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Show LIFE OF GEN. JACKSON. CHAP. for giving protection and indulgence, to ari enemy en· ..:.;:..., tering his confines, and continuin~ there, wid1 t?e avowed intention of waging war agamst a power,. w1th 1814. which Spain professed to b• e •m fn. en d s1u' p; an d at tl 1 e verv time too she claimed to be neutral. . Nor can we· see d1~ for~e of the argument, that because Eng· land had a treaty with the Creek Indians, which af. tenvards devolved to Spain, the agents of ~his Catho· lie majesty were, in consequence, justified in protect·. ing the savages in their murders, or assisting covert· Jy, as they did, in the war against us: how the con· elusions were arrived at, we will leave with the governor to decide, at some moment, when, relieved from d1ose high and honourable feelings, " peculiar to the Spanish character," reason may re-assert her empiry over him, and point the manner he was enabled to work out nis strange results. The governor, however, had taken his ground with· out suffering his reflections to go to the full extent. He had placed arms in the hands of d1e savages, "for d1e purposes of self-defence ; " many of them wer_e flocking down,-more were yet expected. The Bn· tish had already landed a partial force, and a greater one was shortly looked for. Against this certain and expected strengdl, added to what his own resources could supply, he believed an American general would not venture to advance. These considerations had led him to assume his lofty tone,-to arraign me conduct of the United States in extinguishing the Indian title on the Alabama,-in disregarding and violating tl1etr treaties, and to point out the danger to which d1e re· storation of peace in Europe might shortly expose LIFE OF GEN. JACKSON. 203 them. As yet he was ignorant of the energy of the CHAP . man already near his borders, and who, to march VI. against and break down his fancied security, did not~ de S.r re to b e ord e re d , but only to be appn. zed by his 1814. country that it might be done. · Jackson determined aga.in to address him, and to exhibit fully the grounds of accusation and complaint against him, in a style at least as courtly as his own. " Were I cloilied," he remarks, " with diplomatic powers, for the purpose of discussing the topics em- Letter to br ace d · th 'd . . . the go· 111 e WI e range Of IOJUrieS Of which you vernor of complain, and which have long since been adjusted, I ~~~nsacocould easily demonstrate that the United States have been always f~ithful to their treaties, steadfast in their friendships, nor have ever claimed any thing that was not warranted by justice. They have endured many ins~lts f;om th~ govemors and other officers of Spain, which, 1f sanctwned by their sovereign, amounted to acts of war, without any previous declaration on the subject. They have excited the savages to war, ~!ld affor~e_d them the means of waging it : the property of ~ur c1tJzens has been captured at sea, and if compensa-tion has not been refused, it has at least been withheld. But as no such powers have been delegated to me I s~l not assume them, but le~ve them to the repres:r1t. attves of our respective govemments. " I have the honour of being entrusted with the ~ommand of this district. Charged with its protectt_ on, and the safety of its citizens, I feel my ability to discharge ilie task, and trust your excellency will a]. ways find me ready and willing to go fonvard, in the ,Performance of dlat duty, whene"e.r circum~tapces |