The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1840-12-19

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closc;and The army under General Jespn
was reinforced until it amounted ,o ,i,t pt
thousand men, and furnished with ahnnJ'
ant supplies Of every description. In hi.
campaign great number of the enemy
were captured and destroyed; but the cbaE,
acter of the contest was only changed :,
The Indians, having been defeated in eve.
ry engagement, dispersed in small band,
throughout the country and became an on,
terprsing. formidable, ard ruthless band,t.
General Taylor, who succeeded General
Jesup, used his best exertons 10 subdns
them. and was seconded in his efforts hst
the officers under his command, but he too,
failed TO protect the Territory from tbeis
depredations. BY act of sigual and cruel
treach ~, they broke the truce made with
them General Macomb, who was sent fron,
Washington for the purpose of carrying in.
TO effect the expressed wishes of Compress,
and have continued their devasiaions ever
since. General Armis,ead, who was in
Florida when General Taylor left the army,
by permission, assumed the command. and,
after active summer operations, was met bv
propositions for peace and, from the fonn.
nate coincidence of the arrival in Florida,
at the same period, of delegation from
the SeminoIes who are happily settled west
of the Mlssssippi; and are now anxious ia
persuade their countrymen to ioin them
there, hopes we're for sometime entertained
that the Indians might be induced TO leave
the Territory without further difficulty. "a,
These hopes have proved fallacious, ard
hostilites have been renewed throughout the
whole of the territory. That this contest
has endured so long, is to be attributed to
causes beyond the control of the Govern
ment. Experienced Generals have had
the command of the troops;' Officers and SOL
diers have alike distinguished themselves
Tor their activity, patience, and enduring
courage; the army has been constantly fur
nished with supplies of every description;
and we must look for the causes Which have
so long procrastnated the issue of the con-
test, in the vast extent of the theatre of
hosIiIltes, the almost nsurmountable OBJ
sacles presented by the nature of the coun-
Try, the climate, and the willy character of
the sayages.
The sites for the marine hospitals on the
rivers and fakes, which was authorized 10
select and cause TO be purchased, have all
been designated, but, the appropriation not
proving, sufficient, conditional arrangements
only have been made for their acquisition.
1t is for Congress to decide whether those
conditional purchases shall be sanctioned and
the humane intentions of the law carried in
10 full effect.
The navy,as will appear from the accom-
Panylng report Of the Secretary, has been
usefully and honorably employed IN the
protection Of our commerce and citizens in
the Mediterranean, Pacific, on the coast Of
Brazil, and in the Gulf of Mexico. A small
squadron, consisting of the frigate Ccnstel-
lation and the Sloop-of-war Boston, under
Commodore kerney, is now on ito way to
the China and Indian seas, for the purpose
of attending TO our interests in that quarter;
and Commander Auic, in the sloop-ol-war
Yorktown, has been instructed TO visit the
Sandwich and Society islands, the coasts Of
New Zealand and Japan, together with
other ports and islands frequented by our
whale-ships, for the purpose of givin them
couLtenanee and protection, should they be
required. Other smaller vessels have been
and still are, employed in prosecuting the
surveys of the coast of the United States.
directed by various acts of Congress; and
those which have been completed will
shortly be laid before you.
The Exploring expedition, at the latest
date, was preparing TO leave the Bay Is
lands, New Zealand, in further prosecution
of objects which have thus far been success
fully accomplished. The discovery of a
new continent, which was first seen in lat-
tude &C deg. 2 min. south, Longitude l54
deg. 27 min. east and afterwards in latitude
80 deg. 81 min. south, longitude 1853 deg.
40 min. east, by Lieulenants Wilkes and
Hudson, for an extent of eighteen hundred
miles, but on which they were prevented
from landing by vast bodies of ice which
encompassed 1t, is one of the honorable re.
suits OF the enterprise. Lieutenant Wilkes
bear testimony to the zeal and good conduct
of his officers and men and il is but ius-
tce TO that officer to state that he appears
TO have performed the duties assigned 10
him with an ardor, abiity,and perseverance
which gave every insurance of an honorable
issue to the undertaking.
The report of the Postmaster General,
herewith transmitted, will exhibit the SER
vice OF that Department the past year, and
lts present condition. The transportation