Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-08-08


dequate to the occasion, and for such
an appropriation no member would have
voted more gladly than Mr.. Cranston.-
But, from the evidence before the House,
there was every reason to believe, that
whatever appropriations should be made
to carry on the war, however great or
many, the army itself would derive very
little, if any benefit from them. For It
was shown, that Notwithstanding the mil
lions that had been granted, Pretended'y
for the service of the army, the array
had always been kept in state orwretch-
ed privation and suffering. AT one time,
nearly all the horses belonging to re-
rimcnt of mounted volunteers from Ten
nessee, were starved and lost for the
want of forage, and afterwards an aPPro-
pration of .j1iy heo thousand dollars was
demanded and made towards covering
that loss.
Il ] have called il an inglorious war, and,
| there ever was an inglorious war, that
was it. Our army there sometimes
amounted to full ten Thousand men
against less than ono thousand hall Ia
mis- he'd Seminoles. And this army OF
American troops was not large enough
for those who carried on the war, and 10
increase it, a written treaty under seal,
| was made with the Creek Indians, en-.
| gaging them TO furnish our Government
| with from six hundred to one thousand
men for service against :he Seminoles,
to be continued in service mot until
peace, but,) until The same shall be con-
quercd ; they TO receive the pay and en-
rolments and equipments OF the soldiers
in the army of the United States, and
such plunder as they may take from The
i .Seminoles /, And in addition to this tho
Government agreed to give them thirty
i one thousand nine hundred dollars, by
way of subsidy or bounty. TO such des.
perate extremes was the Executive de-
termined to prosecute that unhallOwed
war, sooner than grant peace 20 the Sc
minoles, and permit them to live quietly
upon even the smallest nook Of their
own native land That this was the
/ desperate resolve Of the Executive, and
that il was always in his power to have
MADE peace with the Seminolcs, there is
the most conclusive proof. Before the
attempt to Danish the Seminoles was
commenced, General Clinch, who resided
and owned large estates in Florida, and
was well acquainted with the country
and the character of the natives, warned
the Government Of the consequences.--
And in 1888, during the same session Of
Congress, Gen. Jessup, who, after tho
continued discomftures and failures Of
all those high officers who had preceded
him, had been sent to take the command
of the army, with the loud boast that he
would instantly give the finishing stroke
TO the war even he, after he had been
there in command for two years, and
found that all their boosting had ended
in mere smoke ; even he, then wrote
most pressing letter to the Government,
advising and urging it to grant peace to
the Seminoles, and a certain small and
miserable portion Of their own territory,
with which, he says, they would be
satisfied. I" do not consider (says
Jessup, in that letter. the country south
Of Chickago Hatcher worth the medicines
we shall expend in driving the Indians
from it," He had done his best, he
said, to fulfil the expectations Of the Co
vcrnment "But, (he continues) the
prospect of terminating the war in any
reasonable time, is any thing but Aaltcr-
ing. My decided opinion is that unless
immediate emigration be abandoned, the
war will continue for years to come, and
al constantly accumulaiing crpense."-
Rccollcct, that it had already cost, in
cluding the appropriations Of that and
the next session Of Congress, between
twenty and thirty millions Of dollars
aud, if continued, in the manner il had
been, it would soon cost more than was
expended in tho war of the Revolution.
But what reply did the Secretary at war
give that pacific advice. lie immedi-
ately wrote to Gen. J. and told him that
the remorai, he calls it
Of the Indians was the settled policy Of
the country, and that he could "not au-
thorize any arrangement with the Semi
noles, by which they will be permitted
to remain, or assign them any portion Of