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r res1dent’s Message. 5 ,
‘vV.tsnrNo'roN, Nov. 17, 1818. T
This day, at 12 o'clock, the President of the
United States transnrittetl to both Houses of
Congress, by his secretary, Mr. J. J. Monroe,
the following ‘MESSAGE :
1"cllb:'u Cz'rz'.:cn.v of t/re Senate, . -
and of the House of 1€c=_/1-rc,9'é'nt'z'i/z'z'2e:.°'
The auspicious circumstance:'s,- under which
vou will commence the duties of the present ses-
sion, will lighten the bur-then, inseparable from
tlrehigh trust committedto you. The fruits of -
the earth have been unusually abundant; com-
merce has flourished _; the revenuehas exceed-
ed the most favorable anticipation, and peace and
arnity are preserved with foreign‘ nations on con-
ditions just and honorable to our country. For
these iuestimable blessings, we cannot but be
grateful to that Providence which watches over
the destinies of nations. _ 7 - ;. . .
.t5_sS'f“Il1e term limited for the operation of the
commercial convention with Great llritain will
expire early in the month of July next, and it
‘ w,gts’d§‘§§med important that there should be no
iti‘i’er;4*al, during which, that portion of. otrr com-'
merce which‘ was provided for by that convention
should not be regulated, either by arrangement
between the two governments, or by the author-
ity of Congress, the minister of the United States
at London was instructed, early in the last sum-
mer, to invite the attention of. the British Gov-
ernment to the subject, with-a view to that ob-
ject. lIe was instructed to,p_rop'ose, also, that
the negotiation which it was wished to open,
might extend to the generalcommerce of the
two countries, and to every other interest and
unsettled difference between them ; partictrlar-
ly those relating to impressmcnt, the fisheries,
and boundaries, in the hope that an arrangement
might be made, on principles, of reciprocal ad-
vantage, which might comprehend, and provide
. in a satisfactory m-.rnner, for all these high con-
cet'ns.——l have the satisfaction to state, that the
proposal was received, by the British Govern-
men_t,in the spirit which prompted it ; and that a
negotiation has been openedat London, embra-
cing all these objects. On full consideration of
the great extent and magnitude of the trust, it
was thought proper to commit it to not less than
two of our tlisrirrguished citizens, and in conse-
(jucnjce, the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of the United States, at Paris,
has been associated with our Emoy Extraordi-
_n'.rry and Minister‘ Plenipotentiary, at London ;
to both of \\ hum corresponding instructions have
‘been gi\en,and they are now errgaged in the dis-
clrarge of its duties. It is proper to add, that,
to prevent any inconvenience resulting from the
delay incident to a negotiation on so llltln)’ im-
‘p-._)rtant subjects, it was agreed, before entering
on it, that the existing convention should be con-
tinuetl for a term not less than eight years . '
_Ourrel-.rtious with Spain r'emztin nearly in the
state in which they were at the close of the last
session. The convention of 1802, providing for
the adjustment of a certain portion of tlreclaims
of our citizens for injuries sustained by spoila-
tion, and so long suspended by the Spanish gov-.
ernment, has at letrgth been ratified by it ; but
no arr-angement has yet been made for the pay-
ment of another portion of like claims, not less...
extensive or well founded, on for other classes of ,
claims, or for the settlement of boundaries.--- '7
These subjects have again been brought under-*'
consideration in both countries, but no agreement
has been entered into respecting them. In the
mean time, events have occurred which clearly
prove the ill effectof the policy, which that gov-
ernment has so long pursued, on the friendly re-
. itttions of the two countries, which it is presumed,
is at least of as much importance to Spain, as to
the United States, to maintain. A state of things
has existed in the Floridas,the tendency of which
4 -has been obviousto all who_hav,e paid the slight-
e:.t attetrtion to the progress ofaffairsinthat quar-
ter. -. Througlrout the whole of those provinces
to which the Spanish title extends, the govern-
_rncnt of Spain has scarcely been felt. Its arr-
thority has been confined almost exclusively to
the walls of Pens-a‘g_:ola and St.- Augustine, with-
in which only small garrisons have been main-
tained. Adventurers from every country, fugi-
tives from justice, and absconding slaves have
. found an asylum tlrere.- Several tribes of In-
dians, strong in the number of their warriors,
remarkable for their ferocity, and whose settle-
ments extend to our limits, inhabit those provin-
ces. These different hordes of people, connect-
ed together, disregarding, on the’ one side, the
authority of Spain, and protected, on the other,
by an imaginary line which separates Florida
from the United States, have violated our laws
prohibiting the introduction’ of slaves, have prac-
' tised various frauds on our revenue, and commit’-
ted every kind of outrage on our peaceable citi-
zens, which their proximity to us enabled them
to perpetrate. The invasion of Amelia Island
- last year, by a small band of adventurers, not ex- .
ceeding one hundred and fifty in number, who
wrested it from the inconsiderable Spanish force
stationed there, and held it several months, dur-
ing which, a single feeble effort only was made
to recover it, which ft-riled, clearly proves how
completely extinct the Spanish authority had be-
come, as the conduct ofthose adventurers, while
in possession of the island, as distinctly shews
. the pernicious purposes for which their combina-
tion had been formed.
