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until further instructions, which I doubt not will be forwarded in due time.

I have the honor to be,
Your obedient servant,

J. E. FLETCHER.

His Excellency, ROBERT LUCAS,

Governor of the State of Ohio.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE, OHIO,

Columbus, May 15th, 1835.

DEAR SIR:

I received your letter of the 5th inst. last evening, and regret to hear that you have been incarcerated in prison, and that too without even the shadow of crime. The course you have pursued has met the approbation of all your friends in the interior of the State. Be firm and unshaken. You are in a good cause, and you may rest assured that you will not be forgotten by your country. The day of retribution is not far distant. The Legislature will meet on the 8th of June, when your case will be laid before them, with the whole subject matter of the boundary controversy. I received a letter yesterday from Messrs. Rush and Howard, informing me that they had determined on returning to Washington; when, I have no doubt, they will lay a correct statement of the proceedings of the authorities of Michigan before the President. If the authorities of Michigan depend upon support from the President of the United States, they will certainly be deceived. They will receive, and no doubt have already received, encouragement from some of the members of the Cabinet; and they may, through a malign influence. be driven into acts in opposition to the advice of the President, and to the disturbance of the public peace; for which they will be punished according to their acts. I have heard but one opinion expressed on this subject in the interior of this State, since my return-and that is to sustain the rights of the State at all hazards—and I have no doubt but that the Legislature will adopt prompt measures to accomplish this object.

With sincere respect,
Your obedient servant,

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In compliance with your request, that I should forward to you, at Columbus, an account of my abduction, I send you the following:

On the morning of the eighth of April, at about two o'clock, A. M. I was awakened by a heavy knocking at my door. I got up, raised a window; at the same time I discovered a number of persons standing near the door. I demanded what they wanted? they answered they wanted to come into the house. I demanded what their business was, and by what authority they appeared there? but they made no reply to any of my interrogatories; but replied that if I did not open the door they would break it. I replied that if that was their business I should treat them accordingly-that the door was fast, and I should defend it. I drove them once from the door, when many of them went to the back part of the house, and I repaired to that part for defence while there, they made another attempt to force the front door, in which they succeeded. I returned to the front, and found the inmates so mixed with the assailants, that I could not defend it successfully, without endangering them, as it was too dark to distinguish one from another only by voice. I was overcome by force, and treated very roughly; as was also my wife, who had left the house to alarm the neighbors; but was overtaken by the kidnappers and treated with violence and insolence. I was taken back into the woods, where there were many horses in readiness, and was ordered upon one of them, and hurried in the direction of Monroe.

My journey was rendered unpleasant by the insolence of some of the party, and my life jeopardised by being obliged to ride upon a horse without a bridle, which (horse) being urged from behind became frightened, and ran with me until I jumped from him. I arrived at Monroe, was detained there till next day, as they refused any bail except from day to day. I was taken before the Grand Jury then in session, and questioned concerning our meeting the officers, &c. &c. During the second day a large military force, or posse, was raised, armed, and started for Toledo: after they had gone long enough to have nearly reached Toledo, I was admitted to bail, and returned— passed the force on the road-inquired of the Sheriff whether that was to be considered an armed force or a Sheriff's posse. He answered that he considered it a posse at that time, but it was so arranged that it might be either, as circumstances should require: that Genral Brown and Aid were along, who would act in case they assumed a military force. I was informed that they had one waggon loaded with United States arms, and one loaded with ammunition, and saw the waggons which were said to be so loaded. When about half way from this place to Monroe, on the morning of my abduction, our party was joined by the one having Mr. McKey in custody, who had also been abducted or made prisoner as they termed it. About his person there were marks of violence. He rode with his feet tied under the horse; and one of the party told me he volunteered to go to Toledo that he might have an opportunity of gratifying an old grudge he had against Mr. McKey. I am, Sir, yours Respectfully,

His Excellency, ROBERT LUCAS,

N. GOODSELL.

Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the State of Ohio.

DEAR SIR:

MONROE PRISON, May 6th, 1835.

Here I am, peeping through the grates of a loathsome prison, for the monstrous crime of having acted as the Judge of an election within the State of Ohio.

From what took place, the other day at Port Miami, at a conference between yourself and the commissioners of the United States, wherein we had the honor of being present, we were led to believe that a truce at least would be the result. In this we were again deceived. I left my residence at Toledo in company with a lady and gentleman, from the interior of Ohio, to visit my friend A. E. Wing, of Monroe, and others, conceiving that respect for the ordinary visits of hospitality would have been sufficient for my protection under such circumstances. But vindictiveness is carried to such extremes, that all the better feelings of man, are buried in the common rubbish. The officer who first took me, treated me in a very uncivil manner; draging me about as a criminal through the streets of Monroe. Notwithstanding, there are a number of exceptions to this virulent mass.

On board the boat we took passage from Toledo to Monroe, was Messrs Rush and Howard, on their way to Washington. They will make favorable mention of the extreme forbearance of Ohio. At 8 o'clock this morning, we saw and shook hands with the Governor of those movements, (Mason) and his General (Brown) in Monroe, just leaving for Detroit. It is presumable that they directed those out

rageous transactions.

