The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-08-24


as the tool of his master at Washing
tom and in the words of the Flerlda STAR Us
tbe unwelcone ruler over an unwilling people
The peaple would rejoice at his removal; out
they would disdain a resort to violent measures
to compass their ends
The Star hints that other causes, thah those
,ssiOned by the Governor, are suspected OF haV-
inc had influence in prompting the appeal 10
arms. We copy from that paper:
eGRnt we can scarcely venture to pay so poor
commitment, either to the intellect, or to the
manhood of Governor Reid, as to suppose that II
was altogether a regard for h own safety,
which induced him TO remove the troops from
the protection of the frontiers, and quarter them
in Tallahassee deep political scheme must
49, baen at the bottom of this movement;
which. as it did not succeed, it may now be
deemed prudent to cloak over. what these
schemes really were, OF course, it is Impossible
for us with certainty to say. From known pre-
misses however, we can draw our own conein-
sions. On the day on which expresses Were de-
spatched for the troops, the Wings held meet,
mo in town. appointed Delegates, and so ON, and
;nS,ited Convention of Delegates from other
counties, to be held at future day. Now, may
it not be presumed, in the absence OF all other
adequate motive, that the presence OF these hired
minions of Governor Reid might have been de-
sired for the purpose OF putting dopn ineetlhg
obnoxious to the Loco Focos, for the purpose OF
sitting the free expression OF OPINION, OF over
awing the Wings, and giving confidence and
countenance 10 their ofvn partlzans! May II not
have been expected, and hoped, that difficulties
would have arisen from the clustering, over
bearing conduct of the military on the one part,
and the excitable temper of our people on the
other. and thus have furnished a preteXt for the
use Of military force, under tho color OF quellng
a riot? And if MIR. Poinsett's 2OO,0OO army bill
had been in operation, it is to be imagined, that
the point would have been so easily conceded by
the Governor and the soldiers easily got rid Of?
ssBut whatever may have been the motive, or
whatever may have been the preteXt, the march
ing of this armed force upon our city, is clearly
an invasion of our civil rights, dangerous at
tack upon our liberties, and insult offered to
our free institutions, which should not pass I'M
rebuked."
We spbioin the remonstrance of the citizens
of Tallahassee to the Martial Proceedings OF
the Governor:
TALLAHASSEE, 9Th Aug. 1910.
To His Excellency Robert Raymond Reid, Go
vernon of the Territory of Florida:
SIR.-ks cem;nittee on the part Of the citl-
zens of Tallahassee, we lay before your Excel
lency the affidavits Of Levi Carlton, T. Bezeau,
David f. Wilson, Lewis Fl. Bryant, Waller w.
Taylor, and Charles Qpaye, al Of whom are
citizens of Tallahassee, but one, who resides in
the county of Madison. These dispositions prove,
that an armed force, now in the service of the
United States, have been called to Tallahassee,
and, as you avow by your order, "to maintain
the supremacy of the layys.@
The citizens of this place have met to inquire
into the causes that have induced your Excellen-
CIV to call into city military force, Chat had
been provided for the defence OF citizens on the
frontIerA and after due examination We haYe not
been able to hear of any disorder or violation Of
the peace, except some angry words that passed
between two of our citizens day or two since,
and which has passed away without any vio'
lence We can assure your Excellency that the
citizens OF Tallahassee viii maintain the peace
and order of the city, that any legal process that
may be issued viii be enforced, and We sill give
TO every individual citizen pratectign end secu-
ritv. II your excellency knows of any instance
in which resistance has been offered to the exc
cution of any process issued by Judge or magis-
trate of the city or county, the citizens have not
been appriZed Of it, nor have they been called ON
to sustain the civil authority II is unusual, nor
do we know of any instance since the adop-
ton of the Federal Constitution, when any Elk
ecutiye called in military force to preserve the
peace and order OF community where no actual
violence has been committed; and even when
actual violence has occurred the military arm is
never resorted to until the civil authority has
been called upon and aitertrial found Intellectual
We consder the introduction of an armed force
under your orders into our city, as violation of
the Constitution Of the United States; subver-
sive of the liberty OF our citizens, at home and
abroad. Your excellency has been pleased to
sta tc in your letter Of 4th inst Ethat the public
peace was yesterday in repeated instances vio-
lated;" we presume your excellency has net
made this statement on your own knowledge but
on such information as you have received. We
call for proof Of these repeated instances of our
violated laws which are charged to have occur
red here ON the Sd inst. We assure your Excel
lency you have been imposed on by the fears of
some timd persons, or some whose malice or de-
sire is only to traduce our fellow citizens except
some hasty and passionate words that on the Sd
inst passed between some of our citizens, we
know of nothing else that could have brought
an armed force in our city. We know of no at
tempt at violence on the part of any of our citi-
zens, but your own officer, Major Elias f. Black
burn, on this day, Aug. 5th, attempted, by show
ing his bowie knife, and by an insulting and me
nacing manner, and language to 1ntimidate our
citizens,
II our peaceable citizens are to be arrested
by the soldiers under your orders, in the streets,
while pursuing heir ordinary business, or seek
ing social intercourse with each other; if they are
to be threatened by armed sentt,eis if they do
not stop; IL our citizens are like criminals to be
conducted before the officer Of your guard before
they are permitted to go about their own bssi-
ness; if they are not permitted to see you and
learn the cause of their arrest, we are indeed
under military despotism unknown hitherto,
in the United States. Sir, we protest, on the
part of our citizens, against this exercise of mil
itary force over them We claim all the rights
Of citizenship, and these rights duty as free
men will compel US to maintain and defend from
all insult and violence, come from what quarter
it may.
You, Sir, are as safe in this city as you would
be in Washington under the immediate protec-
ton 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
our fellow citizens, we respectfully request that
the military now in this city may be sent to the
frontier to protect our fellow citizens who are in
actual danger, and where their services are ne
cessarY. This course we hope YOU will approve,