affects to treat him with an air of contempt, as if he stood no chance at all for the Presidency. self, his hand-book for the instruction of infantry order to draw forth, we conjecture, expressions was adopted by order of the government as the of approbation or disapprobation, of the one or book to be used throughout the whole line of the the other of these gentlemen, in different parts army. Mr. Duane had the copy-right of this book;|| of the Union. From this trick of a petty politiand he might have made a fortune by the sale of cian, the editor of the Aurora, it is evident, it. When generai ARMSTRONG came into the War || wants light whereby to travel. He has got into a Department, it was, we believe, thrown out, and fog, and he calls out for a lantern One thing, another compilation substituted. These recollec- however, in all this political pettifogging, is tions are inserted here with no other view than remarkable: He vents most of his spleen upon to show, that with regard to its patronage of print- || Mr. Adams, the Secretary of State; and yet ers, government has not, in that way, persecuted even its avowed enemies. The final dismissal of the Aurora from this kind of employment, did not, we imagine, arise from a motive of either love or fear in relation to that newspaper. But we have no explanations to give on this head in this place, save to remark, that the Aurora is a journal which, as, from its constant virulence and deficiency ofsitate to aver, upon well known principles of husage argument, it is not loved and respected, so, from its eternal garrulity, it is not to be dreaded. He who talks much, either in a chimney-corner or in print, says Thomas Paine, will seldom be much listened to or heeded. It is not our purpose here to discuss the merits of any particular man for the Presidency. We take it for granted that Mr. Monroe will be reelected to that station, and in all probability without opposition. As to Mr. Adams, we do not he man action, that when the question of who shall be President? recurs, in 1825, it will be impossible for the American people to treat him with indifference. Contempt is not a sentiment that we scatter about at our pleasure. You cannot desWe do not doubt, but that Mr. Duane has many || pise, you cannot neglect, a man of great intelgood qualities of the heart. He is, it is pro-lectual endowments, of much experience in the bable, in his moral and social faculties, humane and generous. But in politics, he is a Jesuit without cunning, and a miser without any thing to hoard. He attempts to deceive his readers; but his designs are soon seen through: He affects vast stores of knowledge, of which, offer him what premium you will, he can produce scarcely any thing. He is the dupe of his own vanity; and the poorest politician may turn the battery of the Aurora in almost any direction, if he can play on that string with dexterity. In political warfare Mr. Duane is what may be termed an Old Stager: But it is for that very reason that he misleads very few of his fellow citizens. He is always acting a part; and it is distinctly seen that he is acting. He times his attacks; he blusters; he softens; he insinuates. He has forever something to tell, but he will never tell it. He has secrets that would ruin the administration, and against this administration he is most bitter in his invectives, and yet he does not destroy it with his terrible pen! When a player acts tragedy in such a style, it is understood that it is nothing more than bombast; and the case is precisely the same with the Philadelphia Aurora. affairs of the world, of uncommon erudition, and of unbounded industry. Such a man forces himself, without the petty arts of a demagogue, upon public attention; and his claims to honors and rewards are so much the more weighty, because the more his abilities are scrutinized the more excellent they appear to the understandings of his fellow men. Were Mr. Adams a statesman whose character depended on the breath of others; did he rely on the voice of clubs, of societies, of coteries; in a word, did he walk upon political crutches—he might be put down. But the MIGHT of his character is within himself; he leans on no one: He has nothing artificial about him. It is well known that Mr Duane is the partizan of Mr. DE WITT CLINTON; and it is also well known that the latter is an expectant of the Presidency. We by no means condemn Mr. Clinton for that. It is a fair and an honorable object of pursuit.