The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-02-01
From the Tallahassee Fiorilian.!
rgftc Es.d5:as,s,

The rumor mentioned in our last re-
garding the refusal Of the indians to
emigratc, has been since confirmed by
the receipt of letters from General
Blake, and from J. Darling, Esq, of
Tampa. We publish the letters on
our first page, along with Il brief mes
sage from the Governor relating to the
same subject. We confess that this
intelligence has taken us somewhat by
surprise. 1t is true, VIC had no conf
dcnce i'll the expressed opinion Of Gcn.
Blake and others that tho sayagcs in
tended TO keep thcil faith and to en-
igratc-but we did not think that their.
refusal would be SO prompt and so
| direct. We rather looked for con-
tihua,ion of Seminole diplomacy-a
longer humbu"ging OF the snail pa
ccd powers ut Washington. with de
lusivc promises, and 50 forth. Bow
legs, however, scorns further CON
ccalmcut-hc throws down the 9uagc,
and shouts defiance to all concerned.
This present posture of the Quc.-
ton, VIC suppose. will arouse the Gov
crnmcnt at Washington TO the ncccs-
sity Of at least making show Of do
ing something. They have managed,
by their bungling movements and
iubccilc policy, to drive the Indians TO
their Businesses i'll the swamps, from
which they may spread devastation
and death along the frontier before II
single company of troops is on the
spot To protect the exposed inliabi-
tants, aud now an effort would np-
pear to be absolutely Indispensable
in order to retrieve past errors and
put things in position to meet this
new emergency.
Bowlcgs would seem, too, To have
cared or been influenced very little by
the marches and countcr-n,archcs of
the Governors Special, Agent, the
Major General Of the Eastern Divis-
ion. From General Hopkins long re-
ports, and the grand ilourshcs his lIx-
ccilcncy made, we verify believed that
the Seminole Chief was quaking in
his moccasins, and that his trip to the
"Grcat Father ut Washington was
the happy result OF nine months
scout on the part of Gen. H. But Io.-
scarcely has the ink dried on his last
despatch. in which he deliberately as
surcs his Exccllcncy that ''my (his)
late Investigation has relieved the
frontier people very much--they feel
for the present comparatively satc"-
when Bowlcgs silently retires into
the woods, and without the fear of Ma
jor General Hopkins before him, de-
clarcs he will not bulge one foot.
thus ends line months quasi war. ut
an expense TO the State of some rliv
thousand dollars moro or less.
But the aspect uf things now pre-
scented brings up the question ut once
oftorcc or IackiHy ont. SQhcrc is no
avc.c q this altcrnatiyca, The In
dams ~ fatty they vii. notTso, con
sr7ites,Cf s17r.r3lfSfi iSf r.rcrtt-
persuasive than trotts must either be
made, or the Peninsula will continue to
be occupied by the sayagcs. Which
Shall be done! Shall Joree be en-
ploycd. or will the authorities Luch
oHi, and acknowledge thcnlsclvc whip-
pcN So far as Florida is concern
cd, VIC believe there is an mmistakc-
able determination in the Executive
and Legislative departments to meet
the question as it thus presents itself
and to act. The bill which passed
the House on Thursday night, and the
Senate on yesterday, is aeur meas
ere. Is contemplatcs no chId's play,
no more vascillation-but looks TO
force and force only. Yet it is Il
sorry piece of business that the State is
compelled thus TO interfere and pro
tcct herself, but what else can she do?
If the power whose solemn duty it is
TO remove these mauraudcrs will not
act; can the State do otherwise than
take the matter into her own hands?
But we have no idea that thc State will
lie forced to do the business on her
own account. The General Govern
mcnt must see that the day for nc
Gotiation has gone by, and that
the hour for action has come: and
We believe further that all that is now
needed to cnnstruin the authorities at
| Washington into decisive movements,
| - t'!i tISl SCliC ICliiOilSlIutlcc from llc
! Executive, and active efforts on the
part Of our delegation III Congress.
backed by the determined measures
proposed by the General Assembly.
We believe, moreover, that the two
regiments to be raised by the act in
question will be accepted, and We
should not be surprised if the entire
management OF The arnr (nr such it
is certain TO bc) is committed TO
them. At all events, let lhc course of
the General Government be what it
may, it is the bcundcn duty Of the
State TO do something. We owe il TO
the people Oh the ironticr-wc owe it
to our immediate and future pros
pcrity. Every consideration Of inter
est, humanity and safety appeals TO
lis, and we cannot escape the rc&pon-
sibility OF definite action. The State will
have thus TO take the mitialiyc. soon
CT or latcr-and there never WILL be