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

\ the free expression OF ophonl " os.'.s -
wings. and giving confidence md coun'enanee !.
.,.r own parfixans1 MAY il not have been expected
md hoped that difficulties would have ARISEN Hon ~
clustering overbearng conduct o. the military on ~
one part and the excitable temper OF our Peole ~
III other and thus have furnished pretext ior inc
-. ~ military force under the color OF quelnne 4
r,t4 And il Mr. Poinsetts 2O0,OOO army biii nAu
hsen in operation il to be imagined that the Poin'
.ouId have been easily conceded by the uosefhof
| and the soldiers easily got rid OF
- m, ,xbatexer NAV have been the motive or what
ever may have been the pfetext the marching o. 'hls
armed force upon city ~ clearly al lnsasio, u
our civil rights dangerous attack upon our hpeles
and An insult offered 10 free institutions, which
should not pass uniebaked"
| We snbjoin the remonstranee Of the citizens Of
Tallahassee TO the Martial Proceedings Of me 90
vernon; -
TALLAHASSEE, 9Th August, 1910
| Ta his Exesiiency Robert Raymond Reid, Gorernor
Of the Territory Of Florida;
SIN As committee on the part fthe citizens OF al
abassee we lay before your Excellency the afdasts
Of Levi Carlton, L. Bexeau, David Wilson, Lewis
n BRYANT Walle. w. Taylor and Charles Quayle,
ali Of whom are citizens of Tallahassee but one, who
resides in the county OF Madison These depositions
move that an armed force, IN the service OF the
United States have been called To Tallahassee and
as YOU by your order to maintain the supfema-
tcy Of the laws" The citizens of this place have met
10 nauire into the that have induced your fx
celency to call into our city military force that had
been provided for the defence of citizens on the IRON
tier and after due examination we have not been able
TO hear of any disorder violation OF the peace ex
cept some angry words that passed between two Of
our citizens day two since and which has passed
away without any violence. We assure your
Excellency that the citizens Of Tallahassee viii main
the peace and order of the city that any legal
process that may be issued will be enforced and we
will give to every individual citizen protection and Sc
curiiy. Ii your Excellency knows of any instance
in which resistance has been offered TO the execution
Of any process issued by any judge or magistrate OF
the city county the citizens have not been appraised
of IT, have they been called sustain the civil
authority. 1t is unusual nor do we know Of any in
stance since the adoption of the Federal Constitution,
when any Executive called in military force 10 pre-
serve the peace and order of community where no
actual violence has been committed; and even when
actual violence has occurred the military arm
resoted to until the civil authority has been called
upon and after trial found Intellectual.
We consider the introduction OF an armed force
under your orders into city, a violation Of the
Constitution of the United States subversive Of the
liberty of citizens and calculated TO degrade our
character as orderly citizens at home and abroad
Your Excelency has been pleased to state in your
letter of 18th inst that the public peace was yester-
day in repeated instances violated; we presume your
Excellency has not made this statment on your own
knowledge but such information YOU have re-
ceved We call for proof Of these repeated instances
of violated laws which charged to have occur
red here on the Sd instant We assure your Excel
ency you have been imposed on by the fears OF some
timid persons some whose malice desire Is only
to traduce fellow citizens; except some hasty and
passionate words that the Sd inst passed between
some of our citizens, know of nothing else that
could have brought an armed force in city. We
know of attempt at violence on the part OF any o.
our citizens, but your own officer, Major Elias r.
Blackburn, this day August 9Th, attempted by
showing his Bowie knife, and by insulting and mena-
chg manner, and language to lntImidate citizens
If peaceable citizens to he arrested by the
soldiers under your ORDERS in the streets while pur-
suing their ordinary business seeking social inter
course with each other if they to be threatened
by armed sentneis if they do not stop if citizens
are like criminals to be conducted before the officer OF
your guard before they permitted to 90 about their
own business if they not permitted TO see you
and learn the OF their arrest indeed under
military dcspotism unknown hither in the United
States Sir, protest, on the part Of our citizens
against this exercise Of military force them We
claim all the rights Of citizenship and these rights our
duty freemen will compel III TO maintain and dc
fend from all insult and violence, come from what
quarter il may You, sir, safe in this city as
you would be in Washington under the immediate
protection of the President of the United States and
we pledge ourselves that yourself and family and friends
require not protection from the military force under
your command from any other enemy but the savage
foe Of our country Entertaining these opinions, and
confident they those Of fellow citizens, we
respectfully request that the military in this city
NAV be sent the frontier to protect eliowciti
zens who are in actual danger and where their servi
ces are necessary. This course hope you will
approve and at from our city the only
real that produce serious disorder and vlo-
lence
Your obcdient servants,
VIM. P. DUVAL,
VIM WYATT.