The Portland gazette., 1819-03-30

gustine with American troops, and bold the
garrison prisoners until you hear from the
President Of the u. States, or transport them
ID Cuba, as in your Judgment, under existing
circumstances, you may think best
e Let ii be remembered, that the proceed
Ings carried Oh by me, or this order, is not on
the ground that we are at war with Spain, it
ison the ground of self preservation, bottom.
ed on the broad basis Of the law Of nature and
OF nations, and justified by giving peace and
security to our trontiers-hence the necessity
of procuring evidence of The fact Of the agents
or officers of Spain, having excited the IN
dians 10 eontinue the war against US, and that
they have furnished them W it'll the means Of
carrying on the war; this evidence being OBJ
tained, you will lif your force is sufficient
permit nothing to prevent you from reducing
fort st. Augustine, except positive order from
the Department of War.
+" Orders some time since have been given
to the Office Of the ordinance, commanding at
Charleston, to have in readiness a complete
battering train, the number and calibre of the
guns pointed out have no doubt you will
find them in readiness.
enclose you the report ofCapt Henley,
Of the naval force on that station; you will
open correspondence with commandant A.
j. Dallas, to insure his cooperation, provided
il should be required
In this projected expedition. it was not
thought necessary or expedient to consult The
executive branch of The government the or
der sent to general Gaines was peremtory, on
the discovery being made that the Indians had
been supplied with ammunition and provisions
ana excited to war the blow was to be
struck, and nothing but an express order from
the Secretary of War was to prevent it.
Long before this period, the commanding gem
eral had, by his letters 10 the Secretary of
War, declared the Seminole War at an end,
and after which not single new act of hostil-
ity had been committed. Yet in this state of
peace, is military officer directed to ascer-
tain certain facts, and on such facts being sub
stantiated, to make war on the neutral colony
ofa nation, in peace and amity with the Uni
ted States thus dssregarding not only the leg
fstatiUe and eTecutiUe authorities of the United
States, bit setting at naaght the usages Of civit
aSed nations, by making zvar 0ithoa a preoi-
ous and public declaration. Were this nation
subject 10 the will OF military despot, and
were there no constitutional barriers to the in
ordinate exercise of military ambition, more
than this could scarcely have been expected.
H witiPain tie committee are constrained
TO make these observations, but where the
vital principles Of the constitution hare been "a
oiated, as they conceive, it would be crimina
in them under the instructions they have re-
ceived from the Senate, and the duty they
owe TO the nation, to be silent. Silence on
their part would have been considered an ac
quiescence in those measures, aud they feal
this precedent and example may be pleaded
and followed on future occasions
If these things be admitted in the south
will they not be considered as authorized il
the north Are there not tfortresses there to be
won, and provinces to be conquered, and are
there not Indians in that quarter likewise, anC
may not the officer in command find means to
prove that those Indians have been or hereaf-
ter may be furnished by the British with arm:
and munitions of war, and if so, may he no
follow The example set in the south And
add something 10 his stock of military fame BY
reducing the British fortresses of Canada anc
unfurling the star spangled banner OF this ma
ton, on the walls of Quebec.
We hope better things of the distinguished
officer, at the head Of our armies, and we hac
hoped better things of the Hero Of New-Or-
leans, bui we have been disappointed, and il
the conduct Of the officers in the south, b.
sanctioned and approved by the nation, We
are free to declare that the reduction Of Que
bee, (where Montgomery fell, unable TO con
queT) would present much stronger claim (
public appreciation,
1t is necessary here 10 remark, that copy
OF the order issued by general Jackson to Gen
Gaines, for the reduction OF St. Augustine
was transmitted TO the Secretary of War, anc
a countermanding order promptly despatched
the military expedition set on foot by Gen
Jackson, had commenced and thus was
suddenly arrested a military scheme, (as un-
constitutional as il was impoiitic) and which
might, as stated by the Secretary Of War, il
his letter OF 9Th day Of September, 1913, have
involved this nation in war with all Eu-
rope.
In thus promptly prohibiting the unauthor-
lied seizure, at the will of commanding gen.
eral, of the possession Of a neighbouring ma
tion with whom the United States are at peace,
the committee recognize that sacred regard
to the rights of other nations, which ought
never TO be departed from by the executive Of
free country, and that vigilent attention 70
the conduct of The officers OF the army, which