The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-04-19

How Old Hickory Dealt With Pe1fdy
Masked Behind Polite Pretensrs


Just eighty years ago this spring we
had a war with Spain. Or, rather,
Andrew jackson had a war with Spain,
which he carried on in the name and
with the troops of the United States,
but on his own personal responsibility.
He had made one brilliant campaign
against the Greeks of southern Georgia.
He completely crushed the Creek ma
ton, and thought that they were "paci-
fed" in the thorough Jacksonian man
ner.
But "a FEW thousand Greek braves
fled across the border into the Spanish
province of west Florida, and joined
themselves to the b~lood-thirsty horde
of Seminoles and fugitive slaves led by
the great chief Billy Bowlegs. This
tripaGltnerShip of deviltry, aided and
abetted by the Spaniards, made life
in southern Georgia a series of alarms
too frequently realized in butchery and
rapine.
The Spanish official attitude was per-
fectly correct d~eprecatory and regret
full. But really, said the Spaniards,
these savages are 50 strong and so
willy that We can do nothing.
hen Andrew Jackson came. He had
| choice of two course5-to foldCw uhe re-
cognized. international code Of protest
| by post 10 Washington, thence after
| long delay to the Spanish minister,
! themes after inf~erminIable delay to
Spain by slow sailing vessel, and so on
through drawn-out years of waiting,
or to accept a J~acksOnian code Of inter
national law exactly suited to the cir
cuunstances. He reasoned thus:
1. Billy Bowlegs and his marauders
must be punished at once.
2. This is as much to the interest Of
Spain as to the United States.
3. That I, Andrew Jackson, must do
my duty by both countries.
4. If the Spanish officers assist me,
we'll and good; if not, then they are
allies of the savages and enemies CT the
United States.
Jackson wrote to the government ait
Washington just what he proposed to
do. Them, WithO 1t waiting for reply,
he marched over tine border into the
sacred territory of Spain at the head
of ain army that knew no other duty
| than obedience to Jackson.
He made straight for the nearest
Spanish fort-St. Marks. He sent
word to the governor that he (Jackson)
had been much panied to learn that the
| wicked Indians had forcibly entered
1 bCts W n ~, oAAA 4l00
weak garrison into giving them arms
| and ammunition. ITO prevent the re-
| currence of SO gross a violation OF neu-
| trality,' wrote Jackson, land to eX-
Guide our savage enemies from so
| strong a hold as ST. Marks, I deem it
| expedient ITO garrison that fortress
| with American troops until the close
of the present war;
The governor was dumfounded. He
| hurried forward a long reply in Span
| ish, the substance of which was that
he would write to this government
and see whether it wished him to let
Jackson pursue the proposed course.
| That is, he said to Jackson, Wait SIX
| months or a year"
| jackson couldn't read Spanish. In
! his whole life he never dreamed of any
| one asking him to wait" SO he as
| stunned tina the letter must be a cor
dial assent to his very proper propos-
| ais. He got the letter in the early
| morning of April Z, 1918. Before noon
| the Spanish flag had been hauled down
from ST. Marks, the American flag was
| floating over it, and American troops
| We're in possession. The governor made
a dignified protest-in Spanish-and
| departed with his paTrison.
| General jackson proceeded to chaStiSe
! the Indians, and had his usual success.
But again he found the Spaniards in
! terfering to save the Indians from
f, Jacksonian "p~acification." Here are
| his own vivid words of description of
| his further and final campaign against
Spain:
II received information that $50 In
| dams had collected in Pensacola, were
| fed by the governor, and that a party
| furnished by the governor had issued
| forth and in night had slain eigh-
| teen of our citizens, and that another
| party, with the knowledge OF the gov
| ernor, went out publicly. murdered a
| MI. Stokes and his family, and in pen
| day returned to Pensacola and sold the
| booty, among which was the clothing
of Mrs. Stokes"
| Here was indeed a casus be1I. Jack
I! SON did not hesitate between the ac-
| cepted code and the Jacksonian code.
He at once levied wan against Spain.
| Says he:
with a general detachment of regu-
liars and 600 Tennesseeans I marched
| for Pensacola.
) r+W1l1ile on my march thither I was
met by a protest OF the governor of