This country, hard, in f'.rct,bccome,tlre theatre
of every species of lawless adventure. \-Vith
little population of its own, the Spanish authority
almost extinct. and the colonial gover-ume-nts in
a state of |'evnluli'0n, having no pretensiou to it,
and sufiicicntly cnr[)lo_':_cd in their oun concerns,
it was, in a grest tne.ustrr‘e, derelict, and the ob-
ject of cupidity to every adventurer. A system
of buccaneer-ing was lfd~.pl(lly organizing over it,
whiclrmenaced, in its consequences, the lawful
commerce of every nation, and partictrlarly of
the United States; while it presented a tempta-
and aggrandizement. It is .to the interference
‘lt-ss_.st.rong.
cess principally depended. . -In regard to the U-
nited Statcs, the pernicious effect-of this unlaw-
ful combination, was not confined to the ocean ;
the Indian tribes have constituted the effective
force in Florida. VVith these tribes these adven-
turers had ‘formed, at an early period, a connect-
ion, with ér view to avail th’emselves of that force,
to promote their own projects of accumulation
of some of these adventurers, in misreprescnt- ‘
ing the claims and titles of the Indians‘ to land,
and in practising on their savage propensities,
that the Seminolie waris principally to be tra-
ced. Men who thus connect themselves with
savage communities, and stimulate them to war,
which is always attended on their part with acts
of barbarity the most shocking, deserve to be
viewed in a‘worse light than th’e-savage‘s.- They
would certainly hare no claim to an immunity-
from the punishment, which, according to the
rules of .warfarerpr'actised by the savages, might
justly be inflict‘-ed on the savages, themselves.
If the embarrassments of Spain prevented her
from making an indemnity to our citizens,for so
-long a time, from her treasury, for their losses of
spoilation, and otherwise, it was always in her
power to have provided it, by the cession of this
territory. Of this, her government has been ‘re-‘
peatedly apprized ; and the cession was the more
to be anticipated, as Spain must have known
that, in ceding it, she would, in effect, cede what
had become of little value to her, and would like-
wise relieve herself from the important obliga-
tion secured by thc treaty of 1795, and all other
compromitments respecting it. If the United
-States, from consideration of these embarrass-
ments, declined pressing their claims in a spirit
of hostility, the m’otive'ought, at least, to have
been duly appreciated by the government of
Spain. It is well known to her government, that
other powers have made to the United States an
indemnity for like losses, sustained by their citi-,
zens i-n the same epoch. ,
There is, nevertheless, a limitbeyond which,
this spirit of amity and forbearance can, in no
instance be justifird. If it was proper, to rely
on amicable uegociarion, for an indemnity for los-
ses, it would not have been so, to have permitted
the inability of Spain to fulfil her engagements,
and tt>«;_ir_stain her authority in the Floridas, to be
perverted by foreign adventurers and savages, to
purposes so destructive to the lives of our fellow
citizens, and the highest interests of the United
States. The right of self defence never ceases.
It is among the most sacred, and alike necessary
to nations andto individuals. And, whether the
attack be made by Spain, herself, or by those
who abuse her power, its obligation is _not the
The invaders of Amelia island had
assumed a proper and respected title,‘ under
which they might approach and wound us. As
their object was distinctly seen, and the duty im-
posed on the Executive, by an existing law, was
profoundly felt, that mask was not pergmittcduo
protect them. Itwas thought incumbcnt_0.n'tire
United States, to suppress the establishment, and
it was accordinglydone. The combination. in
Florida, for the unlawful purposes stated, the
acts per'peti{ated-by that combination, and, above
all, theyincijtgt-.‘.ment of the Indians to massacre
our f'ello,wj-ffciitieens, of every age, and of both
sexes, merited a like treatment, and received it.