-Yet a man should pursue it with a spirit frank and independent; without the aid of a sedi. tious tribune, or the clamor of a mob of followers. We will say of this gentleman that he has claims upon his country. We do not deny them. But the circumstances in which he has found himself In feeüng about him as to the sentiments of the have obliged him to resort to means frequentpeople as it regards the next election of Presi-ly of a doubtful complexion. To raise himself dent, Mr. Duane mentions the names of six gentlemen, who, in that respect, occupy public attention. These are, Messrs. CRAWFORD, CLINTON, CLAY, TOMPKINS, ADAMS, and MONROE. Of these he speaks in a vague and uncertain manner, in even a little, he has had to dove-tail the fag-ends of various parties. Hence he has never stood upon any permanent ground, and has been com. pelled to connect himself with blasted and disho. nored persons, who were incapable of giving him He is ter, it is necessary to be brief: before my arrival here, the commandant had received an express from the governor of Pensacola, informing him of a large embarkation of troops, &c. under the immediate command of general Jackson, and the boat that brought the despatch, reckoned eighteen sail of vessels off Appalachacola. By a deserter that was brought here by the Indians, the commandant was informed that 3000 men, under the orders of general Jackson; 1000 foot and 1600 horse, under general Gaines; 500 under another general, were at Prospect Bluff, where they were ferent nations, were at Spanish Bluff, building rebuilding the burnt fort; that 1000 Indians of difanother fort, under the direction of American officers; that so soon as these forts were built, they intended to march. They have commenced. Yesterday morning advice was received that they had appeared near — and taken two of the sons of M'Queen, and an Indian; late in the afternoon, three schooners came to anchor at the mouth of this river, and this morning the American flag is seen flying on the largest. any enlarged standing in the eyes of the nation, and could only afford him a name among ephemeral factions, which have arisen and vanished in quick succession, like the ghosts of ancient days.|| Mr. Duane may seek for light, but he will find nothing but will-o'-the wisps. Pure light, indeed, would be of little service to him. doomed invariably to follow the ignis futuus of his own peculiar mental temperament. In vain is the lamp of political truth held out to him. His eye will not bear it. He can only get on by quick successions of light and shade. He beholds the jack-o'-lantern before him, and he rushes for ward to overtake it in an uproar of the mind. It is gone-and Mr. Duane plunges into bogs and quagmires. He pauses for a moment: He apprehends a hobgoblin, a sprite-a plot. The deluding light appears in another spot: again the editor of the Aurora struggles forward to reach it. It is to no purpose: It has again vanished. He raves and he roars. He sees it here, and there, and every where-but no where can he The main drift of the Americans is to destroy overtake it. It is thus that Mr. Duane boggles on, the black population of Sahwahnee. Tell my the victim of an ill-constructed political vision, friend Boleck, that it is throwing away his people disgusted with the world and dissatisfied with him-be down on Sahwahnee, and as the troops adto attempt to res st such a powerful force as will self. Incapable of expanded views of mankind vance by land, so will the vessels by sea. Enand their true interests, he is doomed to be the in-deavor to get all the goods over the river in a strument of factions, which use him, unknown to himself, through the intenseness of his vanity and egotism. Had he never meddled with politics he would have been a happy man; laborious, eccenion, but I think it is conformable to the demand tric, and benevolent. DOCUMENTS I am blockaded here, no Indians will come with me; and I am now suffering from the fatigue of coming here alone. place of security, as also the skins of all sorts; Sahwahnee is destroyed, I expect the Americans the corn must be left to its fate. So soon as the will be satisfied and retire; this is only my opin made by general Gaines, of Kenhigee, some months since; in fact, do all you can, to save all you can; save the books particularly. It is probable the commandant will receive some commu Accompanying the letter of Mr. Secretary Adamsnication from the vessels to day, when he will Armbrister. know more certainly what are their motives in coming off the fort. I think it is only to shut up the passage to the Indians. Twenty canoes went down the river yesterday, and were forced to return. The road between this and Mickasuky is were here late last night, to hear what vessels. said to be stopped. Hillisajo and Himathlo Mico They will remove all their cattle and effects. across St. Mark's river this morning, and per Fort St. Marks, 28th of April, 2 1818, 4 o'clock, P. M. The recorder having read over the proceedings of the court with closed doors, the prisoner was recalled into court, and made the defence marked K, and attached to these proceedings. The doors were then closed, and after the most mature de-haps wait near thereto for the event. liberation on the evidence adduced, the court find I have been as brief as I can, to give you the the prisoner, Alexander Arbuthnott, guilty of the substance of what appears facts, that cannot be first specification to the first charge, and guilty of doubted: to enter into details in the present mothe first charge; guilty of the first and secondment, is useless; if the schooner is returned, get specifications to the second charge, and guilty of all the goods on board of her and let her start off the second charge, leaving out the words "acting for Mannatee creek, in the