The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-12-10

~ IA ,bs, ,snres,n,arIyes 10 decide whether not
the peImsnant welfare VI the country when al
citizens equally desire however widely they may uns
as 10 the means OF It's accomps hment shall De IA inns
way secured; or whether the management OF the Pc
cuniary Of the Government, and, ny eonse-
auence 10 a great extent, those OF individuals aiso'
shall be carried back 10 a condition of things whch
fostered those contrartons and expansions OF
rency and those reckless abuses Of credit from the
baleu effects OF which the country has so deeply SUI
fereda return that can promise, IN tina end no De'-
Ter results than TO reproduce the enbsrrassments the
Government has experienced and TO remove from the
shoudars OF the present those OF fresh Victims the
bitter fruits Of that spirit OF speculative enterprise 10
which our countrymen are 50 liable, and upon which
the lessons OF experience 80 unasailng. The
choice is important one and sincerely hope that u
may be wisely made.
A report from the Secretary of War presenting a
detailed view Of the affairs Of thai department. accom-
panies this communication.
The desultory duties connected with the REMOVAL OF
the Indians in which the army has been constantly
engaged on the northern and western frontiers and In
Florida have rendered il impraciicabie TO carry into
full effect the plan recommended by the Secretary iof
improving its discipline. Ia every instance where the
regiments have been concentrated they have made
great progress and the best results he anticipated
from continuance of this system. During the last
season part Of the troops have been employed IN re-
moving Indians from the interior TO the territory as
signed them in the wesi-a duty which they have per-
formed efficiently and with praiseworthy humanity (;
and that portion Of them which has been stationed IN
Florida continued active operations there throughout
the heats of summer.
The policy of the United States in regard to the In
dams, OF which succinct account is gwen IN my
message of 1888, and of the wisdom and expediency
of which | am fully satisfied, has been continued in
active operation throughout the whole period of my
administration. Since the spring OF 1887, more than
forty thousand Indians have been removed 10 their
new homes west of the Mississippi and | am happy
add that all accounts in representing the
result OF this eminently beneficial TO that
people
The EN- grafton of the SemnoIes alone has been at
tended with serious difficulty, and occasIoned blood
shed hostilties having been commenced by the In
dams in Florida, under the apprehension that they
would be compelled, by force 10 comply with their
treaty stpulatons The execution of the treaty of
Paynes Landing, signed in 1882, but not ratified I'M
til 1884 was postponed the solicitation of the In
dams, until 1886, when they again renewed Their
agreement to peacefully to their new homes IN
the west. In the face Of this solemn and renewed
compact they broke their faith, and commenced hos
tilities BY the massacre of Major Dades command the
murder Of their agent, General Thompson, and other
Of cruel treachery. When this alasmng and un-
expected intelligence reached the seat of Government
every effort appears to have been made to reinforce
General Ciinch who commanded the troops then in
Florida General Eusts was despatched with rein
forcements from Charleston troops were called out
from Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia and General
Scott was sent to take the command, with ample pow
efs and ample At the first alarm General
Gains organized force at New Orleans, and, without
waiting orders landed in Florida, where he deliver
ed over the troops he had brought with him to Gen.
Scott.
Governor Call was subsequently, appointed to con-
duct summer campaign, and, at the close of it, was
replaced by General Jesup. These events and chang
took place under the administration of my prode
Notwithstanding the cxertions of the expert
enced officers who had commanded there for eighteen
months on entering upon the administration of the
Government | found the Territory of Florida prey
to Indian atrocities. strenuous effort was immedi-
aely made TO bring these hostities to close and
the army, under General Jesup reinforced until
amour ed to ten thousand men, and furnished with
abundant supplies of every description In this
paign great number of the enemy captured and
destroyed but the character of the contest was only
changed. The Indians having been defeated in every
engagement dispersed in small bands throughout the
country and became entcrprising, formidable and
ruthless banditti. General Taylor who succeeded
General Jesup used his best cxetons to subdue them,
and was seconded in his eioIts by the officers under
his command but he, too, failed to protect the
Territory from their Expectations BY an act Of
signal and cruel treachery they broke the truce made
with them by General Macomb, who sent from
Washington for the purpose of carrying INTO effect
the expressed wishes of Congress- and have continued
their deyasta,ions ever since. General Armstead,
who in Florida when General Taylor left the
army, by pcrmisslon assumed the command and after
&C i've summer operations, was met by propositions
for peace and from the fortunate coincidence Of the
arrival in Florida at the period of deegat
from the Semnoles who happily settled west of
the Mississippi and are now anxious to persuade their
countrymen to join them there, hopes were for
time entertained that the Indians might be induced TO
leave the Territory without further difficulty These
hopes have proved iaacous, and hostites have been
renewed throughout the whole of the Territory That
this contest has endured long is to be attributed to
causes beyond the control Of the Government. Expe-
rieiccd Generals have had the command of the troops
officers and soldiers have alike distinguished them
selves for their activity patience and enduring cou
rage the army has been constantly furnished with
supplies of every description, and we must look for
the which have long procrastInacd the issue
of the contest in the vast extent of the theatre of hos
tltics the almost nsurmountablc obstacles presented
hy the nature of the country, the climate, and the willy
character oi the savages.
The sites for marine hospitals the rivers and
lakes which was authorized to select and cause to
he purchased, have all been designated; but the APP
preparation proving sufficient conditional arrange
ncnts only have been made for their acquisition. 1t
is for Congress TO decide whether those conditional
purchases shall be sanctioned, and the humane nen-
tons of the law carried into full effect
The Navy, will appear from the accompanying
report Of the Secretary, has been usciuly and honor
ably employed in the protection of our commerce and
citizens in the Mediterranean the Pacific, the
Of Brazil, and in the Gulf of Mexico A small squad
ron consisting of the frigae Constellation and the
sloop of war Boston, under Commodore Kearncy, is
now its way TO the China and Indian seas for the
purpose of attending TO interests in that quarter
and Commander Aulck, in the soop-of- war Yorktown
has been instructed TO visit the Sandwich and Society
Islands, the coasts Of New Zealand and Japan tope-
thcr with other ports and islands requcned by our
whale ships for the purpose ofgvng them coun,cnance
and protection, should they be required Other smaller
vessels have been, and still are, employed in prosccu-
ting the surveys of the coast of the United States di-
rcctod by various acts of Congress and those which
have been completed will shortly be laid before YOU
The exploring expedition, at the latest ate, was
preparing TO leave the Bay of Islands New Zealand
in further prosecution of objects which have thus far
been successfully accomplished. The discovery of
new continent, which was first in latitude &C deg
min. south longitude l53 deg. 40 mn east, by Lieu
tenants Wilkes and Hudson for an extent of eirh-
teen hundred mles but on which they were prevented