Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-11-02
TO THE CITIZENS OF THE FLOR
DAS

! Inc temporary organization of the 90 vern-
ment oi these Provinces, according To the act
OIL congress of the last session and To the
powers conferred on me by the President OF
me United States, have the satisfaction Ia
announce, is now complete. II il possess inn
periectlons, or defects, the rejecting man will
make due allowance, when he considers
that IFS duration will be but short and
that it s the hest that circumstances
wsiild permit, taking into view the difficulties
l Rave had To encounter. Where the rule. or
law, IS certain, have considered it nv duty
TO follow 1t strictly, but where this has not
been the case have endeavored TO make the
oest provisions in my power, believing that
government OF some kind, was absolutely ne
cessary. 1t Is my sincere hope that the sub
lect will attract the earliest attention of the
| congress of the United States, and that the in
hahltants of these provinces will be relieved
from the state of uncertaintyan doubt, which
al TINS moment must necessarily prevail.
| In the organization of the present Temporal
ry government, and i'm its execution. | have
kept steadily M view the securing TO the inha-
bltants of the F'loridas all the privileges and
lmmunities guaranteed to them by the treaty.
The principal of these, is the protection of
their persons, property and religion, until they
| shall be incorporated into the union and he
come entitled TO all the privileges and i'm
nunllics OF citizens of the u. States. In per-
| forming TINS important part Ofmy functions, |
have endeavored to pursue the spirit of our
political institutions. | have made no discri-
innatlon of persons,-my house has been
surrounded by no guards, no one has been
kept at distance by repulsve formalitics, all
| nave had free admittance, and found ready
ear, when they required my aid for the pro-
lection of their rights. The American govern
inent, at the same time that it is the frecst, is
perhaps the strongest in the world because.
the most wealthy and most powerful in So
cety, are rs weak in opposition to if, as the
most humble and obscure. 1t knows no dis
tinctlon between an ex-governor and pea
| SAINT. In the course of my short administers
ton, one case has unfortunately occurred,
| which required the eXertiOn of that authority
which IS no respecter of persons. That the
necessity should have existed has occasioned
me pain, and regret and especially as it has
been misunderstood by some of the inhabi
tants of this country, from want ola sufi-
cient acquaintance with the facts of the case
as well az with the character aud principles of
our government. 1t was my duly un;ier the
treaty, exercising the government in the
FlOrdas, To- secure 10 the inhabitants all the
evidence OF their RICH; of property. The I'M
proper conduct of the captain general of
Havana, in Withholding documents or archives
oil tins nature, from an agent expressly sent to
| receive them, increased the necessity of vigi-
lance on my part. 1t was made known TO me
by satisfactory evidence, that there were do
ciImenis OF this character in the hands of an
individual here, and that these documents
were necessary TO establish the right of proper
ty III this country. The fact ascertained. INV
duty was clear, and no alternative was left me.
That individual was ordered fo surrender
them, so that in pursuance Of the second ar
tlcle of the treaty, and of my proclamation,
the inhabitants might be secured in their right
of property. The individual thus ordered to
deliver them, insteadof Obeying as he ought the
commands of the government under which
he was protected, aud which could know no
superior, excepting the congress or president
Of the United States, shifted them info the
hands of the person who lately administered
The government of this province, and who had
been auihorlsedby the captain general of Cuba
to surrender the country agreeaby to the
stlpuatlons of the treaty. This person, whe-
Their from misapprehension, or from worse
motives, considered himself not responsible
for any act Of his 10 the government of the
tlou6as, and appeared entirely insensbe to
theimproprcty ofnOt hdving made q detiucry
QtHeSe documents Of his o,cn accord. What
ever diplomatic privileges he might have been
entitled TO, these privileges bad ceased upon
the surrender ofthis country, and he was then
not known TO me, or recognized as having any
other rights than those ola common Individual
1t was not enough for him Ia consider himself
a public agent of the king of Spain, and re-
side here for The purpose ortransacting official
business with the agents of the United States
but Il was necessary that he should have made
known the object aud purpose of his stay 4
ho lo- =. a