Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-03-09
States be necessary. .ske himself state,

\
II 10 have been, 10 prevent a change il.
the reiatiors be,oeen the t,oo COUNTRIES. then
has not AN Executive act alone prevented
war! Nay, even alter the decision Of The
President, was il mol for Spain 10 decide
whether this reparation for The INJURY
should or should not prevent war Take
tins question then under either aspect of
:. the Transaction, WAS not the act OF GEN
! eral Jackson calculated 10 transfer hon
| Congress the constitutional right to de-
eide ON the causes ofnar
| z. Where is thai absolute necessity which
has been coniended inr as Justify ing
jackson in "a breach of his orders, ama IN
an assumptisn of The power of Congress
TO Judge OF The breach Of The treaty with
| Spain, and, To decide on the causes of
war Is not The only test OF an absolute
necessity, that there is no other more icgi-
timaie mode OF affirming The same OBJ
Iect And had Jackson nU other IN ans
at d. tending eur frontier, hut by taking
the Spanish posts against his orders q.
Can II he pretended that there Was no o.
| Their, when he had troops enough to take
post in The neishborhood of ST. Marks,
10 cover il against the Indians nay, TO
CO operate with the Spanish comman
| dant, Who offered his co operation q
| Mean time, might moi Jackson wait to
hear from his own government, by whose
| orders he vas bound not 10 capture
] Spanish post! Can II be said that he had
no, troops rBough for this legitimate puf-
| pose, vii. so immediately after The cap
ture ofSt. Marks, hr dis banded his Gror
g,a militia, his Indian allies. and the Ten.
ucssee volunteers?
s. But admitting ST. Marks and Pensa-
cola 10 he fairly taken, can il be pretend
| ed without the most outrageous sop!iIs-
try, il was absolutely necessary 10 take
| 81 Augustine
| 9. Has net Mai Gen. Jackson then vo-
| ton Of his country?
| 10. Was not proposition made IN
| someshapein Congress, al the session i'm
mediately before these events, and made
IN vain, 30 authorize Florida TO he occu-
| pied !-And with this fact staring i'm his
| face, how dare a military officer 10 that
| which the representatives of The people
| had refused 10 authorize Ill II be said
| that new facts had come out, still was il
not decent and cons,Ituiionaltoi leave Con-
gress Ia Judge 81 these facts, themselves,
| aud not Ia wrest tGs power from them
II. If Jackson las violated his orders
| as we'll as the constitution, shall I've be
| lauded To the skies for this assumption of
power Shall ne float upon the wings of
| popular teluSon, instead OF being called
to accru.iti"r TIL INSTRUMENTATION Is il
not the grca! beauty Of our constitution,
IA Tall men are placed on the same feet
| iNs; ana that the citizen and The hero
ave but one common rule
IL. And is IL not military officer who
has done these things? Is any principle
| more sacred IN free government than
that the military ought 10 be subordinate
| To the civil power? Have not the liberties
| OF every free country been sacrificed by
tine sword And shall we suffer the mil
| itary power thus 10 ride triumphant over
the power of the peoples representatives
| Submit TO such acts as these, and how
| long do you expect that The arbitrary aud
| arrogant spirit of ambitious chieitainS
will respect The constitution Of this land
In the words of MIR. Tracy, how long be-
fore they will think il time TO burn this
| parchment al the point of the bayOnet g
| Is. Was not Ambrister "t,ied," tn use
Gen. is own words, by special court
oiselact officers. and legally convicted" {!
| Does lac not term this court himself " "a
court martial? Can il be called court
OF enquiry, which, by the articles of war,
Is not TO exceed 3 members, when this
| VERY court consisted OF l3, the ulIIniatum
|
And II a court martial, did lie not vio-
laie all tie rules OF war, b, shedding lie
blood OF man, wiiom the court mad
| sentenced 10 an Inferior punishment
! IA. Ought mol The General iu have sus-
| pected tie proprIeiy of thus taking the
| lie ui man, one of those whom the re-
| neral had but few ua,s before begged
Capt. Mckcevcr 10 intercept, saving at
| was important that these men shouli be
captured and mule examples gf?
10. Dih hr MOI lope That the execution
OF these men wOuid prove IAN awful
example TO the world 2" Was it moi JUS
lined b. almost all on the ground That
"oui prevent similar inSiigalions? Did
OF Jo'n =. Adams justify it on This
ground! Aniye: did not General Jack
son himself on The lOih August follow ing
(bni three months alter declare We ought
10 have Florida, Tor this reason among
others, thai The Indians would continue
| 10 be excited 10 war and the ndlscri-
nInaie murder OF our citizens, by foreign
agents ann spanish officer e
TO- Has lie not only done an act OF war,
| but raised troops, for which there is no
J law, and contrary TO his orders; differing
Tie very men he has raised Z
| IL. Ii such acts are permitted or over
looked, aud all because they we're done
by one man however distinguished by
glory or by service, how is il possible TO
reconcile iiis 10 our maxim, priacipia non
| hOm5neS!
Is. Ii we were MOTTO enquire into Gene
raj JacksOn's Conduct, for fear OF all en-
barrassmcnt with Span, least whilst we
| sci al him, sue might SET at us, is not
HnS precisely the moment when we should
make Tie enquiry or he should ask it
nov, Thai all differences with Spain are
done away by The late treaty
10. One more quesiion.-lfthese things