The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-12-21
Extracts from jays I" View of the Action of
the Federal G Government in Behalf of Slavery"
[Second Edition.
ORIGIN OF THE FLORIDA WAR.

holders complained that their fugitive slaves foun
refuge in Florida then belonging 20 the crown O
Spain and that, regardless CT the obligations o
neutrality, naval force had been sent by the Gov
eminent up the river Apalachicoa, 10 destroy for
containing about 300 negroes most of whom were
slaughtered. This territory was aGerward cedet
to the United States; and for several years past
the Government has been wagng relentless arc
most disastrous war against its aboriginal inhabit
ants, with the avowed design of driving their
from the Peninsula. 1t is not our design TO write
the history of this war, bat mere TO expose It's
true origin, and TO explain the motives which have
led the whites TO insist the expulsion of the
SemnoIes, and the causes which have induced
the latter to offer resistance unparalleled in saw
age warfare, for perseverng and desperate cour
age and ferocily.
The sacrifice on our part, Of blood, of treasure
and of military honor in this war; is well known
to be prodigious. Thirty MILLIONS of dollars Lave
already, it is said been expended-our best gener.
ais have been badled, and their laures withered
and our troops have persisted in great numbers, in
contests with their savage foe, and by the sick
ness OF the climate. And yet no rational cause is
assigned by the Government for this disastrous
yar. No reason is given why it is necessary, a;
all hazards, and at every expense, TO drive the
Seminoles from Florida. The whites are few in
number, have far more land than they can occupy
and certainly do not want the wet and unwhole-
some everglades possessed by the Indians, and in
to which, we are told, white men can only pene-
trate at certain Of the year, without expo,
sing their lives 10 certain destruction But were
the Semnoles so numerous that it was necessary
10 remove Them to make room for the whites, or
so powerful as to render it unsafe 10 plant white
settlements in Florida? We learn from official
reports, that they numbered about 5000! Ma
jor-General Jessup, the commanding officer of the
army, and we'll acquainted with the existing con-
ditlon OF the Territory, in letter TO the Secreta-
ry OF War, Feb IL, 1888, makes the following
candid avowal
We have committed the error Of attempting
to remove them the Seminoles) when their lands
were not required for agricultural purposes when
they were not IN the aug of the achite inhabit-
ants, and when the greater portion of their coun-
try was wnerplored acilderneSS, of the interior
of which we were as ignorant as Of the interior OF
China.
do not consider the country south of Chick
asa Hatchee aOorth The medicines we shall expend
in driving the Indians from it," Why, then, ali
this waste of blood and treasure We answer
TO PREVENT FUGITIVE SLAVES FROM FINDING AN AsY-
LUM AMONG THE INDIANS!
We we'll know how unwillingly this truth will
be received by those among us who contend that
the North has nothing to do with slavery; but we
appeal TO factS-and to facts about which there is
and can be no dispute.
Florida borders upon two slave States, Alaba-
ma and Georgia, and is not far distant from two
others, Mississippi and Louisiana. lis not, there
fore, surprising that slaves from these States es-
Gaping from their masters, should seek refuge in
the huts ofthe Geminoes. We have already seen
1 n I
upwards of $4,000 to the gallant officers and sea-
men who destroyed 300 fugitive slaves in For-
da, in 1916. The terrible example then made,
was not, it seems eAectuaI for in 1925, the War
Department issued an order on the subject of fu-
gitive slaves among the Seminoes, and the Indian
Agent at Tallahassee was directed to take meas.
ures to enable the claimants to identify their prop
erty for its immediate restoration. Let the
Chiefs distinctly understand" wrote the Agent, a.
greeably to his instruction, "that they are mol TO
har6or ruaa1vav negroes; and that they will be re-
quired to give such negroes as are now residing
within their limits"
An Alabama paper, speaking Of the war, makes
the following confession: at is the power to ence
away and instruct in bush-Gghting so many of
our slaves, that we would wish to annihate.-
These SeminolcS cannot remain IN tie Peninsula
of Florida without threatening the internal safe
y Of the South"
In 1884, petition signed by about one hum
dred of the inhabitants of Alachua County, Fori-
da, was presented to President Jackson, praying
for his interposition against the Seninoies.
"While the lawless and indomitable people
(says the pelition) continue where they now are,
the o,OnerS Of slaves in our territory, and even in
the States contiguous, cannot for moment, in any
thing like security, enjoy the possession ofthS des-
cription Of property Does negro become tired
of the service of his owner, he has on to flee to
the Indian country, where he will find ample safe
ty against pursuit. 1t is fact which, if not sus-
ceptible of proof, is, notwithstanding, and upon
good ground, firmly believed, that there is at this
tine living under the protection of the Seminole
Indians large number, probably more than one
hundred slaves, who have absconded from their
masters in the neighboring States and in Florida,
since the treaty of Camp Moultrie. Within few
weeks several parties are known to have sought
and found shelter in the nation where they con-
tnue secure against every effort of their owners to
recover them.
There are as it is believed, more than five hum
dred negroes residing with the Seminole Indians,
four-fifths of whom are runaways, or descendants
of runawavs . tits perfect
L. oL,;ous bot dnrino the existence of such a state