Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-01-14
TREATY OF PAYNE's LANDING.

TO the Editors Of the National lateH.gencT:
GEsrLEnEs: Allow me place in your paper to say
that grouping the treaties Of the Indian Springs with
the Creeks that of New Echota with the Cherokees and
that with the seminoles Of Paynes Landing nadverent
omitted soften the of my remarks in regard to
the latter meant have said Of it what wrote some
years ago, and which may be seen in my memories,
Personal and ofical," &c., published in 1886, page
IA, viz:
The objection is not much to the treaty itself as to
the usurpation of power enforce least provision
which it did not contain or in other words, to demand
of the Seminoles to remove under conditional stipulation
as though they had made the article unconditional and
had offered no remonstrances against its fulflment
wish to add Also in justice myself well as to
COL Gsdsden who represented the Government in that
agreement with the Semnoes, that knowing him as
do, am convinced he acted in good faith in the dis
charge of that trust and if the treaty had been left in
his hands for its future nagemen the DISASTROUS and
bloody, and costly, and will add inhuman aye and
disgracefu results would never have flown from it
were produced by the attempts to enforce it. When
the agreement came from the hands of COL Gadsden it
for harm to both the whites and the Indians
| as much magazine on board shp-of-war till
the spark explodes it.
COL Gadsden labelled that treaty of Paynes Landing
inside and outside mean the warning both in the
treaty and his correspondence with the Secretary of
War; just if he had written TO be bundled wih care
But it handled and the consequence almost
years with the Seminoles, costing
thirty millions of dollars and gallons of patriotic blood
| as out of human veins
My strctures to which Mr. Voss refers, intended
apply to the sad results the treaty and the treaty
ITSELF and far less it my intention, in the grouping
made OF the three treaties to suy the fair fame Of Col
Gadsden; and, in far my language may bear such
Interpretation, l feel bound thus to qualify it.
Still it from the treaty Of Paynes Landing that
the Florida war came. No matter how sweet may have
been its original waters how healthfu, they
turned to bitterness and death Without that treaty there
would have been war, Tor might have been none j
but with that treaty the with oil its cruees, and
inhumanity and butcheries and bloodhound projects,
and great cost of money and the failure of army after
to force the Indians out of Florida say with that
treaty came, or out Of it sprung, all these.
If any body wishes to rake among the smouldering
bers Of the Florida war; trace up to its its
causes and look into history of the campaigns
of Generals Cinch Gaines, and Scott let him look into
the pages of work thus entitled, "By late Staff OH
| cer"-one who with his own eyes, heard with his
own ears, and recorded with his pen He will there
that every species of outrage committed the
Indans the details Of which almost too shocking to
be recorded. ....
designate the treaty of Paynes Landing which they
resorted to to enforceno the provisions of the treaty.
by the bye, but what assumed to be its provisions
the Col Gadsden says, in his letter to the Sec
retary Of War: There is condition affixed this agree
ment without asserting to which the Indians most posi-
uoety refused to negotiate for their removal west of the
MISSISSIPPI Even with condition annexed there was
reluctance (Which with difficulty overcome) on
the part of the Indians bind themselves to spula
tons, before knowledge of facts and circumstances
would enable them to judge of the advantages disad
vanages Of the disposition the Government Of the United
States wished to make of them"
Again: I" The final ratification of the treaty will de-
pend upon the opinion of the Chiefs selected to
pore the country of the Mississippi river* If that
corresponds to the description given, is equal to the
expectations formed Of it, there will be difficulty on
of the Semnoes If the Creeks however, raise
objections this will be efficient pretex the part
of of the Seminole deputaton oppose the
ton of the whole arrangement" ....1 y. ...t
The Creeks did raise objections. The Seminoes want
ed separate country The Creeks refused it, and wished
| them to live with them in common. .,.s ..
Again the treaty, if the Seminoles had not made
known their objections to it, instead OF having been pass
through the forms Of law the proper tme not
ratified by the United States Government and its validity
acknowledged for about two years after it made.
1t signed May 8, 1882, and not ratified till 1884;
and yet of its provisions stipulated THAT is if it
finally accepted by the Semnoes, which however never
was) that removal of onethird of their population
should take place in 1888 Not only did this delay of
the ratification occur, but it not for time after
this that means were appropriated to it into effect
1t therefore vitiated throughout; had lost every
spark of its vitality all of its binding force upon the
other party; aud called by the Indians in derson
I"A 4 White Mans Treaty." E.I~..,:
And yet it under such powers these that Gen.
Jackson the 10th February, 1885, announced to the
Seminoles the startling tdings have ordered large
military force to be sent among you MN have direct
ed Also that one-tnru OF your people, as ropded Jor IN
The treaty, be removed during the present season."
Now, the treaty provided for such thing. 1t pro-
vded for such removal the Semnoes agreeing to emi
CRATE, which, however they did in 1885, not in
1885, unless indeed they had acsuesced in the treaty
then, which they did not) Should "you refuse to re-
move,' continues Gen. Jackson, " have then directed
the commanding officer to you By force. This wi
be done =" ... ....
The Indians not being able to comprehend the justice
Of this attempt enforce upon them compliance with
obligations their part that did not exist and after
various acts of cruelty had been inflicted them the
bare recital Of which would make the reader shudder
resolved taking their stand Osceoa seized and put
under any such treaty. In his cell he medtated upon
killed the agent for binding his God made and free limbs
command, when its march to Fort King and thence
some thirty millions of dollars the waste of human
blood the bloodhound project accomplish what
gallant armies after another could not and that
other plan of sending up balloons with spies from these
airy elevations to mark and signal the retreats Of these
hunted Semnoes and all this for net agreeing to the
dictum Of power many thousand times formida
BILE than their own, and under such managed mis-
managed treaty have shown that of Paynes Landing
to have been.
History with her faithful and fearless pen, whilst she
will note of whatever drops Of mercy permitted
fall upon these hapess Seminoles and doubt there
some will fail to make record of these doings
in which posterty may how and under what pretexts
their oreathers who forced this bloody upon these
people, acted towards the red of the everglades Of
Florida THOS L. MCKINNEY,