bottom of Cedar Key as a spy." They therefore do, on the most ma-bay. You will then only have the skins to hide ture reflection, sentence the prisoner, Alexander away But no delay must take place; as the vesArbuthnott, to be suspended by the neck, until he sels will no doubt follow the land army, and peris dead, two-thirds of the court concurring there-haps even now, some are gone round. I pray in. (Signed) EDMUND P. GAINES, Maj. gen. by brevet, President of court. (Signed) J. M. GLASSEL, Recorder. A. From A. Arbuthnott to his son, John Arbuthnott. your strictest attention, for the more that is saved, will be eventually more to your interest. Let the bearer have as much calico, as will make him two shirts, for his trouble. He has promised to deliver this in three, but I give him four days. I am yours, affectionately, B. From A. Arbuthnott, to Charles Cameron, Governor SIR,-Being empowered by the chiefs of the Lower Creek nation, to represent the state of their nation to your excellency, that you may be pleased to forward the same for the information of his majesty's government, to whom alone they look up for protection, against the aggressions and encroachments of the Americans, I beg leave to submit to your excellency, the enclosed repre sentations, humbly praying that your excellency will be pleased to take an carly opportunity of forwarding the same to Great Britain. From A. Arbuthnott to the honorable Charles Bagot. SIR, It is with pain I again obtrude myself upon your excellency's notice; but the pressing solicitations of the chiefs of the Creek nation, and the deplorable situation in which they are placed, by the wanton aggressions of the Americans, I trust your excellency will take as a sufficient apology for the present intrusion. In August last, the head chief of the Seminole indians, received a letter from general Gaines, of which I have taken the liberty of annexing your excellency the contents, as delivered me by the chief's head English interpreter, with Kenagee's reply thereto. This letter appears to have been intended to sound the disposition of the chief, and ascertain the force necessary to overrun the nation, for from then, until an actual attack was made on Fowltown, the same general, with general Jackson, seem to have been collecting troops and settlers in various quarters. I am also instructed by Bowleck, chief of Sahwahnee, to make the demand herein enclosed, he never having had any share of the presents distributed at Prospect Bluff, though he rendered equally essential services, as any of the other chiefs, to the. British cause, while at war with America; and was at New Orleans with a part of his warriors. His frontiers being more exposed If your excellency desire to have further inforto the predatory incursions of the back Geor- mation, respecting the situation of this country gians, who enter his territory and drive off his || and its inhabitants, I can, from time to time, incattle, he is obliged to have large parties out to form your excellency of such facts and circumwatch their motions, and prevent their plunder. stances, as are stated to me, by chiefs of known ing: and being now deficient of ammunition, he veracity, or which may come under my own obprays your excellency will grant his small de-servation; and your excellency's orders, aduressed mand Humbly submitting the same, to me at New Providence, will either find me I have t:e honor to remain your excellency's there, or be forwarded me to this country. Most humble servant, With great respect, A. A. (Signed) The humble representations of the chiefs of the Creek nation. To his Excellency Governor Cameron. First, we beg leave to represent, that Edmund Doyle and William Hambly, lately clerks at Prospect Bluff, to Messrs. Forbes, and who still reside on the Appalachicola river, we consider as the principal cause of our present troubles and uneasiness. Hambly was the instrumental cause of the fort at Prospect Bluff being destroyed by the Americans, by which we lost the supplies intended for our future wants; since then both these men have kept emissaries among us, tending to harrass and disturb our repose, and that of our brethren of the middle and upper nation; they spread among us reports that the Cowhettes, aided by the Americans, are descending to drive us off our land; they equally propagate false. C. From A. Arbuthnott, to Benjamin Moodie, Esq. enclosing let'ers to Charles Bagot, Esq. British minister at Washington. I have the honor to be, Your excellency's most obedient servant, From general Gaines to the Seminole Chiefs. To the Seminoly Chiefs. Sahwahnee, in the Creek Nation, 27th January, 1818 Sru,―The enclosed, containing matter of serious moment, and demanding the immediate atten tion of his excellency the British ambassador, I trust he will, for this time, forgive the trifling ex pense of postage, which I have endeavored to pre vent as much as possible, by comprising much matter in one sheet of paper. Should you, sir, be put to any trouble or expense by this trouble I give you, by being made acquainted with the same I will instruct Bain Dunshee & Co. to ordered and passed, if you