The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-12-21

The New Orleans Courier Of The 9Th Juy
1889, in reference 10 this same subject remarks
/" Every years delay in subduing the Semnoes
adds to the risk Of their being joined by runaacal
STA res from Tie adjacem States, and increases The
: danger of q rising among The Serpiles.'
r SLAVERY, then, is the key which unIocks the
: enigmas Of the Florida war 10 break up a ref
uge for runa way slaves, THIRTY MILLIONS have al
ready been expended; and if necessary thirty
millions more will be expended Tor the same OBJ
ject.
But it may be said, however satisfactorily the
foregoing facts may account for the conduct of the
Federal Government, they do not explain the as
tonlshlng and peculiar nveteracy manifested by
these Seminoles towards the whites. Other tribes
have without difficulty been removed TO the west
of The Misssspp why then do these Indians a.
lone offer resistance TO a superior power, deter
mined and more heroic than perhaps any recor-
ded in history? Again does SLAVERY solve the
difficulty. ..
1t is very obvious that the Seminoles have been
universally eraSperatcd. Their extreme hatred to
the whites, has unquestonably been owing in part
TO the gross and wicked frauds which they believe
with too much apparent reason) were practiced in
the treaty of Payne'S Landing, under which they
were required 10 remove from Florida. But the
great and prevailing cause oftheir deep-seated hos
llity, is to be sought for in long train of frauds
and injuries ofwhich they have been the victims,
on account of their slaves; and likewise in the
dread Of Christian slavery, entertained by the
negroes who belong to, or have joined the Semn-
| oes.
OF all the hostile chiefs, the most active, perse-
verng snd daring, was the celebrated OsEoLA 1t
is said that this mans mother was seized and car
rled into Georgia as slave, under pretence that
she was the daughter of a fugitive negress If
this story, which has found lis way into the pub
lie papers, be true, the wrongs of the mother have
been terribly avenged by the son.
That the reader may understand the narratives
we are about to lay before him, he must bear in
mind that the Semnoes like their more civilized
neighbors, are slaveholders--but unlike them, they
exercise their authority in such manner as 10 rem
der their slaves unwilling 10 leave them. The
slaves are in fact little more than tenants of kind
and familiar landlords, and regard with horror
the very idea of being transferred from their hea-
then 10 Christian masters But there were many
of the whites, who were exceedingly anxious to
make the transfer. The agent, Willy Thompson,
thus wrote to the Secretary of War: Oct q,
1881 There are many rery likely negroes in
this nation. Some of the whites in the adjacent
settlements manifest restless desire to obtain them
and have no doubt that lndian-raised negroes
are now in possession of the whites"
The volume documents submitted to Congress
Sd June, 1886, and entitled "Seminoe hosilities, ;"
from which we quote, contains many illustrations
OF the agents assertion; We can spare room for
only portion OF them.
1t appears that Conchattimico, a Florida chief,
was the possessor OF a number of slaves, the title
to whom was disputed by another Indian, who sold
his claim to white man. The means taken BY
81 bl;-bo e1r H.,
bed by the Agent in his letter 10 the War Depart
ment Jan. 30, 1884.
81 was informed by the sub-ngent, that Con-
chattimico sent a runner for him not long since !;
that he Immediately repaired to The old chiefs
town, where he arrived in the night, and found the
Indians and negroes greatly excited and in arms
and that very soon thereafter Vacca PechaSse, with
fifteen or more ofhis warriors in arms arrived for
The purpose of aiding in resistance Of a threatened
violent attempt to force the slaves out Of Concha;
timicos possession. Persons interested in the adj
verse claim, were frequently seen lowering about
the reserve; and the chief was informed that at
temps had been made 10 bride commanders OF
steamboats,, on the river, to aid in accomplishing
the capture ofthe slaves.
Under such circumstances could
not but approve the order given by the sub-agenl
to Conchaumco, to defend his property By force
should violent attempt be made to wrest it from
hun.
Shortly after this, Judge Cameron, of the Uni
ted States District Court, investigated the white
mans claim TO the slaves, and pronounced ii
groundless. Notwithstanding this decision, the
claim was again sold to company Of whites, who
resolved TO relieve the chiefof his property. But
as The chief intended to protect it by force of arms
the enterprise was not free from danger. The
expedien resorted to by the Aidnappers is thus
explained in letter from the late Governor of
the Territory to the Secretary of War, 23d May
1886
81 herewith transmit you petition from the In
dian chief Conchattimico, to be laid before Con-
gress should you consider that necessary Ia
king forcbly the slaves of this chief, after those
men had created an alarm among the white in
habiants which resulted in disarmdng the Indians,
was an outrage well calculated to rouse them to
hostility. The alarm was concerted by these vio-
lators of all law solely with the view of obtaining
without danger ofresstance, the slaves ofthe chief
have no expectation the slaves referred to in the
petition will ever be obtained, as | take it fer
granted they have been carried to great distance
and sold"
This Conchattimico was a friendly chief, hav-
inc no intercourse with the hostile Seminoles -