Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-10-27
Charlsston, Oct. ls.
GOV. COPPlNGER'S PROTEST.


The following is the Statement and
Protest of Gov. Coppingsr. on the sub
ject Of the late proceedings at St. Angus
tine.
Colonel Joseph Coppinger, ofthe Span
ish army, late Governor Of East Florida,
aAd commissioned by his government to
deliver up the province to the United
States, ia conformity to the treaty con-
cluded at Washington on the 22d Of Feb
ruary, 1919, feeling desirous to CRAFTY the
puolic expectation upon the fact of his
having been forcibly deprived of the gov
ernment archives, which were under his
charge, together with his private papers,
and tue archive OF the EscribanO, which
last, according to the stipulations entered
inlo with Col. Robert Butler, Commits
sioner on the part of the United States,
remained subject to the future and con-
Ventional decision of the two cabinets,
would wish 70 MAKE known, that he will
not be permitted, by the snort stay he in
tends to make in this city, to lay before
the world statement OF facts in his own
justification, supported by proper docu-
ments, which should convince all men of
the outrage committed by the immediate
orders or the Secrstary, acting as Cover
nor Of st Augustine, w. Ct. ID. Worthing-
ton, and which orders, as he was Inform
ed, emanate from General Jackson. Thi.
exposition, or manifesto, he designs to
maze, as soon as ne reaches the point for
which he will shortly set out; and in the
interim, in order that some idea may be
formed OF the above mentioned occur
renee, he publishes the solemn protest
which he made On the spot, hoping that if
any doubts saouid sail be entertained by
those unacquainted with the particulars,
they will be cleared up and removed
when his manifesto shall appear.
COPY
Gaited States Of Amsrica,
Cstyot st, Augustine.
By this public instrument of declara-
ton and protest, Be it Snown that on this
second day Of October, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and
twenty one, before me, Thomas H. Penn,
of st. Augustine, Notary Public. person
ally came and appeared, the Spanish Co
lionel Don Joseph Coppinger, Commis-
s!oner on the part of his Government for
the delivery of the Province of East Flori-
da to the Cnlted States of America, con-
for'naole to the treaty of csssion conclud-
ed upon between both nations, who, being
duly sworn on the holy evangelist of Al
mighty God, did depose aud say, that this
day at four o'clock p NJ. there presented
themselves at his dwelling house, the
Elayo: Colonel Forbes, the Attorney
General John G. Bird. and the Sheriff
john rianham, who made demand ofthe
archives and papers, which remained in
his possession, they being, as they stated,
commissioned by their Government; and
that they We're answered that in no wise
could the aforesaid delivery be acceded
to, because the archives remaining in his
charge were those containing the cores
pondence with his Government, which
had been carried on by himself and the
preceding Governors, relative to the en-
ploys filled by the respective functionaries
and persons; that he had no documents
which had any relation directly or indi-
rectly, with the property and sovereignty
of the nation; and in one word, that the
said archives were particular property,
which he was bound to deliver to his
Captain General, and positively excluded
by the Treaty, that there were also some
Of his own Dsoers anon gst them; there.
fore he repeated, that in no wise could he
deliver tho said archives: that the arch
ives Of the Notary remained subject to
sne respective decision Of both Govern