uing these savages to an imaginary linein
“oils, it would have been the height of folly
mufi‘er'ed that line to protecttlrem. I‘It_rd
r_i'done, the war would never cease. liven
territory had been, exclusively, that of
Spain, and her power complete over it, we had a
right, by the law ofnatious, to follow the enemy
on it, and subdue him there. But the territorjl
belonged, in a certain sense, at least, to the sav_
age enemy who inhabited it, the power of Spairi
had ceased to exist over it, and protection wa~l
sought, under her title, by those who hadcoml
mitted on our citizens hostilities, which she was
bound, by treaty, to have prevented, but had not
effect,’ accorhjrlislr nothing, ifllre did not de- V
prive those savages of tlre, resource on which
they had calculated, and of the protection tn
which they had relied, in m"aki'ng‘the war. As
all the documents, relating to this occurrence,
will be laid -before Congress, it is not necessary
to enter into further detail respecting it.
,Alrhough the reasons which induced Major
General Jackson to take these posts were duly
app'rec'isted, there was, nevertheless, no hesita-
tion in deciding on the course which it became
the government to pursue. As there was reason
to'b'elieve that the comr-nanders of these posts
had violated their instructions, there was no dis-
position to impule to ‘-their government aconduct
so unprovoked and hostile. An order was in
consequence issued to the general in command
there, to deliver theposts ; Pensacola, uncondi-
tionally to any person duly authorised to receive
it; and St. Marks, which is in the heart of the
Indian country, on the arrival of a competent
force to defend it against those savages and their
associates.
In entering Florida to suppress this combina-
tion, no idea was entertained of hostility to Spain,
and however justifiable the commanding general
was, in consequence of the misconduct of the
Spanish ofiicers, in entering St. Marks and Pen-
sacola, to terminate it, by proving to the savages
.and their associates, that they should not be pro-
tcctcd. even there; yet, the amicable relations
existing between the United States and Spain
Could not be altered by that act alone. By or-
dering the restitution of the posts, those rela-
tions were preserved. To a change of them, the
power Of the Executive is deemed incompetent.
It is vested in Congress only.
By this measure, so promptly taken, due re.
spect was shewn to the government of Spain.-—
The misconduct of her officers‘ has not been im-
puted to her. She was enabled to review with
candor her relations with the United States, and
her pwn situation. particularly in respect tothe
territory in question, with the dangers insepar--a-
hle from it; and, regarding the losses we have
sustainetl, for which indemnity has been so long
withheld, and the injuries we have suffered
through that territory, and her means of redress,
she was likewise enabled to take, with honor, the
course best calculated to do justice to the United
States. and to promote her own welfare.
Copies of the instructions to the commanding
General’; of his correspondence with the Secre-
tary‘ 9? VVar, explaining his motives, and justify-
ing his conduct, with a copy of the proceedings
of the courts martial, in the trial of Arbuthnot
and Ambristie; and of the correspondence be-
tween the Secretary of State and the Minister
Plenipotentiary of Spain, near this government ;
and of the Minister Plenipotentiary of the Uni-
ted States, at Madrid, with the government of
Spain,.will be laid before Congress.
The civil war, which has so long prevailed be-
tween'Spain and the provinces in South Ameri-
ca, still continues. without any -prospect of its
speedy termination. The information respect-
ing the condition of those countries-, which has
been collected by the Commissioners, recently
returned from thence, will be laid before Con-
gress, in copies"of their reports, with such 01],.
