilizehs torn from their families.
scoursed iiy British captain, and com
VALID
cannon against their country men? The
bitter cup of humiliation was en,piied 10
the dregs (; IN scOrn il was said fiis gov
eminent could not he kicked into war.
The nation rose in The majesty of lis
strength, and buried destruction upon
the foe Experience al length satisfied
The administration that these vexatioGs
and cruel lDcuisions could only be Ter
minated by pursuing the crraiic Indian.
Al length thu ghost Of The departed sOyc-
reignty OF Spain in Florida 40 longer a.
larmed. II fed before the demands OF
Georgia and Alabama for protcciia (:
and tie extent Of tie orders given 10 The
troops, WAS communicated 10 Won bv Tie
President, ~ bis message OF The 25th OF
Msrct, 1878. He fold you e" that orders
had been given TO lie general in COM
maud, not 10 enter Florida unless il be
in pursuit oflhe enemy, and, in that case.
10 respect The Spanish authority ubcr-
ever il is maintained and he will be in
strucied to Withdraw his forces from this
province as soon as he shall have reduc
ed that tribe 10 order, aud secure our
fellow citizens III HAT quarter, by sails.
factory arrangements against lis unpro
voked and savage hoslilities in future. q.
How did you proceed upon tie receipt
Ol this message TWAS Tie basis OF le-
gislaliye acls; legillmaiizIDg what had
been done counienauciug the doctrine
the message contained, and embracing