Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-03-26

SUI Win VIC leSulais. Inc eHeilly Win lne
aid of their Spanish friends and Woodbone's
British partisans, or, If you please, with
Aurey's force attacks him. What may not
be the resutY Defeat and massacre. The
Executive Government General jackson
continues) have ordered, and, as | think,
very properly, Amelia Island to he taken
possession Of This order ought TO be car
ried ont at all hazards, and simultane-
ously the whole of East Florida seized and
held as an indemnity for the outrages of
Spain upon the property Of our citizens.
This done, puts all opposition down, secures
our cstizens complete indemnity, and saves
us Il war with Great Britain or some of the
Continental powers combined with Spain
This done, puts all opposition down, secures
our citizens complete indemnity, and saves
us from war with Great Britain or some of
the Continental powers combined with Spain.
This can be done aoithom duplicating oar Coz
ernment Let ii be signified to me through
any channel (say Mr.. AIcRhea) that the pos
session of the Floridas would be desirable to
the United States, and in sixty days it will
be accomplished"
President Monroe did signify to Mr. Nc
Rhca all that General Jackson asked him,
and Mclthea communicated the desired in
telligence, and the General promptly pro-
| ceeded TO adopt the necessary measures TO
put an end TO the conflict without regard to
territorial lines or spanish Forts"
A few days after the reception of General
Jackson's letter to President Monroe, and
after McRhea had been instructed what TO
write to General Jackson, Mr.. Calhoun, in n
letter to Governor Bib, of Alabama, said
that General Jackson is vested with full
power to conduct the war in the manner he
may judge best"
The confidential letter of General jackson
to President Monroe, it happened, was read
by Mr.. Calhoun before ii was by the Presi.
dent. When received, Mr.. Monroe was
sick. Mr.. Calhoun, Secretary of War, was
with him. Opening the letter and seing the
signature "Andrew Jackson" he handed il
to Calhoun to read He did 50, and hand
ing it back said it was confidential and the
President must read it himself. President
Monroe did so, and after consultation the
order to disregard territorial limits and
Spanish forts was given to McRhea to trans
nit to jackson.
General jackson pursued the enemy they
| fled into Florida, and rs usual, were succored
| by the Spanish authorities jackson opened
negotiations with the Spanish authorities,
failed to deliver up the aggressors, or to give
evidence Of future regard for the law of ma
tons. Tired out with Spanish perfidy and
| Spanish procrastination, he addressed the
commander Of the fort at Pensacola, ending
with the sentence so truly Jacksonian 81
am no longer To be considered in the light OF
II diplomatist, until 80 proclaimed from the
mouths Of my cannon" Within an hour
after its reception the cannon opened upon
the walls Of the fort, and within another
hour the fort, after fierce combat, was taken.
The Spanish fort at 81. Augustine in like
manner was taken, and Florida was in pos
session of the American army
In one Of the forts thus taken were two
emissares Of the British government, who
furnished arms and ammunition to the lndi-
ans, and urged them TO the murder of Ameri-
can citizens. These cmssaries, Arbuthn0t
Armbrster, were tried by court martial,
over which General Gaines presided, were
found guilty and were hanged.
The news Of General Jackson summarly
taking possession of Florida, and the hang
ing OF two British subjects, caused terrible
excitement In the Cabinet Of Mr.. Monroe,
then consisting, in part, Of John Quincy
Adams as Secretary Of State John G. Cal
houn, Secretary Of War; William II. Craw-
frod, secretary Of the Treasury, the question
Of ccnsurng or Of bringing General jackson
10 trial was freely debated. None Of the
Cabinet, except Calhoun, knew of the secret
orders to Jackson. Mr., Calhoun was in favor
Of the more extreme measures The Prcsi-
dent alone Of all his Cabinet stood by Jack
son, and under his instruction Mr.. Adams,
as Secretary Of State, addressed TO the Span
ish Government the ablest State paper that
even emanated from his pen, or, perhaps,
any other pen, justifying the entire course Of
jackson. In Congress the question was
debated at great length and with much bit
terness, but the resolution against jackson
was not carried.
The difficulty between Spain and the
United Staios was finally brought 10 close
by treaty, in which Spain coded Florida
10 the United States for a sum of money and
the Territory ofIaxas, which had been coded
by France 10 the United States in the pur-
chase Of Louisiana.
For reasons which can only be guessed
at, Mr.. Calhoun, when Jackson's popularity
was found to be well-seatcd in the affections
Of the American people, caused il 10 he given
out that he, and he alone, was the friend OF
General Jackson when the attempt 10 dis
grace him was made in the Cabinet Of Mr.
Monroe. Ito also caused II 10 be believed
that William II. Crawford, on that occasion,
was the malignant enemy Of Jackson-thc
most earnest Of the Prosecutors General
| Jackson believed this he know that Calhoun
was aware OF the secret instruction given
him by President Monroe, through Mr..
Mcltbea. Believing this, at a dinner given
in Virginia, General jackson toasted John
Q. calhoun as Gods noblest worls--an hon.
ct man"
In the political compaign Of 1923 Major
William -. Lewis, Of Nashville, IN a CONVEX.
sation with Colonel Hamilton, son Of Alex
ander Hamilton, had his eyes opened o. Cal
houn's treaehory. Colonel Hamilton, who
was the supporter Of Jackson, ~ four years
before be had been of Crawford for Presi-
dent, asked Lewis why il was that General
Jackson 80 disiked Crawford. The reply
wa that Crawford had moved Ia Monroe's
Cabinet b. censuro and to bring b. trial
General Jackson for his invasion Of Florida ;
that Jackson, knowing be obeyed insiruc.
ton, felt more koenly the injustice ~ Craw-
ford, because Crawford knew, or ought 10
] L.. a Al.