er information as has been received from other
agents of the United States. _~
It appears from these comrntrnications,that the
government of‘ Buenns Ayres‘ declared itself
independent in July, 1816, having previously ex-
ercised the power of an independent govern-
ment, though in the name of the king of Spain,
from the year l8l0; that the B-anda Oriental,
Entre Reos, and Paraguay, with the city of Santa
Fee, all of which are also independent, are uncon-
nected with the present government of Buenos
Ayres : that Chili has declared itselfindependent,
and is closely connected with Buenos Ayres: that
Venezuela has also declared itselfindependent,
and now maintains the conflict with various suc-
cess : and that the remaining‘ parts of South A-
the power to prevent. Tohave stopped at that
line, wotrldhave given new encouragement to,
these savages,’ and new vigor to the whole com-'»
its pernicious purposes. ‘
In suppressing the esta
Island, no unfriendliness was manifested towards
Spain, because the post was taken from a force
which had wrested it from her. The measure:
it is true,'was not adopted in concert with the
Spanish government, or those in authority under
it, because, in transactions connected with the
war", in which Spain and her colonies are enga-
ged, it was thought proper, in doing justice (0
the UnitedStatcs, to maintain a strict impartial-
ity towards both the belligerent. parties, without
consulting on acting in concert with either. It
gives me pleasure to state that the governments
ot‘.Buenos Ayres and Venezuela, whose names
were assumed, have explicitly disclaimed all par-
ticipation in t-hose measures, and even the knowl-
edge of them, until communicated by this gov-
ernment, and have also expressed their satisfac-
tion, that a course of proceeding had been sup-
pressed. which, if justly imputable to them,
would dishonor their cause. '
In authorising Major General Jackson to enter
Florida, "in pursuit of the Seminoles, care was
taken not to encroach on the rights of bpairr. I
regret to have to add, that, in executing this or-
der, facts were disclosed, respecting the conduct
of the oflicers of Spain, in a'uthority th_ere, in
encouraging the war, furnishing munitions of
war, and other supplies to carry it on, and Ill oth-
er acts not less marked, which evinced their par-
ticipation in the hostile purposes of that coml)1-
nation, and justified the confidence, with which
it inspired the savages, that by those ofiicers they
would be protected. A conduct so imcompatr-
ble witlrthe friend-ly relations existing between
the two countries, particularly with the positive
obligation of the 5th article of the treaty of‘l795s
by which Spain was bound to restrain, even by
force, those savages, from acts'of hostility against
the United States, could not fail to excite sur-
prise. The commanding general was convinced
tion to erery people, on whose seduction its‘suc-
that he should fail in his object, that he should,
bination existing there,'in the prosecution of 241130"
met-ica, except Monte Video, and such other por-
tions of the eastern bank of La Plata as are held
by Portugal, are still in the possession of Spain,
in a certain degree under~=her influence.
By a circular note addressed by the Ministers
j.,ji'§jjme,,t at Amejiajof Spain to the Allied Powers, with whom they
re respectfully accredited, it appears that the
Allies have undertaken to mediate between Spain
and the South American provinces, and that the
nanner andextent of their interposition would
e settled by a Congress, which was to have met
it Aix-la-Cltapelle in September last. From the
eneral policy and course of proceeding observ-
d by the allied Powers, in regard to this con-
Vst, it is inferred that they will confine their in-
rposition to the expression oftheir sentiments ;
staining from the application of force. I state
is impression, that force will not be applied,
' h the greater satisfaction, because it is a
urse more consistent with justice, and like-
se authorizes a hope that the calamities of the
r will be confined to the parties only, and will
i of shorter duration.
From theview taken of this subject founded
all the information that we have been able to
ain, there is good cause to be satisfied with
course heretofore pursued by the United
Etes in‘re'gard to this contest, and to conclude,
t it is proper to adhere to it, especially, in the
psent state of affairs. . '
‘t have great satisfaction in stating, that our re-
our domestic concerns we have ample
c‘ e of satisfarction_-.;1- The receipts into the
'1 rsury, during the three first quarters of the
have exceeded seventeen millions of dol-
ter satisfying all the demands which have
.be made under existing appr~opr'iatio.'rs, inclu-
dir the final extinction of the old six-‘per cent
-St! and the redemption of a moiety of th_e
Lt. iana debt, it is estirnated that there will re-
mt tithe Treasury, on the frr st day of Janua-
I')' t, more than two millions of dollars.
Ii‘-ascertained that the gross revenue which
has !-rucd from the customs during the same
r
period amounts to tivéirty one millions of dollars;
and that the-revenue of the whole year may" be‘
estimated at not less than twenty-sixnrillionsé-7
The sale of the public lands during the year has
also greatly exceeded, both in quantity and price,
that of any former year; and there is just. rea4
son to expect a progressive improvement in that "
source of revenue. 7 '
It gratifying to know, that, although the
annual expenditure. has been increased, by the ,
act ofthe l_ast session of Congress, providing
for revolutiontrry pensions, to an amount about e-..
qual to the proceeds of the internal duties,.which
were then r‘e‘p‘ealed, the ‘revenue forthe ensuing
year will be proportionably augmented, and that,
whilst the public expentlitdr-e will probably re-
main stationary, each successive year will add to
the nat_ional resources, by the ordinary increase
of our population, and by the gradual develope-
ment of our latent sources of national prosperi-
ty. '
The strict execution of the reve_nue laws, re-_ N
suiting principally from the salutary provisions‘ ~.... -
ofthe act of the 20th April last, amending the I
several collection laws, has, it is presumed,'secu_-
red to domestic manufactures all the relief that
can be derived from the duties, which have been
imposed upon foreign merchandise, for
protection. "Under the influeuceof this relied’,-
several branches_of this important national inte-
rest have assumed greater activity, ‘and, although ‘
it is hoped that others will gradually revive, and
' ultimately triumph over every oostacle, yet the ",
expediency of granting further protection is sub- '
mitted to your consideration. ~
The measures of defence, authorised by ex-
isting laws, have been pursued with the zeal and
activity due to so important an object, and with
all the despatch practicable in so extensive and
great an undertaking. The survey of our mar-
atime and inland frontiers has been continued ;-—-
and at the points where it was decided to erect
fortifications, the work has been commenced‘,
and, in some instances, considerable progress has 7
becrr made. I compliance with resolutions of
the last session,the board of commissioners were
directed to examine in a particular inanner the
parts of the coast therein designated, and to re-
port their opinion of the most suitable sites for
two naval depots; This work is ina train of ex- ,
ecution. The opinion of the board on this sub- .
