Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-08-30
G.. NJ. TROUP.
The PRESIDENT Of the United States.
Executive DEPARTMENT, GEO
N;Uedoe,jUe I'm Augucf 1903 {

SIR: The letter oil the secretary o.
War Of the 18th Of May, introducing
to this government Maj. Gen. Gaines
and Major Andrews, as Agents of the
United States, to enquire into the eau;
ses of the late Indian disturbances, to
adjust the differences subsisting be-
tween the Indians, and to enquire into
the conduct of the Agent for Indian
Affairs, recommended them as officers
distinguished for ability, prudence and
discretion: they were received & treat
ed accordingly, With the conduct of
the one You have been already made
acquainied-with that of the other, ii
remains for me to place you in posses
sion.
In the several conferences held with
Gen. Gaines on his first arrival, | re-
ceived rspected assurances from him Of
friendly dispositions, OF upright inter-
tons, Of freedom from all kind of bias
or prejudice, which could mislead his
Judgment or influence his decisions on
any of the topics which, in the execu-
ton Of his trust, might present them
selves for discussion: relying implicit
ly on the sincerity ofthese declarations,
1 began with regarding Gen. Gaines as
an honorable and disinterested arbiter
between the United States, Georgia,
and the Indians, and so continued to
| regard him until a short time before
| his insulting letter of the 10th ult. was
received at this Department. 1t was
impossible for this government not
to repel that insult with Indignation
The Chief Magistrate, in his official
message, has stated explicitly, that
M'Intosh and his Chiefs had given
their consent to the survey; and in sup
port of this statement, the letters of
M'Intosh were exhibited, with his
name subscribed in his own hand, Of
which Gen. Gaines had full inEorma-
ton. Nevertheless, the certificate Of
an Indian Chief who had deserted from
the M'Intosh party, and of a white
man of whom General Gaines himself
does not pretend to know any thing, is
procured, to discredit the statement Of
the Governor, and to exhibit him be-
fore the public as the dupe of the West
and shallowesl imposture; and in his
solicitude to accomplish this, he for
gets that it is the consent given by Nc
Intosh and his Chiefs to the survey,
which on the information Of the Agent
you have taken for granted to be the
sole cause Of all the disturbances in the
Nation, and upon which you have re-
Gently issued the most offensive orders
to this government connected with that
survey; and in your last one even de-
nounced military vengeance against
those who shall attempt to carry it in
to execution. When Gen. Gaines is
rebuked in the mildest language which
the unprovoked insul twould admit Of,
he presents himself again before the
public in a letter, indulging in most in
temperate abuse of all the constituted
authorities of a sovereign State, and of
the great body of its people, and which
he causes to be published almost a week
before itwas received at this depart
ment.
With regard to the first letter of &C.
neral Gaines, to which l have called
your attention, he does not seem to
have been content with addressing a
letter so exceptionable to the head Of
this government, he assumes the au-
thority to order its publication on the
allegation Of some pretended and UNI
defined malicious ~falsehoods in circu-
l~ation, and which he makes the foun-
dation Of an appeal to the public; an
appeal more censurable than that for
which the gallant and meritorious Por-
ter is now answering before a Court
Martial, assembled by your order, in
asmuch as TIE latter only defends him
self against inculpatory charges made
by his own government, whilst the
former, who was bound by equal re-
spect to this government, does not pre-
tend that any charges of any kind had
been preferred by it against him; til
in this letter too, that Gen. Gaines has
fallen into the shocking extravaganza
of asserting what no body can believe,
that the M'Intosh party which made
the treaty, constituted but afftieth part
of the Nation; and it was in the same
letter he made known officially to this
government, that he had happily con-
Guided a paciication of the Indians,
when at that moment he was as remote
from the paci6cation as he v e had
been, ofwhich fact | have even within
the passing hour received the most in
contestible evidence.
With regard to the second letter of