The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-08-25

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1 IZENs OF TALLAHASSEE, TO THE
4 PRESIDENT OF THE U. STATES, RE-
MoNSTRATING AGAINST THE CON
| DUCT OF GOV. REID.
tTo MARTIN VAN buren,,
President Of the United States:
TALLAHASSEE, Fa., Aug. 10, 1910
SIR :-The Constitution Of the United States
has ul aced the Government OF the Territories
Ieutr+ely under the control of Congress-and
lCongrt IS has established form of government
for tie Territory of Florida, by which all the
civil Tis hits guaranteed by the Constitution OF
the Unit ed States to the people of the several
Seatas- ave extended and secured to the people
of this 'erritory, although they have not the
sarae Pcli teal privileges.
The act Of Congress profess to secure to our
persons and property ample protection, but deny
us the pETyi lege 81 electing cur Executive and
Judicial of icers. The power OF appointment
and rem0va of officers, and consequently Of
control and spoasSbiity so far as they exist, are
vested in the President of the United States,
and She officers appointed by him are not respon-
sible to the pc ople Of Florida in any respect.
This state of dependence leaves the people of
this TerritoEy only the remedy Of complaint and
circumstances te the Federal Executive, in case
of misconduct il Office on the part of the Terri
armed resistance, which nature gives all people,
only W 1en their grievances become too burden
some, to be- endured, ard their circumstances are
unavailJng with the power which should grant
relief.
Such being ctr situation, we respectfully
ylaima tight To call the attention. Of your Ex-
eellency' to the recent conduct of Robert Ray
Inond, Reid Governor Of.this Territory. We
refer to the annexed documents, and the follow
ax-tder.,a nf the --.rt,,va of
conduct.
It appears that the Governor haxs-iR time of
peace and auSet in our city, when nothing had
occurred Of more serious character than few
angry7lcoY2s between some few of our citizens
in some cause ofprivate quarrel; without calling
upon the civil authority; without issHing or ask
ing fer any civil process ;,without any attempt
by civil means to sustain the laws. which in
deed there had been no attempt to, violate; ex-
ercised his military authority; and, called into
the city au armed troop inathe pay Of the Gov
eminent of the United States, and slbiect to his
orders, and stationed thsm about his houses,
taking possession of the cannon on the Capitol
square, and occupied certain of the pEhlic streets
with,linessof musketry, along whisksno citizen
was allowed to pass without his leave, on pain
of being shot Thathe at the saF.e time sent
expresses into various sections of tiSs country,
TO certain of our fellow citizens, supgosed to be
attached to his person and political PARTY, but
pursuing their peaceful avocations, not in the
service of the government and not ssbfect to his
orders, except to repel invasion oY-ssYppress in
surrection. with orders, or requests for them to
come armed to the city
That when our citizens, ssFprisediaad excited
at these unusual movements sent three respecta-
BILE gentlemen, to inquire into the causes and
purposesoE those operations they veEe haughti--
ly received, and told in reply to their inquiry
that he was not amenable forihis conduct to the.
People of Florida, but tor the President of the
United States, from whom he received his APP
pointment, but condescended to sagtibat his life \
had been threatened, and sgmmaEtlE dismisseCs
them without further reply
Thatsubsequently, on tire evening Of 4th dap1
of August, he caused five citizens to- be arrested
BY his armed soldiers, who were pursuing their 4
way peaceably in the public stYests, and no
charge was made against them, them, and none
has been made since, and no other reason IS
knownafor it except the will and pleasure of tie
Governor.
That it was only when our paeIfe, Justly in
dienant and alarmed at these invasions of thor
personal rights this vioIaton of the constitution
and laws of the land, by the authority sent to
protect them, and peculiarly bound by his Office
TO uphold them, had sslemnly doeunined, in self
defence, to resist forca by force. and were PIE
pairing, with becoming forbearance and modera-
ton, before any innocent blood was shed, to send
another civil and respectable population of oiti-
zers to learn if possible, the of these OUT
RACES and to require dismissal Of the troo1as.-
That they were at last dismissed, as we are in.
formed, at the earnest solicitation of some ;1adi-
a,isEttoI citizens. But the depntation appointed
bv the citizens, wishing to be fully informed OF
his purpose, deemed it their duty to MAKE. the
communication which they Ind proposed, aacopy
Of which is annexed thereto, and dated tile 5th
August, 1910, and addressed by the committee
/ to the Governor. a comIasttee waited on the
Governor with this communication, and only re-
ceived a verbal answer, that the troops Rad Just
then been dismissed; and the enly reason as
signed for his extraordinary conduct, was, that
the Governor had received some (ancnysaous)
threatening letters, by which he had been so ex-
cited, that his repose disturbed for several
nights. And no assurance was given against
the recurrence of similar scenes for the future.
A further communication was promised in writ
| ing, but has not yet been received. These have
been the grossest outrages npon the personal and
civil rights oil citizens, ever pcrpetFated by any
Executive officer since the foundation of the Re
public; and scarcely parallel can be found in
the arbitrary conduct Of the British government
in the incipient stages of the revolution; and
the conduct in the representatives of his British
Majesty, less ir violation of their existing laws,
and less wanton, met with the ready and indig-
nant resistance of the people.
Our regard for the Governors personal charae-
ter, compel us to believe that the anonymous
letters mentioned must have been mere pretext;
as the spirit of manhood revolts at the idea that
our Governor, the commander-in-chief of our
people, while war is raging around us, whose
duty it is to protect as from the savages, who
has even now proclamations in the papers ex-
horting the people to frmness, vigilance and
courage, in protecting themselves upon the from
tiers, could exhibit such degree of pusillani-
nifty as to withdraw troops from those frontiers,
exposed to a real and terrific foe, to protect him
in the bosom of peaceable community from the
idle threats Of anonymous and childish scribblers;
and could permit his sense of propriety to be so
| far distorted by his fears as to induce him to
rest peaceable and innocent citizens at the point
Of the bayonet. In his behalf and for ourselves
we repel the imputation upon our chief magis-
trate. Common sense would have told him that
a lurking assassin could have perpetrated his fell