Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-02-11
quent orders sanctioned all he had done)


Why, tins, MIR. J. said, was giving up
the question; that being the ground
on which he acted, and on which
| justification was plead by the adminisIa-
ton aud by hidiself. Was there no pos
| sible case, Mr.. J. asked, in which a gene
raj ought TO act for himseli? II he had
returned home without having visited
Pensacola, afterwlai had passed. lie would
| have made a cowar,.ly retreat which, is
not his habit-ior victory never failed 10
! follow his arms. What had been The con-
duct of the Governor of Pensacola lie
had refused passage up The Escambia oi
The vessels carrying provisions fer The
| support of our troops on the territory OF
! Spain, where they were found, because
| Span either had not the power or had not
| tile will 10 maintain for her territory the
| character of neutrality-and where they
were, further, under the positive orders
| 10 go. Was this all, said Mr.. j. that the
/ Governor of Pensacola did No: he
| threatens TO drive our forces at the point
OF the bayonet, fr0m-where? Where
the pursuit of the Seminole Indians, aud
tue orders Of the Executive, had carried
them. VI the orders 10 20 there, we
were appriZed AT the last session, and no
exception was taken to them. What was
the basis of the permission 10 our COM
'maHder TO enter the Spanish territory 3
Had he not demanded the murderers
Was an ideal line of the 3lst degree of
latitude to arrest our progress In pursuit
of them! General Jackson was ia the
performance Of his duty when the chal-
lenge was given TO him by the comman-
dant OF Pensacola. and the enemy in free
and constant ingress and egress TO and
from the fort, as the documents establish.
Some hat called Hambly miscreant
but, MIR. j. said, the testimony contained
III the papers before the House was ia
vorable 10 him. 1t appeared that he had
been Tor two years endeavoring 10 bring
the Indians into friendship with the U.
States. as they themselves said; but they
preferred TO E" stick close 10 their old
friends the British" The Indians had
undoubtedly free intercourse with Pen
sacola. How often, said MIR. J. has il
been proclaimed ON this floor that Spain
has forfeited her neutral character and
Frustrated her sovereignty The princi-
pie of self-defence, as rule of conduct
Tor nations, came from the tomb-itsprung
from the ashes of those who had written
on public law centuries ago. The sava-
ges being constantly nursed and supplied
at Pensacola, during Their hostility with
us, 1t would, after the threat Of the COM
Jackson to have waited for orders from
his government He did not wait it was
true, as my colleague saws, he came, he
saw, he conquered. thank my God he
did, and that the Executive has not CEN
sured him icr so doing. The nation will
not, and hope this committee will not
condemn him for it, five go TO war, we
must exercise the rights of belligerents,
and the powers Of sovereignty. IF We
are never TO 60 10 war, but suffer inroads
TO be made on our borders If we are 10
invite The Cloths and Vaudals TO come
and take our country by the weakness
aud imbeciliiy with which our govern
ment is administered, then, sir, and then
only, let us pronounce censure on Gen
eral Jackson and on the Executive.
What, MIR. J. asked, would be The con-
sequence OfaD admission, by this house,
of the truth of the iHputations which had
been cast on Gen. Jackson? There will
be an obligation incurred 10 Spain, TO in
demnIfy her for injury sustained; on our
refusal TO Go which, she would be autho-
rized, if able, 10 take compensation
from us. The post is surrendered, it
is true, by the executive, but it is
with the condition of force being put
there, adequate To maintain the authority
of Spain. If General Jackson be pro-
nounced all aggressor, said MIR. J. you
must agree 10 punish him, and indemni-
fy Spain. And what punishment will you
inflici, TO crafty the nice feelings of Ola
Spain ! Are you prepared, when you find
the Spanish authorities identified with
your savage enemy, and your general is
ordered by these authorities 10 march
from where the orders of his government
had placed him-wll YOU, under such
circumstances, bring censure and sorrow
for his Furnishing this contempt, on the
grey hairs of him, whose hand never
laultercd in the discharge OF duty to his
country. You knew his character, sir,
when YOU sent him there, and knew he
would finish what he begun. Suppose lie
had disbanded his men at ST. Marks, aud
d handful of Spaniards had put him TO
| highf-wlIat then should we have heard,
in voice of thunder, reverberating from
all sides ofthe house Sir, such denBn-
! cialion would have eDsued from every part
Of The Ba'ion, that Jackson must have
sunk under il. But victory he has "a
chieved (: he has put speedy end TO an
| unprovoked war. Did say he put an
end to il? Yes, as far as any human could
But at this moment have received in
| formation from friend at ST. Marks,
| that, the momentthe Indians understood
| that Florida was 10 return to the posses
sion of Spain, they ceased to come in, and
were rallying their forces again, King
| HALO at their head.
am not willing, said Mr.. J. to give up
the land coded TO us by the treaty Of Fort
! Jackson, because it secures the settle
ment of our frontier. And if You offer
me the alternative of war, will take it in
| preference. feel, sir, as little war-like,
as any individual on earth feel as If
never again wished to hear the drum or
trumpet's sound | wish that the lialcyon
days of peace could last until tile con-