The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1898-03-24
JaCks0n's War With Spain.
New York World.

New York World.
e Just eighty years ago this sprin
we had a war with Spain. o.
rather, Andrew Jackson had a wa
with Spain, which he carried on i
the name and with the troops Of til
United States, bat on his own re
sponsibility.
He had made one brilliant cam
paign against the Greeks Of South
ern Georgia. He completely crushed
the Greek nation, and thought thai
they were "pasifsd" in thorough
Jacksonian manner.
But few thousand Creek braves
fed across the border into the Span.
ish province of West Florida and
Joined themselves to the bloodtbirsty
horde of Ssminoles and fugitive
slaves led by the great chief Billy
Bowlegs. This tripartnership of
deviltry, aided and abetted by the
Spaniards, made life in Southern
Georgia a series of alarms too fire.
quently realized in butchery and
rapine.
The Spanish official attitude was
perfectly correct-deprecatory and
regretful. But really, said the Span
iards, these savages are so strong
and 80 willy that we can do nothing,
Then Andrew Jackson came. He
had choice of two courses-to fol
low the recognized international
code of protest by post to Washing
ton, thence after long delay to the
Spanish minister, thence after inter
minsble delay to Spain by slow
sailing vessel, and so on through
drawn out years OF waiting, or to
adopt Jacksonian code Of inter
national law exactly suited to the
circumstances He reasoned thus:
First-Billy Bowlegs and his ma
RAIDERS must be punished at once.
Second-This ia as much to the
interest of Spain as to the United
States.
Third, Andrew Jackson, must
do my duty by both countries.
Fourth-If the Spanish officers
assist me, well and good; if not then
they are allies of the savages and
enemies OF the United States.
Jackson wrote to the government
at Washington just what he propos
ed to do. Then. without waiting for
reply, he marched over the border
into the sacred territory of Spain at
the head of an army that knew no
other duty than ODE dience to Jack
son.
He made straight for the nearest
Spanish fort-St. Marks. He sent
word to the governor that he (Jack-
SOM had been much panied to learn
that the wicked Indians had forcibly
entered st. Marks and had frighten-
ed the weak garrison into giving
them arms and ammunition. ITO
prevent the recurrence of so groes a
of neutrality" wrote Jack.
son, ''and to exclude our savage
from SO strong a hold as
st. Marks, I deem it expedient to
garrison that fortress with American
troops until the close of the present
war"
The governor was dumbfounded.
He hurried forward long reply in
Spanish, the substance of which
vas, he would write his government
md see whether it wished him to
ct Jackson pursue the proposed .
course. That is, he said to Jackson
Wait six months or a year" ,
Jackson couldn't read Spanish. In
il his life he never dreamed of any 8
me asking him to wait" So he {
ssumed that the letter must be a
ordial assent to his very proper I
He got the letter in the .
arly mornipg of April Z, 1918. Be c
ore neon the flag had been hauled +
own from st. Marks, the American
ag was floating over it and Ameri-
al troops were in possession The
overnor made a dignified protest.
/ Spanish-and departed with his f