Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-02-23
APPENDIX
Extracts from the private correspondence
between Mr.. Monroe and Gen. Jackson.
on the Seminole affair, referred to in the
letter Of the 29th Nav.
Mr.. Monroe to Gen. JqcI.son.

WASHINGTON, Ialy 10, 1919.
DEAR SIN: received, la, ely, your letter OF June
Cd, by MIR. Hambiy At my farm IL Loudoun % which
had retired 10 await your report and the return of
your commissioners from Buenos Nyres In r.nIv tn
your letter. shall express myself lih he freedom,
and candor winch have invariably used ln nv com
munications with You ! shall WITHHOLD nothinr in
regard Ia your aIt8ck of the Spanish posts and oc
cupancy of them, particularly Pensacola, which You
ought TO know, II being occurrence Of the mos,
delicate and interesting nuiure, and which without
circumsPcct aud cautious policy, ootng to all the
ohlecs winch claim attention, produce the most
serious and unavurab!c c,nspQuenccs 1t is bv q
knowledge Of all the circumstances aud comprc-
hensve view OF the Wiule subject tina; the danrer
TO which this measure is exposed NAV be avoided
andaIl the good which you have CONTEMPLATED nv #
as trust, be fully realized.
In Calling you into scrvive against the Sem
inoies, and communicating Ia +, GU the orders which
had been given just before to Gen. Games the views
and intentions Of he Government were fl,v d,sclo
sed IN respect to the operations in Florida In tran
scendng the limit prescribed by those orders. YOU
acted on your responsibility on facts AMI cir
cumstances which were unknown to the Government
whom the orders were given, many OF which indeed
occurred afterwards, and which you thought imposed
on you the measure as an act of PATRIOTISM essential
to the honor and interests of your country.
The United States stand justified in ordcrinU III cir
troops into Florida in pursuit of their enemy They
have this right by the law of nations if the Sem;
no!es were inhabitants of another country and had
entered Florida to clude our pursuit Boinp inh,b
that part of the territory, and right to the SOL onr
right to give such an order Is the more complete and
unquestioHable 1t IS not act of hostility 20 Snoin
1t Is the less SO, brcause her Government s hound
by treaty to restrain by force of arms if necessary
the Indians there from committing hos.;lries aoainst
the United States.
But an order by the Government to attack q Snan
lsh post would assume another character II wouid
authorize war, TO which, by the PRINCIPLES of onr
constitution, the Executive is ncompetent Cronnros
alone possess the power | am aware that cases NAV
occur, where the commanding general acting ON his
own responsibility, may with safety pass this limit and
with essential advantage to his country The officers
and troops OF the neutral power forget the obligations
incident to their neutral characters they stimulate
the enemy to make war; they furnishe them with
arms and munitions of to carry IL on. thev tolr on
active part IN other respects IN their favor they afford
them an asylum on their retreat The genera! obtain
ing victory pursnes them to this post, the gates of
"hch are smut against him; he attacks and carries it,
ana rests on those acts for his iusicaton he affair
then brought before his Government bv the mower
whose post has been thus attacked and carried IF
me government whose officer made the attack had
gwen an ordeT Tor 1t, the officer would have no merit
IN Vt. lie exercised discretion nor did he act m
MS own responsibility. The merit of the service if
there be any IN IL, would not be his. This is the
ground on which this occurrence rests az tn L;s rt
/ will now look to the future 80 gaze
me foreign Government demands-was this YOUR
ach or did you authOrze it, did not, IT was the ac,
vi She general. tie performed ii for reasons deemed
sufficient himself and on his own responsibility de-
nand, them the surrender Of the posts and his nm
isIment The evidence justifying the conduct Of the
,, general, and proving the misconduct of
those ohcerS' viii be embodied, be laid before the
sovereign, as the ground which their punishment
will be expected. P"
1t the Executive refused to eracuate the posts. es
PecIay Pensacola it would amount to declaration oF
war, TO winch IT IS incompetent. II would be accused
with usurPng the authorthy of Congress- and giving
deep and fatal wound to the constitution Bv char
ging the offence the officers of Spain we tate fh
ground which you have presented and we look 10
yoH to support It, You must aid IN procuring the doc
umen's necessary for this purpose Those which YOU
sent 6y Mr. hanby were prepared in too much haste
and do not, ! am satisfied, do justice TO the cause,
Tbs must be attended to without delay,
should wc hold The posts +, js impossible % oaIor.