Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-03-16
tect the Executive from attack, the work

! panied Will, this quasi declaration ofwar
7 AM! The auxiliary measures. tie step was
strictly jusiifiable; il Spain had been IA
neutral power aud the Indians belIige
rent, mol inhabiiing her territory, aud be-
ing within her sovereignty. but merely
! icirea'ing, then the Americans would
! have had an Iudispmtable right 10 pursue
Them by the usaycs al nations. We viii
ind tins doctrine in VatfeI, SIS. IL is
certain thai on my enemy's being defeat
| ed and too nuchweakened 10 escape me,
even 1! my neighbor affords him a retreat,
| ms conduct. so peIni,ious TO NY safety
ANA interests, would be imcon palible with
stcuiraiiiy II therefore, my enemy on
( defeat rctircs into neutral country, he
/ Is 10 cause the troops as soouas possible.
( 10 continue their march, and not permit
Them TO watch an opportunity 10 attack
me, because otherwise he gives ne right
To enter his territory in pursuit OF my enc
my, misfortune shat often attends ma
lions unable 10 command respect. The
enemy not only reiterated into The Spam-
| ish territory and watched an opportunity
to attack our citizens, b,d were The inha-
bitants OF the country. andkept The Span
ish authorities in subjcciioo. Ii was
sait! by mrmbeY from New York (Nir.
| S'orrs) that The line should no, have been
crossed, until application had been made
to The Spanish court. For months had
your soil been polluted by the foot of
savage mVaslon-for months had this
land, sacred Ia lib nrty, 10 justice, and TO
humanity, been crimsuned by the blood
Tot lis inhabitants; yet there should have
been pause in our movements, until a
messenger had crossed The Atlantic, 10
call the attention of Ferdinand to The
condition of his subjecis-io awake II linn
to a sense of his duty, and 10 ask him To-
reassnme the sovereignty OF the Floridas,
which he had carelessly lost. Your mes
senger would have found him ,ambour
ing pet'icoat for the virgin, surrousded
| by lazy monks, dreaming of schemes TO
siablish the inguistion, under whose
fortunes hypocrisy fieurisbes, and religion
expires. The Indian is only vulnerable
| In his town. nlndian war can only be
terminated by destroying his means of
subsistence, and penetrating his iastnes-
SEES, where he flies for shelter, until, like
the tiger, in the still darkness ofihe night,
he can spring upon his prey. 1t was
| SAID, tie present Secretary of War gave
vIgor to the operations-ihat he boldly
ordered the commander of onr forces 10
terminate the war ii was the patriotic
vigor that meets the exigency. Let tia.
distinguished statesman pursue the cour,e
he has commenced, and ere long the hand
of gratitude will crown him with the
proudest hoUors Of the republic.
But Spain was not a neutral power
she did not occupy that relation TO TIE
beliigerents which constitutes neutrality,
by the law of nations. She was a party
or an associate; II was irnmaterial which.
SPAN claims sovereignty over the terrific
ry inhabited by the Seminoles. The ma
ture and extent of the jurisdiction de-
Ponds upon bcrself-it is only limited by
policy, and the power 10 compel obedi-
ence. All the governments admit the alb
solule sovereignty Of Spain over the In
dians within her territorial boundary
they are not recognized as IA nation, by
that implied compact called international
law. Upon This principle our government,
| has extended lis criminal jurisdiction in
TO the wilderness, and pushed lis COM
merclal arrangements amongst the sava-
ges. The SpaDiards exterminaied the
| hlexlcans, and stretched Montezuma up-
on the Goals, and now, with funeral pre-
cession, d,ags the Indian TO The mines,
where he meets certain but proiracted
death. Ii has been complained of as cru
ell aud despoiic, but admitted an act Of
sovereignty, a municipal regulation with
L
! The crusade against tyranis was ence
preached by a victorious republic.
| Thrones shook al the sound, and all mo-
marches trembled before it; bni the
soundesi position is, that every nation has
a right TO manage lis own internal affairs
in IFS own way. Spain then, refusing you
the right OF making treaties with the In
dams, and considering an invasion of ilie
country, these Indians occupy, an infrac-
'lon Other sovereignty, implicitly admits
| them 10 be her subjects. She HAD done
more. In her treaty with the u. s. this
| stipulation is contained: Spain will moi
suffer her Indians 10 attack the citizens of
the United States, nor the Indians iul,aI,-
| ting their territory" expressly recognize
| ing these lDd' TO be her Indians, and
| assuming all the duties which depend up-
on The connection between sovereign and
| subject, IN relation TO foreign govern.
nents lfthey were not the subjrcfo of
Spain, making war upon The u. States,
| the facts furnished the committee. slrip
tile Spanish authorities Of all scmbIance
OF neutrality, aud place then, in The plight
OF associates iDiIIe war giving lie army
Of tie u. States The same right 10 Operate
against Tie Spanish authorities, as the
| belIgerenl Indians. In Vaitcl, o.. the
doctrine is thus laid down " Those who
assist my enemy, are his associates :" and
in page l02, the real associates of NV
enemy being my enemies, have against
them the same rights as against Tie prin-
cipal enemy" "TO furnish abeIlipereat
with money, munitions Of war, or proyi.
sions, 10 eenabIe il To prosecute The war.
Is forfeiture Of neutrality, and makes
the ration an associate in the war and
! make war upon them without a derla.
ration:" VaiteI, 1856 and 40s. The Spa
nish authorities in Florida, furnished lhe