The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-01-30
CONGRESSIONAL.
DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESEN-
TATIyEs, ON THE SEMINOLE WAR
TUESDAY, January "a, 1888.
SEMINOLE INDIANS.

SEMINOLE INDIANS.
Mr.. CAMBRELENG, on leave, reported bill
making partial appropriation for the suppression
OF Indian hostlities for the year 1887.
The bill having been read twice. MIR. q. sent TO the
Clerks table, to be read letter from the Secretary
oil War, and another from the acting QuartermaSter
General setting forth the absolute necessity for an
immediate appropriation.
The bill having been committed
Mr.. CAMBRELENG moved suspension OF the
rules TO enable him 10 submit motion thatihe House
go into Committee Of the Whole on that, and the bill
for the protection oftbe Northern frontier
MIR. WISE inquired il the molion was a debatea-
bic one.
The CHAIR replied that il was not.
Mr.. WISE said if il had, he should have offered
some objections TO going into committee on this bill
Tor he saw no reason for taking up partial bill
when there was general bill already before The
House.
Mr.. CAMBRELENG might be permitted, aner
the remark of the gentleman from Virginia, to re-
peat what he had before said, that, when the other
bill came up he anticipated a general debate but the
that the War Department had nothing 10 pay but
drafts, and they we're returning protested.
Mr.. WISE. II the appropriation is now made,
, there will be nothing 10 debate about.
MIR. BELL had examined, as well as he could, the
grounds upon which this partial appropriation was
madei and he believed that there was necessity for
some amounts how much, il would be for the House
TO ascertain
MT. CAMbtElsENt1S m0llOn was agreed TO, and
the House accordingly went into Committee of the
Whole on the state OF The Union, Mr. Conner in the
chair,) and proceeded TO the consideration of the
above bill.
As soon as il had been read by the Clerk,
Mr.. WISE rose 10 address the committee in oppo-
sition to the measure in the form in which 1t was
presented. This said he, is just such bill as ex-
pected. II is just in this way that all the immense
sums of the public money which have already been
expended on this war have been extracted, like
teeth, from this House. They wait to the last mo-
ment, when deb has accumulated till payment can
not any longer be deferred and them al The pinch of
necessity, told we must pay or the credit of
the country will suffer In this way there have been
dragged from us the nine or ten millions of dollars
which have already been avshcd on this disgracefu
blythe Delegate from Florida, that the regular troops
of our Army are without their pay and thai the dis
banded militia are in the same situation. ask how
much will ultimately be required for this war when
this is the state Of matters after all the have
appropriated Will any company, any caniiaist,
or moneyed combination of men, be willing 10 take
thirty millions and agree TO pay the expenses which
have already been incurredl Will any gentleman
here undertake tell how much this war has cost
us already2 here take the responsibility, and ]
will act it out to declare in my place that will moi,
with my own knowledge vote one dollar more for H.
till we have some details, some ineligible account
10 the expenditure of what has already been given
Has the Committee of Ways and Means informed
us how this money has been spent? Win they tell this
House how many steamboats, are al this moment
lying idle in Florida, al an expense for their hire Of
many thousands OF dollars day z Will they lei US
know how manv harpies are now ieasing on the
spols of Government in that Territory Is there,
in fact, war there at ALL have information from
the best sources sources which are now within reach,
gentlemen recently from the spot, and now in this
city, and who will forward and testify, if you
will grant the investigation / have demanded
which assure me that there Is, at this moment, no
war in Florida, but that which is kept up BY the
Government officers, and by the people who bat
tening and latening on the money of the nation voted
by this House TO prosecute that war. Those Chero-
kee mediators whom you employed, whom you have
Withdrawn, and whom you have treated with such
base perfdy by seizng and binding the Seminole
Chiefs whom they have succeeded in bringing in TO
treat with you while the white flag of truce yet
flying over their heads. These Cherokees tell you
that The Semnoles desire peace. Sir, 1t is acts like
these, acts of base and double perfdy first TO the
Cherokee mediators and then the Seminole Chiefs,
men who ought 10 have been taught morality by your
example as civilized men, protesting 10 be Chris
tianS-it is these things which keep up that dis
graceful war which is wasting and desoating your
southern frontier. Will not this House inquire how
the millions we have given have been made away
wih1 For one, l. AN American citizen, feel sufi-
ciently dsgraced already bv this base, dishonest and
disastrous contest, and will not bulge one step far
Their until matters are explained. Let the troops
wait if all the money is wasted which should have
paid them let them wait | cannot help it. will
counted for.
Mr.. DOWNING, the Delegate from Florida, ad-
dressed the House in reply lowing to his very in
convenient situation, in one corner of the House,
and on the opposite side Of the Speakers chair, the
first part of his remarks was in great degree lost
10 the Reporter. He subsequently removed his place
and was better heard He said he felt himself
called upon, by the remarks of the gentleman from
Virginia, who had declared that he would vote no
further supply till some account was given, to vndi
- he I,ptp i,t u na l,r
of this Seminole war. The gentleman had stigma
tized the advisers and conductors of il from the be-
ginning, and had characterized the war itself as
base and wicked in its origin disastrous in its pro-
press and almost ridiculous in its conclusion. Now,
as to the commencement of this contest, il had been
based upon treaty made between the United States
and the Seminole tribe of Indians; treaty which
had been entered into BY their great leading chiefs
which had never been diSavowed, and against the
fairness of which not whisper had ever been heard
as having been Obtained by fraud by the dealing
out or whiskey The treaty had been made by a
man whose character in his own country was unim-
peached and unimpeachable; 10 whose eScu;cheon
no stain, stigma dare attach: he meant James
Gadsden II was transaction which could net be
said TO have been hurried over with view 10 de-
ceivc; il had been entered into coolly, and with full
elaboration. II was therein provided that certain
chiefs of the Seminole tribe should 60 and with
their eyes view the country to which they were
invited to remove and which they were TO receive
in exchange for the LANDS they were TO reinquish
The provision was complied with. The delegation
did go, and their return acceded TO the treaty as
did afterwards the Seminole nation, Was there
any thing like fraud in thisl But afterwards when
the land was to be delivered up in exchange for our
money and other lands they acted as Indians were
found to act in every caSe--they failed TO comply
They took the money, and after they had wasted IL
then they said there was fraud This was their
usual course; they would do so in every case. And
now, after these wreches had thus broken the treaty,
murdered our citizens, burnt our property, and
ravaged and burnt our towns, now gentlemen re-
fused to appropriate any money TO carry on the
war Ii was very true that the progress OF the war
had been unfortunate. Ithad been prolonged beyond