Litchfield enquirer., 1836-02-04
In Senate. Wednesday, Jan. ~.
SEMINOLE INDIANS,

Mr.. Webster, from the Committee on FL
| nance, reported, without amendment, a bill
making further appropriation for suppressins
hostillties with the Seminole Indians, and as
ked for the immediate consideration of the
bill, as the state Of the country required its
passage with the utmost despatch.
The bill [appropriating S5oo,oOo] was ia
ken up for consideration, and ordered to its
third reading.
Mr.. WeLster asked for the third reading at
this time.
Mr.. Clay said he should be glad to hear the
communications from the Departments read,
in order to see whether they gave any account
Of the causes Of this war. No doubt, what
ever might have been the causes. it was ne
cessary to put an end to the war itself by all
the possible means within our power. But
it was a condition, altogether without prece-
dent, in which the country was now placed.
war was raging with the most rancOrOus
violence within our borders: Congress had
been in session nearly two months, during
which time this conflict was raging; yet Of
the causes of the war, how it was produced,
if the fault was on one side or ON both sides,
in short. what had lighted up the torch, Con-
gress was altogether uniformed, and no in
qury ON the subject had been made by either
branch of the Legislature. He should be glad
if the Chairman Of the Committee on FIJI
nance, or Of the Committee on Indian Affairs.
or any one else. would tell him how this war
had burst forth, what were its causes, and to
whom the blame Of it was to be charged.
Mr.. Webster replied that he could not give
any answer to the Senator from Ky. 1t was
as much matter Of surprise to him, as 10 any
one. that no official commune alton had been
made to Congress of the cause of the war;
All he knew on the subject he had gathered
from the gazettes. The communications from
the Departments spoke of the war, as war
growing out Of the relations betw cen the In
dams and the Government OF the U. S. and
gave n" reason to suppose that it had its ORR
gin in any quarrel with the citizens. 1t pro-
baby grew out Of the attempts to remove
these Indians beyond the Mississippi. Ac-
cOrding to the latest accounts, the country be-
tween Tallahassee and St. Augustine was
overrun by hostile Indians, and the cOmmu-
nicatiOO between those places was interrupt
ed. The view taken by the gentleman from
Ky. was undoubtedly the true one. But the
war RACES. the enemy is in force, and the ac-
counts of their ravages are disastrous. The
Executive Government has asked for the
means Of suppressing these hostlties, and it
was entirely proper that the bill should pass.
Mr.. White expressed his regret that he
could add nothing to the information given Oh
this subject. He knew nothing Of the cause
of the war, il it commenced in any local quar-
rel or not. 1t was the object ofthe Govern
ment to remove these Indians to the west side
of the Mississippi, and he was aPprehenslve
that the difficulty had arisen out OF this meas
ure. He had, however, no information, which
was not in the possession of every other Sen
atur. He hoped the bill would be passed,
and without delay.
Mr. Benton made few remarks expressive
of his ignorance Of the cause Of the war;
Some years ago he was a member of the
Committee on Indian Affairs. At that time
those Indians in Florida were in state Of
starvation; they would not work, and Il was,
necessary that they should be fed by the U.
States, or they must subsist on the plumber Of
our citizens. He was under the impression
that for these Indians there was appropriated
by Congress very large sum. perhaps S0,-
900 or $40, 900, to place them here they
would be enabled to live without plundering.
These Indians are a very bad tribe, as tnelr
very name signifies, the word Seminole 70 IN
dian, being " wild, runaway Indians" ineT
were therefore considered bad race. IL was
obviously the best policy to remove those an
dams to place where they would be able TO
obtain plenty. Treaties were consequently
made with them on the subject Of their re-
moval, and the process has been going on for