Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-07-21

ed To the President OF the United States. ne
after mature consideration, upon subJe't oil
some delicacy, in relation TO neutral rights, OF.
Jered the line to b,crossed, ii necessary, Out
especially directed, ;hat "if the Indians look
refuge under Spanish fort, not 10 disturb thein
but to report the facts 20 the Department 0,
Wars" thus designing, to respect line neuua'
character Of Spain, and protect all nnoer us
flag. With the view Of bringing this disturbance
flor it really was of too triflng import TO oe
serve the name Of War,) to close, the Prtsi'
dent ordered General Jackson TO cail upon 'ne
governors Of the adjoining, states, for militia
force sufficient TO bra, the enemy This order
The General disobeyed, aud, without authority,
raised an army of volunteer Cavalry, OF mount
ca men, instead Of Infantry. The laws author
izing the President TO accent the services OF
volunteers, in place Of drafted militia, had all
expired a. the close Of The war with Great
Britain.
The constitution ofths United States, that
the President had solemnly sworn 10 preserve,
protect and defend, TO the best Of his ability,
directs that the President and the Senate Oh
the United States, acting conformity, shall ap>
point all officers in the regular army and tha'
all militia officers shall be appointed exclusive
ly by the state authorities. i he solemn ln-
juno tions Of The constitution governed the Ere,
Shorthand hence it was, that he ordered Gene'
raj cksen to call upon the governors u The
adjoining states 10 furnish the force required.
General Jackson had likewise sworn 10 sup
por, the constitution and The laws that enforce q
ODE dence 10 the orders of the President as
commando rim chief Of the armies OF the Uni
ted S atcs. But all these solemn obligations
were contemptuously dsregarded by the Gems
eral-volunteers were substituted for. militia,
aud hor semen for infantry; and the officers
were appointed, not by the President and Sc
nate, not 5y the STATE authsrities, but by Gene
raj Jackson himself, or by those to whom he
delegated this high authority. In the same IL
| legal manner were two companies raised and
ofic cred. styled lin mock imitation oil regal
pomp) "the life guards" To these were add
ed an auxiliary force OF Indians, amounting 10
about l8oO-and to command this detachment
Indian Officers were preferred, and with a
brigadier general at their head, abou, double
the number Of subordinate officers CT various
grades, were aPpo,ated BY General Jackson him.
SELF without the slightest consultation with TIE
President or Secretary of War and in open de-
6ance Of The orders Of the President and the
War Department.!
With this fore added to the regulars, Gen.
Jackson and his army, above 1000 strong,
marched in'o the Spanish territory of Florida,
in pursuit of the defeated and tug tive Indians
and runaway negroes, whose whole force, il
embodied, would not have amounted to more
than 1000 men-and 10: one half Of that Num-
Der ever opposed him, as appears by the depn,
sirion Of Capt. Cail, one of the Generals aids
! of course, he met with resistance He
marched upon ST. Marks, fe, bic Spanish fort,
and lnaa- il with, Altle ar ~ fepeffdtRt ynttftc
president to mo!es, the Indians, 'if they took
refuge under Spanish fort" He found no
Indians there, bat he found, under the proicc-
uon OF toe Spanish governor, aud the neutral
Hag OF Spain, an old man from England, an
Indian trader called Arhuthnot-him he took
captive, aud after mock trial, by men holding
no commissions as required by iaw-him he
hanged, as he says in his general order, for the
CRIME OF PIRACY, crime, which his extensive
knowledge as 4 civilian induced him ID believe
vas properly cogniz Die b, fore a military
court, composed by officers appointed BY him.
self, and holding no commission or authority
from the United States. For III. same crime
OF PIRACY, he shot another Englishman Of the
name OF AmbrIser, also an Indian trader
This young man the court martial endeayored
TO save, End sentenced him 10 mid+r, but
still severe and unconstitutional punishment
confinement for year, the use of the ball and
chain, and the free application OF the whipping
post But the general appeared too well aware
Of the truth of the old adage lhl, "dead men
tell no lales"-the sen,ence Of the court mar
tial did not satisfy him-he delighted "to dwell
with composure upon scenes oil blood and Car
nage"-he annulled the sentence Of The cour,
with single dash of his len, aud remorseess>
iy ordered the young man TO be shot, order
that was remol se'ess!y and promptly obeyed!
About This time he look Captive, By strata
gem, TWO Indian chicfs-ihese he order ed to b.,
hanged, wifhom trial or ceremony There was
no inquiry into their condLcI-lhe drum did
not even beat its dscordanl notes for The as
sembling If his mock military tribunal in
their case. A Jack Kech Of his own appoint
men, made quick work with these victims of
military drspotism, and the cord COON ended
The miseries OF these proud and fearless chief
,ans, who Justly claimed the ownership Of the
soil that witnessed their depreciation and exc
cution, as portion ct their high brlh-rghl
The cold blooded indifference with which he
announces 80 the Government, (whose orders
hp had tod