The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-08-25


FIRST FRUITS OF A STANDING ARMY
Martial Lav IN Tallahassee, Florida.
The Tslshassee Star OF the ilth Hives the details
Of mo-. Extraordinary proceeding which came oi IN
that town during fhe present month, 10 wit; the a.
sembIing by the Governor Of large number Of hired
soldery In the streets Of Tallahassee TO the
citizens under the preient Of preserving the public
peace.
The details are volumnousi but we subjoln the
material points
Al Loco foco meeting in the vicinity Of Taahas-
see resolution adopted declaring that the Wings
Of Florida had formed union with the Abolitionsts
ofthe North. Some two or three w hgs called upon
the editor Of the paper which the resolution was
published to know the author Of the resolution, or al
least upon whose authority the publication was made
The editor promised TO give the name the next day
Next day the gentlemen called again but the editor
not visible In his stead was letter declining 70
give the desired information This created some feel
ing and the Wing population were indignant at the
foul asperson cast upon them In the course OF the
day Whig met Loco with whom he had quarrelled
some months past and some angry words passed be
tween them, and some Of the by ISLANDERS think inc
Wing made an attempt pull the Loco-focos nose
This was the total OF the breach Of the peace,
and Il did not allsy the popular feeling Night came
on the citizens vent 20 bed as usual determined 10
await the appearance of the editor on the morrow, as
he was confined To his room on the pea. % ihdisPos'
ton. The next morning came, and with il a large
number Of the u s. troops, who took up their guar,
tiers around the Governors house, and, established
sentinels all over town, and subjected the whole TO
Martial Law The surprise OF the citizens at tins ex-
traortnary movement not greater than their in
donation Il was soon ascertaIned that the troops
had been ordered during the night from the frontiers
by the Governor to oserawe the citizeps. large
meeting was held in the evening, at which committee
was appointed to wait upon the Governor and respect
fully inquire his reasons for Withdrawing the troops
from the defence Of the frontier and quartcrng them
in the capital The Committee, after many delays,
obtained an audience of his Excellency- They de-
lvered taeir message The Governor replied, that ne
responsible 70 the President and not 70 hc People
of Florida, for his measures-and making bow to
the committee turned upon his heel and retired TO his
private apartments Alter this cavalier treatment, the
committee note his Excellency with the view
of obtaining his reasons in writing. The following
il his response:
TALLAHASSEE, 4th Aug, lS40.
GENTLEMEN: Understanding that you desire reply
in writing to your application of this afternoon have
To inform you that although do not admit your right
to question about the employment Of the militia, of
which am Chief Magistrate yet my Republican prin-
epes forbid me TO refuse answer TO any application
from my fellow citizens.
state them you, that the public peace was, yes
terday in repeated instances, violated that there
those in this community who to consider the pis
tol and the bowie knife the iars Of The iand and
that am determined as Governor of Florida, 10
sert and maintain the supremacy of the laws.
The volunteers in T Tallahassee therefore, not to
violate the public peace, but to protect it
am, respectfully,
Your obedicnt servant,
ROBERT r. REID.
Messrs. Hayward. Hackley, Randolph, and Cope
land of the Committee.
This preext Of preserving the public peace, is pro-
nounced false by the Tallahassee Star and Com
mittec of the most respectable citizens of the town
But let this pass The Governors letter produced
great dissatisfaction. The public meeting adjourned
IN next day; each man, however determined that the
hired sodery of the Government should not be quar-
tered upon Them in violation of the Constitution and
of their rights freemen. In the meantime, several
of the most respectable citizens had been arrested by
the sentinels and the whole town was subjected TO
military rule II reported that the troops had dis
mounted an old 4th Of July cannon, which belonged
to the town This increased the excitement the peo-
pie were aroused. Some hundreds" says the Star,
collected together the drums beat
the cannon remounted and charged to
the muzzc, and for short time matters wore very
beigerent aspect But betters counsels prevailed
instead of making war at once on the soldiers, the
citizens appointed committee. The soldiers should
leave town-that was a matter determined They
might 90 peaceably and quietly if they would-but
they should 60 speedily Another committee was ac-
cordingly named at the head of which that old
and tried friend Of the people, xGoyernor w z.
Dnva They were req uested to call on the Governor
the next morning and insist upon the instant removal
Of the troops The people again dispersed to their
homes
"The excitement was kept alive the next morn
ing by the bearing Of of the officers IN com
mand Of the troops, towards the citizens MAJOR
Blackburn staggered and clustered in every crowd he
passed, menaced the citizens and actually drew ms
bowie knife, it appeared on most peaceable ana
respectable citizen, who was unarmed Ihis, now
ever, he afterwards explained by saying he was only
shifting its position Two additional companies also
arrived in town at an early hour ,
Al the time designated, the committee assembled
and proceeded to the consideration OF the subject en-
trusted to them. Afda,s were taken of the outrages
which had been committed against the citizens, and a
letter pcnncd To the Governor
I" In the meantime the Town Council had convened
and committee from that body had been directed to
wait on his Excccncy and to represent the excited
date collision and bloodshed, if the troops should
longer remain and to request their speedy removal.
To this the Governor had finally consented and when
the committee of the citizens arrived they were graft
fled with the information, that the orders had been
given, and that the soldiers already on their
march beyond the limits of the city,
This Is in truth most extraordinary affair. II is
the first instance since King Georges Red Jackets
driven out that hired soldiers resored to,
suppress quarrel between two individuals and dis
charge the ordinary functions Of the law In itself
and its results, it is matter of very trivial moment
But sign of coming events, 1t is well calculated to
make deep impression upon the public mind An
appeal to the sodiery on paltry pretext by the
Governor, should admonish of the solemn truth,
which all history incucates ;-Gre men po,cer and
they rriH abuse il. II teaches US lesson put to the
times and which the people of this country should not
treat with Indifference We have seen the President
and his Secretary of War recommend Military
Scheme which, if adopted would put into the pow
of those in authority to subject pleasure every
town and hamlet in the confederacy, to martial law.
The means being at hand, preexts will not be want
ing to them, made amply manifest by the case
under consideration.
As to the causes Of this novel proceeding on the
part of the Governor it seems scarcely credible that
the petty quarrel between two dozen individuals
about petty political calumny, could have prompted
him to the hg handed measure, which he adopted
He could not from such circumstance have appre-