The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-01-30


war was lusi that the barbaries Of these Indians
were such thai they must be put down but now Mr..
ID had learned, for the first time what the justice
o. war was war Was Just up 10 Eve millions o.
dollars; yes, up 10 that amount the war was Just
but, II IL went over 6ye millions il was unjust and
we must investigate. IA langhl The Seminoles
were said to be oppressed This was The FIRST time
he had heard the war spoken of in that strain. AZ
ter suffering all that his constituents had done al the
hand Of these sayages, the poor Indians were TO be
pitied! And part Of the Territory of Florida Innst
be given up rather than carry The war any farther.
Ii II had been proposed to the gentleman from Viz
ginia to give up the Dismal Swampto Nat Turner,
would the gentleman have conseniedf Yet they In
Florida 10 give up their territory to these In
dams, and applications were coming in from all
parts Of the country for Congress 10 free their slaves
lie would tell gentlemen here once for all, that
rhakrer mtgh be The legislation Of Congress, Mey
should Rerer locate these Indians among them, and iAss
aeteT should free their aares
lhey had been told, by the speeches In that House
al The commencement Of this war that fourteen Ske-
letons OF companies might have suppressed the whole
Seminole disturb ance. Then the tune was changed,
and body Of troops was TO be forced into that Terri
tory Sufficient to carly European war And now
they were told that too many troops had been sent
Atthe time this war broke out, If ary one had told
the inhabitants OF Florida, who lived almost in the
midst OF these Indians that their lives and property
in danger, that there the slightest possible
apprehension Of Indian hosiiies the man would
have been set down as fool No man dreamed that
the troops in The Territory was not sufficient 10 put
war broke in like an avalanche upon the astonished
people, immediately these wiseocres had known II
all beforehand. oh, yes; they had foreseen every
thing that had happenedl MIR. ID. insisted lhai the
Government was moi al all to blame. General after
General had been sent and troop AFTER troop. And
had they ever been defeated in the open field Ne
yer. They had driven the Indians 10 the wall once
and again; but no sooner were the wreiches beaten
Than they begged for peace and We had spared them
and fed them II was these Indiens and not the peo-
pie of Florida, who had fattened the public spoil
But, after We had spent enough money upon them 10
have paid the expenses Of another campaign, they
had broken through The guards and were now fight
ing us again. Inquiry had been made about the con-
duct of Gen. Hernandez, for imprisonng the chiefs
What would gentlemen have had him dol Would
they have had him say 10 these wretches-Go, take
your freedom, return 10 your people come back
again, armed, and fight II ont liRe mCn WASH
what they meant TO say? II was, let them speak
out Mr.. ID. said that was believed in Florida, BY
those who had an opportunity of knowing, that Pow
ell had come TO The post Of Hernandez with the
press purpose Of Selling him, and holding him as
hostage; and, but for the vigilance Of Hernandez and
Jesup, that he would have, effected his object And
if he had did any body believe that that House
would have heard any thing Of resolution for in
quiry in regard to this conduct Of Oseola No.
Gentlemen had no sympathy for those who had not
color on their skins. White men might be betrayed
or murdered, and all well all their tender feel
ings were reserved for Indians and negroes.
Mr.. d. said that the character Of their country was
peculiar, and rendered it difficult TO conduct war
that the militia forces employed had been enlisted
for three months only and OF this short period much
consumed in coming and returning; besides all
which, being raw troops, they were wasteful IN The
field, and consumed as much provision as would sub
sis nearly double the number OF regular soldiers ac
customed 10 service. Then, in addition to all, Flo
rda is sickly in the summer season. During lnat
part of the year the war must necessarily cease All
the country thus lost had 10 be regained the next
campaign Provisions had 10 be recarried TO the
points where they were required. Vexatious delays
were unavoidable; and in fact If all The time vast
ed should be deducted from the campaigns hereto
fore, IL would be found that since the commencement
of the war our troops had actually had scarce nine
months Of fighting time
Mr. WISE reioined said that the Florida war
was iniquous in its inception, disgraceiul In us
progress, md disastrous in its termination; and II
those who hold the power in this House will give me
the opportunity of testing the truth of that position,
am ready TO meet them every ground, and TO de-
monstraie such be The fact ispeak, indeed moth
ing on my own knowledge but speak from infor-
nation part of which is official, and has been sub
mitled 10 committees of this House. Great as has
been the extravaganza in the expenses OF this war,
that forms the least disgraceful feature in it, II was
with unfeigned surprise that heard the Delegate
from Florida say that not whisper had been heard
against the Seminole treaty. l will now tell that
gentleman that than twelve nonhs ago the
complaint was made here in this House that the
treaty was fraud. And how was it fraudulent? A
proposition was made by the Indian chief who was
their agent in conducting the treaty. to which the ma
tion agreed that commissioners should be appointed
Seminoles who should go and visit the land of pro-
mise which had been offered them beyond the Missis-
sipp and that no treaty was to be concluded until
these commissioners came back reported the result
of their examinations, and the plan should
be approved by the nation. But, instead of comply
ing with these provisions of the treaty, the u States
commissioners, when they had once gol their Indian
colleagues across the river Mississippi persuaded
and bribed them to make treaty there, which they
accordingly did But the treaty was never confirm
ed b. the Seminole nation say therefore, that the
Seminole tribe, with which you are al war for
breach of treaty, never did make the treaty they
took the initiatoy steps towards treaty, which the
United States authorities chose 10 regard as making
the treaty, but such treaty was ever consummated;
and affirm again that this was Ubiquitous in its in
cepon, and if opportunity shall be afforded me, the
fact can be as fully demonstrated as that other SINH
lar and undeniabe fact that you never made valid
treaty with the Cherokees. must say that the gen
teman betfays total want OF information on the
subject He has told this House that, at the time OF
the breaking ont OF this war; there was not man IN
Florida who believed that any armed force need 10
be sent there to guard against Indian hosities, and
that the man would have been called TOOL, or O
coward who should have suggested such an idea.
Does the gentleman know TO whom he IS applying
these epitheis? Does he know that the Governor OF
Florida himself, JOHN H. EATON, did not only sug-
gest such an idea but embody II in an official letter
10 the War Department That in that letter he ex-
preSSy warned the Government that II J. dld notlake
the necessary steps ofprecaution, hosties must ne
cessary enSue2 That the course the Government
was pursuing was calculated 10 give counenance TO
the idea then prevailing among the Indian chiefs,
that il intended TO make saveso their children,
and that if peace was TO be preserved IL was indis-
pensabe 10 have such an armed force IN FLORIDA as
would be sufficient 10 oycrawe oppositicn2 Can the
gentleman be ignorant Of This ac2 ANDY IS itnot
in perfect contradiction 10 the position he has as
Mr.. DOWNING here rose to explain. The gen.
tleman from Virginia could not but know that when
men had very favorite measure to carry with The