Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-02-23
FLORIDA DOCUMENTS
No. I.-Gene,m Jachsoa to .,ir. .qIams
accompanying The Presidents -,ssage u J,u,urry %
ESrHAcrs FROM PAarI.

e1, EXTRACTS FROM PARrI
no. i.--Generdt Jackson 10 Mr.. .4fams.
PENSACOLA. August s6, 1891.
SIR; The enclosed documents will advise
You OF an occurrence, painful to me, but I'M
avoiiahiy necessary, and dictated by the i'm
perlons rules of justice, TO save the ilnprotcct-
ca orphan from being ruined by the most
C"rrnpi ana wicked combination ever investi-
gated.
In the establishment and resuscitato, of
The Judiciary in West Florida. and from the
Nnrin'is distribution Of the judicial functions.
had INDUCED the hope that no cases wouIJ
occur to comlyl mo to exercise the judicial
nnwers with which was inyestcdb y NV com
mission from The President.
was well aware ttlat much corruption ex-
'stcd II Spanish judicial proceedings, but still
my m'hd WAS not prepared to EXPECT such a
scene OF combined wicke dpess and coyrmtion
"a has been brought to light by this i.rvestiua-
ton, and which the enclosed extracts. taken
from the original documents, or records. and
certified by the alcalIe of Pensacola, exhibits
lhry relate tn the succession or estate of
t,ichoIas Mara Vidal, who died in this place
s.hout the year 1907, having made his will.
AeiifihS persons IN this country his heirs, hut
i'ho, from that time to this day, have never
received one cent of their inheritance. II was
this case which gave rise To the proceedings
alluded t', marked No. I, and to which be-
leave Ia refer you.
The document No. is an EXTRACT of the
whole proceedings instituted by the heirs for
me recovery ofthc testamentary papers and
other documents relative tn the estate of their
deceased father, and for the recovery OF
which was compelled to exercise nv judicial
functions. and To take the energetic measures,
| did, and which were well warranted nv the
laws OF Spain. az well as bv those of the T.
States and which alone could have preserv-
ed TO the heirs of Vidai the evidence of their
fight OF property. Withaut these records
trey would have been unat1e To compel the
house OF lnerarty and Forbes, the depositary
ana debtor of the estate, 10 do them right and
justice. This act of Justice was due to them
by every law, human and divine. By the 90.
cond article Of the late treaty with Spain this
right was expressli guaranteed, and under that
article Colonel Callava, az the commissioner
OF Spain, was bound to deliver these docu-
Tnents, as the evidence of the right nf proper-
~ mere, at the time of his sIirresdrriner the
country, and with other papers which he did
deliver
1t - clearly to he perceived that the innu-
-ence Of j. lOerarity prevented all the DEGREES
of Galaya, rs well MS of his predecessors. in
favor of the heirs of Vidal from being execu
ted; thus exhibiting "A judicial nockery with
out example. And by the influence and arts
ntthI5 man, land, az some have it, BY his gold,
til1 final attempt was made secretly 10 carry
away the papers relating to this large estate, by
tl.ls means shielding inerarity from all respon-
simlIty 10 The heirs, and enabling him to con
fmue IN Iudsllrbed possession of property To
a very large amount, unjustly, corruptly,
and traudulcntIy obtained.
4 have reason n hnlipyo thar ('.,il,v, ,,,o,,Il
no. have presumed to have stood ont in CON
tempt OF my order, but that he would have de-
hFered The papers when first demanded nav
that nc would have directed Domingo Sousa
10 have done SO, had he not been urged TO this
obstinate resistance By some of Our American
citizens, under the impression that | would
not, nay. burst not commit him for the con-
tempt. This, added to the influence which
Inerarty had over him, who was continually
by ms side, and ann convinced. urging him
70 withhold the papers, from belief that their
production would unfold the viilany practised.
make linn responsible to the heirs, aud destroy
both his character and that of CaIIaya. II WINS
40 doubt, this conviction which caused him
10 make The involuntary exclamation lvhrn
liz order was read to C0lonrl Callava by
Colonel Butler, and when told, on his refusal
so deliver the papers proven to he H. his horse,
that lic must appear before mel that F." the
die was cast" Yes, he said truly, the die was
cast, for he must have clearly seen that the
arts, the influence, the wealth, the power, of
10 individual not even If lnerarity himself
could any longer Distract ;he pure channels Of
justice.
have 10 regret that the conduct of some OF
oar Officers on this occasion was highly re-
prehsnsihlr, and that in particular OF Judge
3sr0menifn, unncc0uDtabie, indrcorous, and
unlusiihabe. Ihaye said indccorous. because
tf0'n an interview with him on the subject ofI
lus jurisdiction and powers under his commits
sl1H md Instructions, it was well understood
tii'f the former only extended over the re-
venue laws, and thc acts of Congress probi-
biting The introduction Of slaves. Nv com
uI.ssiOns and Instructions had been shcyn him.
ani ne mad acknowledged all other indicial
? wers 10 reside IN the alcalde, and in other
judicial Jurisdictions under me-, rs well az in
those with which was invested by the Pres-
dent. Afer this clear understanding between
rs & MS being Instructed to aid me in thu admin.
ration Of the government, To attempt thus
10 oppose meiwithout even giving me notice.
or Uaking inquiry into the nature and cause
or my proceedings to issue what he calls al
wit ofliabeas corpus without petition, or AZ.
iEicvii, "r oath of any kind, and that on the
appbcation ofInerarity ADD of some Spanish
officers, the former interested in the dcssruc-