Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-08-01

in the extreme, on the part of the whites
The only alternatives presented to the
Seminole Indians, were eternal Danish.
ment, or the extinction of their race.
They preferred the latter, if such must
be their fate, but they would not conse nj
either to be banished from their native
land, or to be slaughtered without an ec-
fort TO defend their homes and their lives.
The continuance Of such a war was re-
voting TO every feeling Of humanity. -
Every principle of right, Of national
honor, OF moral justice and religion, was
outraged by it.
1t was Mr.. Cranston's opinion that
peace ought to be granted to the perse-
cuted Indians, which, it was well known,
they would joyfully embrace upon any
terms, except the condition of perpetual
banishment. But no they must choose
between banishment or extirpation -
And millions upon millions were demand
ed of Congress, at every session, for the
execution Of this decree. Mr.. Cranston
would not consent to have any hand in
granting money to be so employed, and
with the fullest appreciation of his con-
science, and conviction Of his reason. he
voted against the appropriations demand
ed.
But, the longer continuance Of the
war was not alone condemned, by every
principle Of eternal justice, and every
dictate of humanity. There existed the
strongest reasons Of sound policy for put
ting an end to it, 1t had now already
been carried on for number Of years
without the slightest prospect of any sue
cessful termination of it. Nay, that
prospect was now moro distant than when
the war was first commenced And so
strong and general had the conviction
become, that at the very next session Of
Congress, even Col Benton, (the keep
er of the cabinet secrets) openly de-
clarcd in the Senate, that all hopes OF
accomplishing the objects Of the war by
its further continuance, were at an end
and must he abandoned. This being the
condition Of things, what good was to be
expected from continued and almost un-
limited appropriations of the public mo-
ney, TO be squandored and wasted as the
millions before granted, already had
been. Well may we say, squandered
and wasted, for what had become ofthose
millions What was there to show for
them , Such questions as these the
representatives Of the people ought never
to have been left to ask. Yet they were
left to ask them, and were left unanswer
ed when they did ask them. The Con-
giess was treated us if it had no concern
with the war, and its only business was
TO make grants of the public money
whenever demanded. And yet, by the
Constitution Of the United States, it is
TO Congress alone that the power Of de-
claring war is confided. The people
would not cntrust that tremendous power
in the hands of the Executive, as it is
possessed in England by the King. But
Congress never declared war upon the
Scminolcs. How then came the nation
to be involved in that war-so protractcd,
burlhensome and destructive, yet never
declared by Congress ? 1t was the
Execu who made the war, although
he did not venture to declare it. And
he has shown himself fully aware of the
prerogative he assumed in doing this :
And to avoid the name Of war, which
could only be declared by Congress, he
has given it the name of Indian Hos
tHi;es And all the appropriations are
for "the suppression Of lndianhostiities. "
Is not this subte iugc an insult to the
common sense of the people : If the
Seminolcs had committed the first hos
tilities, (Which it would be scandalous to
prctend,) the Executive had power to
icpcl them; but if open, confirmed war
was TO be the consequence, that war
could only be declared by Congress. S.
And has it not been a war then, actual
confirmed, bloody rar, which we have
been SO many years carrying on with The
Seminolcs, aud which has cost the nation
many valuable lives, and the expendi-
turo of more than twenty millions Of dol
lars Has this been mol a icar Will
the Executive tell this nation that it was
The Seminoles, and they alone, who com
mcnced hosiitiies, and continued to car
ry them on for years, unprovokcd, and
without cause And that all he has
done, was to endcavor to repel them
The Scminolcs, it is believed, could
never, at any time since the beginning
c..n A,