7th-7 o'clock, A. M.-Have been here fourteen hours, and no refreshment of any kind yet furnished. It appears probable, that it is intended to soften us by starvation.

Those bands of rullians of the United States, "hanging upon the northern border of Ohio, require chastisement. It is to be hoped that the United States will take speedy measures to reduce them to submission. They have become very troublesome to the Western States; as you are fully aware, and to the State of Ohio particularly: making inroads by night and by day in large gangs, and committing depredations upon the peaceable population-kidnapping and abducting individuals who have become offensive to them. Whether the United States undertake the subduing of these lawless desperadoes, or leave the States individually to defend themselves, it will require a large force. We cannot but hope, that the United States, or the State to which I belong, will not permit our individual sufferings to urge them to any measures that may not be consistent with an enlarged view of the rights of the United States, or the individual States.

I have honor to be, sir,
Your very ob'dt. ser'vt.

His Excellency, ROBERT LUCAS,
Governor of the State of Ohio.

B. F. STICKNEY.

SIR

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

May 20th, 1835.

Your Excellency's letter of the 11th inst. has been received and laid before the President. In the absence of Mr. Forsyth, I am directed to inform you, that it was not intended in the letter addressed to you by this department, on the 2d ult. to enter into any discussion as to the true boundary between Ohio and Michigan. But, as you seemed to be of opinion, that Harris's line had been run and established by the Surveyor General, under the direction of the President of the United States, it was deemed proper to apprize you that Harris's line had been disapproved by the Executive, and that, in consequence, another line had subsequently been run under the orders of the Surveyor General by the President's direction.

From the same desire to avoid discussion on the subject, the President does not deem it necessary to authorize any opinion to be expressed on the remarks contained in your letter as to the comparative merits of the lines of Harris and Fulton, and of that deduced from the observations taken by Captain Talcott, under the act of July, 1832. For your Excellency's further information, however, I am instructed to transmit a copy of a report recently made by the commissioner of the General Land Office, showing the measures that have been taken, at various times, under the authority of the United States for designating the Northern Boundary of the State, together with other papers relating to the subject.

As the remarks in your Excellency's letter seem to indicate a desire to found the claim to jurisdiction on the part of Ohio, over the disputed territory, upon the fact of its being within the limits assigned to Ohio by the aet of Congress of 1802, rather than on the provisional clause in the Constitution of the State, the President is persuaded, that, in the report and the papers which accompany it, sufficient grounds will be found, at least, for suspending any measures which depend for their support upon the supposition that Harris's line is the true northern boundary of the State of Ohio.

The President, while he regrets the existence of the unhappy controversy between Ohio and Michigan, has seen with great satisfaction the resolution of your Excellency not to persist in causing the line to be marked, but rather to appeal to the wisdom of the Legislature; and your Excellency, , aware of the difficulties which will attend the execution of the Ohio law, of the last session, and having the benefit of the Attorney General's opinion, as well as of information not in your possession when the law was passed, may unite in postponing the whole subject for the action of Congress. He has entire confidence in the patriotism and love of justice of his fellow citizens of Ohio, and is persuaded they will not desire the enforcement of a doubtful right at the expense of the public tranquillity.

The President will continue to urge upon the authorities of Michigan the forbearance which he has from the first recommended; and

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he trusts, that, sceing the dangers to be apprehended from any attempt to settle the question otherwise than by Congress or the Federal Judi ciary, those who, from their station and character, exercise an influ ence on the public mind, will exert themselves to allay the irritation which has prevailed on both sides.

On the subject of the interruption which your Excellency represents the Commissioners of Ohio to have met with by a violent interference on the part of the authorities of Michigan, the President directs me to say that he has, througho it the controversy, endeavored to prevent any resort to force on either side, and has particularly advised the acting Governor of Michigan that an appeal should be had to the civil power only, and that no force should be employed but the posse comitatus. From this, as well as from the sentiment of the President communicated to you by this Department, you will be able to judge how far any application of force would be likely to receive the the President's approbation. He has directed a copy of the Commis sioner's report to be transmitted to the acting Governor of Michigan; and when an answer is received, a further communication will be made to you on the subject.

He trusts, however, that as the question is now, by the exercise of forbearance on both sides, in a train to be referred to the proper tribunal for adjustment, there will be a mutual disposition to make allowance for any irregularities which may have resulted from misguided zeal, and to avoid all that can prevent the restoration of harmony in future. I have the honor to be

Your Excellency's obedient servant,
ASBURY DICKENS,

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On my return to Columbus this afternoon, from a short visit to my family, I received your letter of the 20th ult. in answer to mine of the 11th May.

You say it was not the intention of the Secretary of State, in his letter to me of the 2d of April, to enter into any discussion as to the true Northern boundary between Ohio and Michigan; but as I was of opinion that Harris's line had been run and established by the Surveyor General, under the direction of the President of the United States, it was deemed proper by him to apprise me that Harris's line had been disapproved by the President, and that in consequence another line had been run under the order of the Surveyor General, by his directions. I still contend, sir, that Harris's line was run and established

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