Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-07-14

toiH NOT DC qfteT 00HiaHy you GguW'
The only questions between US, Junius
says are. 9did the British gain possession
Of the country West of the Cuyahoga in 1876
and did the territory west Of the Ouya-
hoga await the arbitranent of the sword
and the tomahawk2"
assert the affirmative of both propositions
my friend Junius takes the negative
Were these the only questions involved,
would not ask so much space in your paper
but Junius has asserted some matters, as
history, that l cannot pass unnoticed His
statements falsify all history of the West,
heretofore received as authentic.
Junius says-"The only post ts British
had upon this soil THE Northwestern territory
tpas Fort Miami," and "thers Is no historical
account I hare sOer seen, '0hieh places any Of
the Northeastern territory in the possession of
the Bridsh, ereept the possession on hs Mau-
NEE"
In the history to which l alluded In my
former communication, it is said-"That the
Northwestern and Indian war was contin-
uation of the Revolutionary contest, is sus-
ceptible Of proof. It is to British influence
that their [the Indian'sl subsequent hostili-
ties are to be attributed. This was the cause
OF the destruction of the posts of Detroit
AackiHaV and Niagara so long after the
treaty of 1888. "FrOm that time the failure of
negotiations with the Indians the war was no
longer carried on in disguise. Acts Of open
hostility were committed. In the general ac-
tiOn of the day with Wayne1 there were two
militia companies from Amherst fort Nal
denl and Detroit If there were no British
posts except Fort Manu. how happened it
that British company from Detroit were in
the battle? And how is it that this history
says that the forts of Detroit and Mdekinatc
were detained by the British
But this history may be wrong, and Junius
right
In Wilson's American History page 43s, it
is said "the BriGsh retained possession Of Mich
gan, by means Of their post at Detroit, until
1896" 1t seems, by this history, that
the British not only held the posts of
Fort Miami, Detroit and Mackinaw,
but all Of AGchigan until 1906, the year the
first settlers arrived on the Reserve
This history may be wrong, however, and
Junius right.
Junius says-"Gen. Wayne had an army at |
Fort Greenville, and other points in the In
dian country until after the treaty of 1895,
and could have driven the English out at |
any time"
The authority from which first quoted, and
which was written by Gen. Harrison, who |
was Aid to Gen. Wayne, ,says-"An accurate
examination Of the defenceS of the Fort Mi |
ami made by the Gen. Wayne at great per-
sona hazard, showed but too clearly that our
small howitzers, our only artillery, could make /
no impression upon its massive earthen para |
pet while the deep fosse, and fraEing, by /
which it was surrounded, afforded no pros /
pect Of the success Of an escalade but at an |
expense Of valuable lives" Such was 0the /
ease with which Gen. Wayne could have |
driven the English OUT at least Geu. Wayne I
did not dare to risk q trial He, however, may |
have been wrong, and Junius right.
Junius says-'Is it to be supposed, for /
moment that our Government would permit |
a hostile army to keep possession of our soil for
years, and make no attempt to drive it out u /
From my former reading of history had |
supposed they did may be wrong, and |
Junius right-but the history from which I |
first quoted says-"The near approach of |
the American troops drew forth letter of |
remonstrance from Major Campbell, the Brit
ish commandant, to Gen. Wayne. The morn ]
ing before the army left, Gen. Wayne ad-
vanced, with his numerous staff, and body /
of cavalry, to the glacis of the British fort |
reconnoitered it with great deliberation, while /
the garrison were seen, with lighted matches, /
prepared for any emergency"
The Temonstrance from the British COM
mandant Of Fort Miami, and the lighted |
matches, look SomelDhat RosdIs-but perhaps .
this history is wrong, and Juni1S right.
Junius says 'the title of both English, and |
Indians to the post at Detroit, were also extin-
guished by the treaty of 1881 and after /
this, in l7s6, enterprising Pittsburghers set |
up trade with Detroit"
How happened it. then, that a company /
of British troops came from Detroit TO aid the /
Indians in fighting Wayne Perhaps they
did not. This history may be wrong, and |
Julius right-and the statement in Wilson's /
History may be incorrect, and Junius the
standard. (
Junius says 'when, if ever, after this |
1873 was tltle or possession Of this land, ar
bitrated by the tomahawk or the sword ?"
l said 'it dl0dlted the dr6itrament of the |
sword, and the tomahawk." I did not say |
It was arbitrated. The Indians, finding re-
sistance useless, by the treaty of Fort Indus
try gave up the country without an "arbitra-
ment' Tecumseh, in 1911, tried an ar
bitration for it, and got defeated. If the In
dians had not yielded, at Fort Industry the |
arbitrament would have been in 1905, instead |
of 1911.
Junius asks-!'What treaty was ever con-
cluded with Great Britain by which this |
country Northwestern territory was aban-
doned by them, or ceded by them to the Uni /
ted States, other than the treaty of 1888 p |
There lCGs ReUer any such treaty."
do not dispute the correctness of Junius |
but to show what fool Willison is, who |
wrote the "American History" quote from |
his work, page 43s-'.For the purpose of |
adjusting the difficulties, and preventing a |
war, if possible, Mr. Jag lCas sent to England,
tDere he succeeded in concluding a treaty lin !
1885, which, early in the following year,
Tl7961 was laid before the Senate for ratif- |
cation. By the terms Of the treaty the West-
erR posts lrere to be surrendered 10 the United
Stateg'
Probably John Jay never made any such
treaty-but that the posts were given up un-
der the treaty of 1888. If new edition of
american History" is issued probably they
will strike the account of that treaty out for
Junius says 'Fhere l1as ReUer any such treaty."
Acknowledging Junius right and myself
and all previous history wrong, l win not
trouble you or your readers again on the sub
ject. L. V. BIERCE.
The Christian and Druses War in Syria.
A letter from Beyrout June sth, to the
Trieste Gazette, gives the following addi-
tional details of the bloody scenes enacted
in the Libanus, and gives some hope that