will come about any of my payment of the same. I have the honor to be, sir, Your Seminolys are very bad people; I don't say whom; you have murdered many of my people, and stolen many cattle, and many good houses, that cost me money, you have burnt for me; and now, that you see my writing, you will think I have spoken right. I know it is so, you know it s so, for now you may say I will not go upon you at random; but just give me the murderers, and I will show them my law, and when that is finish people, you will see your friends; and if you see ne, you will see your friend But there is some. thing out in the sea, a bird with a forked tongue, whip him back before he lands, for he will be the VOL. VII.] THE NATIONAL REGISTER. ruin of you yet; perhaps you do not know who or what I mean-I mean the name of Englishman. I tell you this, that if you do not give me up the murderers who have murdered my people, I say I have got good strong warriors, with scalping knives and tomahawks. You harbor a great many of my black people among you, at Suwahnee. you give me leave to go by you, against them, I shall not hurt any thing belonging to you. GENERAL GAINES. (Signed) 2 If use not only all their influence, but, if necessary, The English government, as the special pro- From Kenhigee to general Gaines, in answer to the only one in this part of the Indian nation, to in To General Gaines. foregoing. his influence will stop the torrent of innovators and give peace and quietness to the Creck nation. struct you of the talks the chiefs bring me for your information, and I sincerely trust, sir, you You charge me with killing your people, will use the powers you are vested with for the It service and protection of those unfortunate peostealing your cattle, and burning your houses. is I that have cause to complain of the Americans ple, who look up to you as their saviour. I have written general Mitchell, who I learn is an excelWhile one American has been justly killed, while in the act of stealing cattle, more than four In-lent inan, and as he acts as Indian agent, I hope dians have been murdered while hunting, by those lawless freebooters. I harbor no negroes. When the Englishmen were at war with America, some took shelter among them, and it is for you white people to settle those things among yourselves, and not to trouble us with what we know nothing about. I shall use force to stop any armed Americans from passing my towns or on my KENHIGEE. (Signed) lands. D. "Note of Indian talks." I pray your excellency will pardon this intrasion, which nothing but the urgency of the case would have induced me to make. I have the honor to be, Your excellency's most obedient serv't. E. From Chappichimicco and Bowleck to governor To his excellency gov. Cameron. In August Capp had a letter from gen. Gaines, It is with pain we are again obliged to obtrude in substance as annexed, No. 1; and returned the ourselves on your excellency's notice, in conse. answer as by No. 2. Nothing further was said on quence of the cruel war we have been forced ineither side. The end of October a party of AmeIt will be first necessary to ricans, from a fort on Flint river, surrounded to, by the irruption of the Americans, into the Fowl Town, during the night, and began burning heart of our lands it; the Indians then in it fled to the swamp, and state to your excellency, that one head chief, in their flight had three persons killed by fire Kingbijah, received a letter from general Gaines from the Americans; they rallied their people in August last, a copy of which is enclosed, with and forced the Americans to retire some distance, the answer returned thereto. This letter only but not before they had two more persons killed.appears to have been a prelude to plans, deterThe Americans built a blockhouse, or fort, where mined on by the said general and general Jackson; to bring on troops and settlers to drive us they had fallen back to, and immediately sent to party of Americans surthe forts up the country for assistance, stating the from our lands, and take possession of them; for Indians were the aggressors. One of those let-in the end of October a ters falling into the hands of general Mitchell, he rounded Fowl Town during the night, and in the made inquiry, and found his people were the ag- morning began setting fire to it; making the ungressors, and also settled with Inhemathlo for the fortunate inhabitants fly to the swamp, and who, loss his people had suffered; at the same time in their flight, had three persons killed by the sending a talk to Kenhigee, by a head man, Opo.fire of the Americans. Our Indians, rallying, drove the Americans from the town; but, in their ny, that he would put things in such a train as to prevent further encroachments, and get those exertions, had two more of their people killed. The Americans retired some distance, and built a Americans to leave the forts. But no sooner was this good talk given, and before the bearer of it fort or block house to protect themselves, until the assistance they had sent for to the forts, up A letter falling into returned home, than hundreds of Americans came the