Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-06-03
HAYWooDis
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. |

At this time the Spanish officers be.
tween New Madrid and fort st. Ferdi-
nando and those of the gallies in the
Mississippi. and some of them as high
as the mouth of the Ohio, permitted
no boats to pass without compelling
them to report their cargo and destina-
ton, with view, among other things,
of preventing supplies which would
relieve the Chlckasaws from the effects
of the great scarcity of provisions
which prevailed among them, owing
to the shortness of crops, caused by
withdrawing the agriculturists from
tillage to take part in their military
enterprises. Gov. Gayoso, in letter
to Piomingo, gave reasons for the step
he had taken, which were not unsatis.
factory to Gov. Blount, when copy
of that letter was transmitted to him
by Gen. Robertson. The Spaniards,
however, as late as August, 1906, kept
in all the four southern nations of In
dians, their partisans. who exulted in
the uneasiness occasioned whenever
a proposal was made by the United
States to purchase more lands. And
whenever it so happened that they had
no other cause of uneasiness, they re-
pined at the extension of our growing
settlements towards them; in secret
they feared and hated. Col. Mckee,
who had been sent to Gov. Gayoso, did
not return till the spring following,
and in the meantime intelligence had
reached America of the treaty with
Spain which put an end to all contro.
versies between the United States and
that kingdom.
Seeing in the former part of this
year the possession of their country
usurped, their unquestionable right to
the free navigation of the Mississippi,
withheld, and pierced without end by
uncourteous inciyilities, which ap.
peared to be used for splenetic gratifi-
cation, more than for any profitable
result expected from them, the western
people writhed with vexation and were
impatient under the injuries they en-
dured. The President, from the letter
of the Governor of Kentucky, as well
as from other sources, received intelli.
gence of the restlessness of public feel
ing; ii gave him considerable degree
of uneasiness, and to prevent conse.
quence unfavorable to the repose of
the union in this time of danger aud
universal agitation, he came to the
conclusion to send to Kentucky
specially appointed messenger to lay
before the assembly, if in session, and
before the Governor, if they were not
in session. the measures adopted by
the United States in relation to the
Mississippi; the causes which had inter-
vened to retard the completion of the
treaty, and the state of forwardness in
which it then was. Mr.. Innis, the
gentleman selected and sent from Vir-
ginia, arrived at Frankfort, in Ken
lucky, and on the 10th of January,
1895, addressed letter to Gov. Shelby
to make known his mission and the
objects of it. Having received the
Governors answer, he proceeded on the
10th of February, to lay before the
Governor a written exposition of all
the subjects committed to his charge:
in it he gave correct history of all
matters relative to the subject.
On the Gath of last May, a numerous
meeting of citizens from different parts
of the State of Kentuck, had assem-
bled at Lexington and took into con-
sideration as they expressed it, the de.
graded and deserted state of the coun-
try, and the Spanish and British ag-
gressions which they enumerated; they
resolved among other things, that the
Inhabitants west of the Appalachian
Mountains are entitled by nature and
by stipulation, to the free and undis.
turbed navigation of the River Missis-
sippi; that from the year 1888, to that
day, the enjoyment of this right had
been uniformly prevented by the Span.
iards; that government, whose duty
it was to have put them in possession
of this right, have either through de.
sign or mistaken policy, adopted no
effeotual measures for its attainment; :;
that even the measures they have
adopted have been uniformly conceal
ed from the people, or yelled in mys
te rious secrecy; that they had right
to expect and demand that Spain
should be compelled Immediately to
acknowledge their right, or that an
end be put to all negotiation on the
Subject; that the inhabitants of tn q
western country have right to de.
mand that the frontiers be protected
by the general government. and that
the total want of that protection which
they then experienced, was griev-
anoe of the greatest magnitude; that
the attainment and security of these
rights, was the common cause of the
western people, and that the resolu.
tionists would unite with them in any
measures that may be most expedient
for that purpose, that measure ought
to be Immediately taken to obtain the
sense of the inhabitants of Kentucky,
that NJ doubt may be entertained of
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