Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-06-08

They were taken by General jackson, con-
victed of the above crime by Indian here
say evidence, sentenced to death and exc
cuted, and their execution approved by The
American government, aud streruously de-
Tended in the famous letter of Mr.. Adams
to our minister in Spain, which wss pub
lished to the world as justification al The
transactions in Florida. The letter ot tile
ne,o inw was sufficient to justify the eS'cu-
ton; but as the feelings of humane and
magnaumous people revolted at the appa'
rently cold blooded severity of the punish
.men,, it was further hefen1ed by the con-
siderations, that the war with the Indians
had been produced by these diabolca' ~
stigators, and that il had been and would
still be, continued chiefly by their lnstrr-
mentality. Some pity might be due to the
poor deiuded Indians but none could he
due to these mcendiaries, who kindled tie
flames OF war. deluded the Indians t. con-
tinue it. and supplied them with the means
al doing so. The Spanish government at
first demonstrated against their execution:
but after its jusufica alton in the letter oil Mr..
Adams, that government appears to have
entirely acquiesced in the principles and
conduct OF the American government, and
to have made them the model of its future
course m South America. The Spanish
commentary On the new American law 81
nations, is in substance as follows, acc0r-
ding to the late royal order of Ferdinand
"al foreigners taken with arms in their
hands in the insurgent provinces OF Ama-
rca, or convicted Of supplying The rebels
with the means of carrying on the contest
with the mother counlry, are 20 be Immc-
diately put to death, on the ground that the
confirmation of this unnatural contest IS
chiefly to be imputed to them, aud that
they have no claim to The mercy which his
majesty shows in many instances 10 the ~
Surgents themselves, as they can never
plead ignorance or seduct on, which is often
the case with his naJesiy'S deIudeq sub
jeCts." Here we have death denounced
against our own citizen, for the same often
ces Substantially with " bch Arbulhnot aud
Ambrlster were charged and tie dehun-
citation is justified on some OF the sane
grounds, which were assumed by our adj
mInisIraliun ami It's yiic,dl partzans. he
ignorant and deiudeu nsurgen :, as well! as
the IghcTaui and deiuded lnulans may have
claims 20 merCy-.ut those InCen1Iary TO-
rclanrrs, so oia ana supply then, anu are
t.us lie principal cause OF tne continuance
OIL such unnatural and barbarouS war, must
have no mercy shewn TO them; they can
not plead ignorance and 5, duction; they
must he Immediately put 10 death by the
military ,wH,n lakeC and con, iCted OF these
munSiI0us Cri,neS.
" hat will Mr. Monroe and his secretary
say 10 the execution OF our citizens under
this royal order in South America " bs;
OBJECTION Can they make To practice OF
winch they have sci the example ? What
will our very patriotic congress orators say
TO this Spanish translation OF their speech
es Do they suppose that the American
people will acquiesce in such principles ana
practices That they Will suffer their go
ycrnment to commit such gross abandon
mGnt OF tee rights OF lis citizens Shall tie
tyrant of spain be permitted to hang mp, as
traitors and outlaws, our fellow citizens,
our friends, our brothers, who in imitation
Of the noble example OF La Fay cite, and |
Other lore igners III our revolution, are hight
ing Tor the glorious trizc OF liberty and IN
dependence in South America! No!-
However the true sentiments oil the Aine-
rican people towards the South Americans
may have heretofore been dlsregaided by
the administration, there is a point, be-
yond winch the apathy and dereIIcIo OF
their government will not be suffered 10
extend. The sacred rights vi all Amcri-
can citizen must not be abdpuoned. But
how can the present administration assert
them? How can il OBJECT 10 all order
iouHded on tie very principles, Oh which 1t
has acted, and which it has defended to The
Spanish government. la this case, the
pre- s,uenl cannot act the doubie part which
he pursued in relation the British go
vernnlen(-he Cannot dlsavow t. tue Spa
nish authorities, the acts oi General Jack
son, which he had approved officially al