ject, with a plan of all the works necessary to a‘ ~
general system of defence, so far as it hasbeen
formed’, will be laid before Congress, in a report ,
from the proper Department, as soon as it can \
be prepared. V I
In conformity with the appropriations of last
session, treaties have been fomed with the Qua-
paw tribe of Indians, inhabiting the country orrwi
the Arkansaw, and with the Great and Little 05- “5
ages north of the \Vlrite River ; with the -tribes
in the state oflndiana; with several tribes with-
in the state of Ohio, and the Michigan territory ;
and with the Chickasaws ; by which very ex-
tensive’ cessiqns of territory have been made to
the United States. Negotiations are now de-
pending with the tribes in the Illinois territory, 3
and with the Choctaws,‘ by which it is expected
that other extensive cessions‘ will be made. I
take great interestin stating that the cessions al-
ready made, which are considered so important'“
to the United States, have been obtained on con-
ditions very satisfactory to the Indians.
«ll
\ .
VVith a view to the sr=.curity of our inland fron-
tiers, it _has been thought expedient to establish
strong posts at the mouth of the Yellow Stone-
iiver, and at the Mandan village on the Missouri,
and at the mouth of St. Peters on the Missisip-
pi, at no great distance from our-northern boun-
daries. It can hardly be presumed, while such"
posts are maintained, in the rear of the Indian‘
tribes, that they will venture to attack our peace-
able inhabitants. A strong hope is entertained
that this measure willlikewise be productive of
-much good to the tribes themselves especially in Q
in promoting the great object oftheir civilization."
Experience has clearly demonstrated, that indee
pcndentsavage communities cannot long exist
within the limits of a civilized population. The
progressof the latter has, almost invariably, ter-
minated in the extinction of the former, espe7
cially of the tribes belonging to-our portion or
this hemisphere, among whom, loftiness of sen-
timent, and gallantry in action, have been con-
spicuous. To civilize them, and even to pre-
vent their extinction, it seems to be indispensi-
ble that their independence, as communities,
should cease, and that the control of the United
States over them should be’ complete and un-'
disputed. The huuter state will then be more.
easily abandoned and recourse will be had to the
acquisition and culture of land, and to other pur-
suits tending to dissolve theties which connect
them together‘ as a savage community, and to
give a new character to every intlividpal. I pre-
sent this subject to the consideration of Con-
gress, on the presumption that it may be’ found,
expedient and practicable to adopt some benevo-
lent provisions, having these objects in view re-
lative to the tribes within our settlements.
It has been necessary, during the present
year, to rnaintain a strong naval force in the
itcrrancan, and in the Gulf of Mexico, and "to
send some public ships along the southern coast,
and to‘ the Pacific ocean. By these means ami-
cable relations with the Barbary powers have
been preserved, our commerce ii‘.-15 been protect’-
ed, and our rights respcctt-.(l. The augmenta-
tion of our navy is advancing, with a steady‘ ‘pro-
gress, towards the limit_ contemplated by law.-
I cornmunicate_' L, )_great satisfaction, the ac-
cession of anoth ’ -5 yilii-IUIS, to our Union 3.
because I perceiv ,’ Q the proof aiibrtled by
the atltlitions already tirade, the regular progress
and sure cunsum'mation of a policy of which his-
tory affords no example, and of which the good I
effect cannot be too highly ,cstim=1lcd- By BX4.
tending our government‘, on the principles of our
constitution, over the vast territory within o_u‘v_tf'~-,,
limits, on the Lakes and the fvIissi§'si[$pi,‘_\a.n‘(i its 7
numerous streams, new life and vi§oul'?‘?,,€>-: If-iinfll-'
sod into every part of our system. ByfUC!'C‘¢1S'~
ing the number of the states, the confidence ,.
r-I-, ‘ ‘ “V
it
4
Norwalk Chronicler