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Show 226 LIFE OF GEN. JACKSON. CHAP. to do it under such circumstances, as should impress ~vtn he minds of the Spam.a rds wt'1t 1 a conv.t ch.o n, th at th e invasion of their territory was a measure adopted 1814. fr . d h . d' 't' November om necessity, an not c o!Ce, or a 1spos1 10n to infringe, or violate, their neutral rights, was believed to be essential. It was rendered the more so, on the part of Jackson, because a measure of his own, and not sanctioned ot directed by his government. Previously, therefore, to any act of open war, he determined to try the effect of negotiation, that he might ascertain, certainly and correctly, how far the governor felt dir posed to preserve a good understanding between the two governments. Major Piere, of the forty-fourth regiment, was ac£ xplana- cordingly despatched, with a flag, to disclose the ob~~~; d~~~~~jects intended to be attained by the visit, and to re~~;~;;, ·~r quire that the different forts, Barrancas, St. Rose, and 'luez re- St. Michael, should be immediately surrendered, to be qui red- garrisoned and held by the United States, until Spain, by furnishing a sufficient force, could protect the province, and preserve unimpaired her neutral character. He was charged by the general with a candid and explicit statement of his views, and instructed to require of the governor a decisive and positive declaration of the course he intended to adopt. This mission experienced no very favourable result. Major Piere, on approaching St. Michael's, was fired . on, and compelled to return. Whether this were done by the Spaniards themselves, or by their allies and friends, who were sojourning with them, was not tna· terial. The Spanish flag was displayed on tl1e fo~, and under it the outrage was committed : though tt LIFE OF GEN. JACKSON. )127 was a fact well ascertained, that, until the day before, CHAP. the British flag had been also associated : this, on tl1e ~ arrival of Jackson, had been removed, and the colours 1814. of Spain left, which were to afford protection to our enemies, and a pretext for every injury. This con-duct, so unexpected and unprovoked, and withal, so directly in opposition to the pri,nciples <J.t)d practjce of civilized warfare, might have well determined the ge-neral to abstain from further forbearance, and proceed immediately to the accomplishment of his vi.ews: but a consciousness, that altho1,1gh the reduction of this place was required by circumstances of the highest ne-cessity, yet, lest it might be blazoned around to his prejudice, and become a cause of national difficulty, he was prompted to act with every possible delibera-tion and caution. A sense of humanity, too, towar.ds those people, who, he was satisfied, were acting not from any choice or discretion of their own, but by the autl1ority of the British, induced a wish for the ob-jects of his visit to be effected, witl1out injury to them. Determining, therefore, to understand the go-vernor fully, previously to proceeding to extremities, he again despatched a letter to him, not by any of his officers, for after such perfidy he was unwilling, and felt it unsafe, to risk them; but by a· Spanish cor-poral, who had been taken, on the route, the day be-fore. By him, he required to know why his former application, instead of being met with a becomino-spirit of conciliation, had been insulted. In answe;, he received from the governor a confirmation of the opinion previously entertained, that what had been done was not chargeable to him, but the English |