Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-10-30

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might think proper. without offence to
the government of the United States;
and to inform them, that if the lndi'
ans would permit them to settle at the
Muscle Shoals, thesgovernment of the
United States would not. They were
int;midated by this communication,
and began to doubt whether they
should proceed or not. But it was eX
pected that in the course of February,
three hundred men from Kentucky
would proceed with determination to
settle the Yazoo; such was the state of
affairs at the time Gov. Blount arrived
in the territory.
Spain for several years past, aud in.
deed ever since the conclusion of the
American war, had viewed with ieal-
ousy the extension Of our settlements
towards the west and diffusion of our
political principles towards their own
settlements on the Mississippi, and in
the Floridas, 1t became settled OBJ.
iect of policy with them to break up
these settlements if possible, or to
withdraw from their union with the
Atlantic States. The first they thought
to effect by their influence with the
southern Indians, with whom they
began to tamper as early as 1884, and
to give themselves some color for in
terferng in their affairs, they pretend
ed claim to part of the country of the
United States, far to the North of the
3lst degree of north latitude. This
pretence, they absurdly founded upon
the capture by their forces in the time
of the war with Great Britain, of some
places within our bounds, which, as
allies of the United States, they occu-
pied for some time. They endeavored
to effect the second object by denying
our right to navigate the Mississippi,
even down to the 3lst degree of north
latitude, to which we owned all the
territory on the east side of the river.
They unequivocally denied the right
to all parts of the river below the 31st
degree of north latitude to the ocean.
Though the British were entitled to
navigate the whole river by their
treaty of 1868, and passed that right to
us by the treaty of 1888, after which
the British ceded to them the Flordas
and French Louisiana, subject inevi.
tably to the right of navigation, de
rived to us long anterior to their claims
to the adjoining counties: they hoped
by rendering the productions of the
western country of no value, for want
of market, to make the settlers remove
into their territories, or otherwise to
make it their interest to separate from
the Atlantic States, and to enter into
arrangements with Spain suitable to
her views, or to become her tributaries
or dependents. America had been
separated from England, and the latter
proportionably disabled. The western
part of America was now to be sepa.
rated from the eastern part of it, to re
duce her to so much imbeCility as to
free the Spanish possessions in America
from danger. These were objects of
no small moment; the Spanish govern
ment never lost sight of them till
placed in circumstances " hich demon
strated the impossibility of her ever
succeeding The entertainment by her
of this policy will serve to explain
every part of her conduct which shall
be narrated in this history. At some
periods when she had hopes of effect
ing separation, her officers paid the
most tiattering attention of our leading
men, and granted commercial privi
leges, which none but themselves could
grant. At other times, when that hope
faltered, hosts of savages were sent
upon our frontiers, supplied with all
munitions of war. When afraid of the
rumored invasion of the western peo
pie, they recommended to the Indian:
peace with their neighbors, the Ameri
cans, and as soon as difficulties began
to appear less formidable, again ex
cited them to war and mischief. Some
times the leaders of our unprotected
settlers pretending esteem for theil
officers, and wish to be under theil
government, would procure an abate
ment of the horrors of war. But liber
ty to those settlers was of more value
than all the benefits they had in theil
power to bestow, and might hav,
taught them, if the servants of despot
ism had known how to calculate, tina
however our leaders in calamitous cir
cumstances think proper to temporise
they never could entertain the seriou
wish to coalesce with them, and the,
might have understood that with tn
great body of the western people, al
the wealth of the Spaniards could no
bear a comparison with this singl
article. During the whole time tina
the American negotiations were pend
ing with Spain fran 1885 to 1896
, orders were constantly repeated to on
: military officers on the frontiers, t
behave towards the Spaniards with tn
utmost politeness, aud to act only o.
the defensive against the Indians, TO
fear of offending the Spaniards, VIII
had unjustitiabIy taken them unde