Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-02-22
APPENDIX.
Extracts from the private correspondence
between MIR. Monroe and Gen. Jackson,
on the Seminole affair, referred 10 in the
letter Of the 29th May.


on tho Seminole affair, referred 10 in the
letter Of the 29th May.
tA)
.Nr. Monroe % Gen Jackson.
W WARRINGTON, July 10, 1918.
DEAR SIN: received. lately, your letter OF Juno
ed. by Mr. flanbly. u, my farm II Loudoum, % which
had retired To await your report aud the return Of
your commissioners from Buenos Nyrcs. In reply To
y"ur letter, shall express myself win the freedom
and candor which have invariably used IN nv COM
munications with you. I shall withhold nothinr IN
regard TO your attack al the Spanish posts, and &C.
cupancy OF them, particularly Pensacola, which you
ought TO know, 1t being an occurrence of the most
del'cate and interesting nature, ard which, wi huut
circumspcct and cautious policy, looking all the
objects winch claim attention. prdIucc The mos
serious aud unfavurabc consequences. |, is by 4
knowledge of nil the circumstances, and comprc-
heilS,ve view OF the whole sah"ci. that the danger
10 which this measure is eApos,d may be avoided
ana al! the good winch you have contcmpia cd by it.
| as trust, be fully realized.
In calling you into active serv!ye against the Sem
inocS, and communicating tn the orders which
had been given iIst b fore - Gen. Games the views
and intentions OF The Government were fully d,sclo-
sed IN respect IA tho operations FLORIDA. In trau-
scendlng the limit prescribed by those orders You
acted on youf own pon-Ihiiy, facts aud CIR
cumstances which &C unknown Nv the G vrrnmnnl
whom tho order, were given, many OF whIch, indeed
occurred afterwards, and which you Thought imposed
on you the measure, AZ, Of PATRIOTISM essential
to she honor and interests OF your country.
The United States stand Just fed in ordering their
troops into FLORIDA IN pursuit al their enemy. They
have This right by the law of natIu.s If the Semi
nocs were inhabitants OF another country and had
entered Florida 10 eludc pursuit. Being lrlabi-
tants oi FLORIDA, with species ut s0vcrrtv over
that part O! the territory, and right To ,l.s -; nur
right Ia give such Gn order Is the complete and
unlucstionnb!e IL act of hostility 20 Spain
IL Is the less so, because her Go9c,R"nf Is bound
Ivy treaty to rcStrun by force Of arms IS nrcssary
the Indians there from committing i!iias agai,lr,
| the United Srates.
| But an order by the Gnycrnmcnt &c attack SDan
| ish post would assume Gnnihef character II would
authorize war, tn which by the prrncinlcs of on,
constitution, the ENccu i've is Incompetent. Congress
niona possess the prwcc. am aware that cases may
occur, where The commanding general. acting ON .is
o"n responsibility. may with safety pGss this ni, and
with essential advantage to his country The officers
and troops OF the neutral power forget the obligations
incident to their neutral character; they stimulate
| the enemy to make war; they rurnishe then, will
arms and munitions of to carry it on; they take an
active part IN other respects i'll their favor; tey afford
!ein an asylum on their retreat The genera! obtain
| Ing victory pursucs them TO this post the rates nj
which are shut against him; he attack, AMI carries il
ana rests on those acts for his Justification. The affair
Is then brought before his Government by the r,owar
/ whose post has been thus attacked and carried. A
! I've government whose officer made the attack had
given IN order for it, the officer would have no meri,
| IN IT. He exercised 40 discretion nor did he act ON
his own responsibility. The merit of the service if
there be any III il, would not be his. This ia ,l .
ground on which this occurrence rests, to his part
WI ] now LOOK to the future.
! The foreign Gnvernmsnt dcmauhs--was This Your
act! or did yea authn.iZs il? did NOT ,y.s A..
ot the general lie performed it for reasons drcncL
sufficient himself, and on his own responsibility I 4.
nand, then, the surrender uf the posts and his nun
ishment The evidence justityn the conduct Of the
American general aGi proving The misconduct o,
those officers viii be embodied, to be laid before The
sovereign as ihH groun's on which their punishment
will be expected.
IF the Executive refused to etacuate ,hc noe,s
Pecialy Pensacola, it would AMOUNT to- lara,inu of
war 10 winch IT IS incompetent. II would be accused
"ith usurPing The authority ct Congress- and giving
deep and fatal wound to the constitution By cb,r
gng the offence on the officers of SPAIN we take the.
ground which you have presented, and we look TO
you to support IT. You must AID in procuring the doc
un'en's necessary for this purpose. Those which Won
sent by NJ. iiambly prepared in too much haste
and do not am satisfied, do Justice to.,he cause,
This must be attended TO without del
should we bold the posts, it is impossible. IN c,ic
late ali the consequences likely to result from !, :,
not Improbable That war would immediately follow,
Spain would be stimulated to declare it; and once de-
"e adiehturers OF Britain and other countries
wonl| under the Spanish flag, privaterr on our com
meTce. The immense revenue which we now receive
would be much diminished, as would be the profits of
our valuable productions. The would probably
soon become general; and do not foresee that "a .
should have single power in Europc on our sil.
why risk these consequences The e,cn,s which
have occurredn both the Flordas show the incompr
teney OF SPAN to maintain her authority; and the r
gTess OF the revolutions in South Americ, will roo,;
all her forces there. There is much reason IN rre
sumo that this act will furnish strong Involvement n
'P" '" It"C TIC 'eir"oIy, PROVIDED we do not wound
too deeply her pride by holding it, five hold ,h.
posts, her government cannot treat with honor,
Which, by Withdrawing the troops, we affprd her an
opportunity to do. The manner in which we pronose
10 act will excuPate you from censure and prorli.cs
70 Obtain all the advantages which you conte
from the measure, and possibly very soon. From dit
ierent course no advantage would be likely TO result
and there would Oe great danger Of extensive and
rious injuries. ~
shall communicate to you, in the confidence m
~,I write shs letter, copy OF the answer which
WILDE given to the Spanish minister, that YOU NAV { 90
distinctly the ground on which we rest in the exnec-
ta'on that you will give it all the supper, in vour
power The answer will be drawn on a view and
wit attention to the general interests of our coun,yv
and ITS relations with other powers.
charge, no doubt, will be made of breach Of the
NonSu'ulion and, to such charge, the public feeling
WIN be awe II Will be said that you have taken ali
inc power into your own hands, not from the execu
i've alone, bat likewise from Congress. The distnc.
tion which have made above between the act of the
Government relu,es that charge. This act as 20 tho
'eneFa', WI" be right, If the facts on which he rests
l'1e ~ measure 81 necessity, and they be well bro.
Ved' There IS no war, breach uf the cunsu ,unn
unless the government should refuse To give IN the
IN IttrI,. a