country, should arrive. pouring down on the Indians. Roused to a sense of their own danger, they flew to arms, and have the hands of general Mitchell, the Indian agent, been compelled to support them ever since. It which stated the In lians to have been the aggressors; he suspected its truth, and, on inquiry, found is not alone from the country, but by vessels entering Appalachicola river, troops and settlers are it was the reverse; in consequence, he made sapouring into the Indian territory, and, if permit-tisfaction to Inhemathlo, the chief of Fowl Town, ted to continue, will soon overrun the whole of the Indian lands. From the talk sent Kenhigee, by gen. Mitchell, I am in hopes that those aggressions of the Ame ricans on the Indian territory are not countenanced by the American government, but originate with men devoid of principle, who set laws and instructions at defiance, and stick at no cruelty and oppressions to obtain their ends. Against such oppressors the American government must and his people, for the injuries and losses they and was led by Forbes to take the part of the Americans; his letter to me, of which I annex you a copy, will show you what lengths he would go, if he had the means. It is Hambly and Doyle who give the Indians all the trouble they experience; they send their emissaries among the Lower Creeks, and make them believe the Cowhettas, aided by the Americans, are arming against them; thus both are put in fear, and their fields are neglected, and hunting is not thought of. I have endeavored to do away this fear, by writing the chief of the Cowhetta towns, that they ought to live on friendly terms with their brethren of the lower nation, whose wishes were to be on good terms with them; and not to listen to any bad talks, but to chase those that give them from among them. My letter was answered by them rather favorably, and I hope the talk that was sent to the Big Warrior last June will heal the difference between them. settlers and troops which come from Mobile, and go up the Appalachicola river; thus seeing no end to those invaders, necessity compelled us to have recourse to arms, and our brethren are now fighting for the land they inherited from their fathers, for their families and forces But what will our exertions d without assistance; our sinews of war are almost spent: and hassed, as we have been for yars, we have not b en able to lay by the means to provide for our extraordinary wants, and to whom can we look up to for protection and sup port but to those friends who have at all former times held forth their hands to uphold us, and who have sworn in their late treaty with the Americans to see our just rights and privileges respected and protected from insult and aggression? We now call on your excellency, as the representative of our good father, king George, to send us such aid in ammunition as we are absolutely in want of; and as our brother chief. Hillisayo, was informed, when in England that when ammunition was wanted to Hillisajo arrived in my schooner at Oclocknee enable us to protect our just rights, that your excel-Sound last June, and was well received by all the lency would supply us with what was necessary. We have applied to the Spanish officer at the fort of St. Marks; but his small supply prevents his being able to assist us, and we have only on your excellency to depend. We likewise pray your excellency would be pleased to send an officer or person to lead us right, and to apportion the supply you may be pleased to send us, agreeably to our proper wants. In praying your excellency will lend an ear to our demand, and despatch it without delay, We remain your excellency's faithful For ourselves, and all the other chiefs F. vered to captain W.; they are therefore lost to chiefs, and others, who came to welcome him home In consequence of his arrival a talk was held, the substance of which I put on paper for them, and it was sent with a pipe of peace to the other nations. Hillisajo wished to return to Nas. sau with me, but I prevailed on him to stay in the nation and keep them all at peace. [I regret, sir, to notice this good man's affairs, though by his desire: it appears that he arrived in Nassau a short time after I had left it in January, and captain W. being here, took charge of him, his goods, and money, prevailing on the governor to let him stay with him until he went down to the nation, which it was his intention to do. Of the money received of governor Cameron he had only given him eighty dollars, by captain W a barrel of sugar, a bag of coffee, and a small keg of rum; and the interpreter, Shugart, informed me, Letter from A. Arbuthnott to col. Edward Nicholls. that when Hillisajo asked for an account, captain Nassau, N. P. 26th August, 1817. W. refused it, saying it would be useless to a man SIR,-Especially authorized by the chiefs of who could not read. He also misses two cases, the Lower Creek nation, whose names I affix to one of which contained, he thinks, crockery. I the present, I am desired to address you, that you have made inquiry of his majesty's ordnance store. may lay their complaint before his majesty's govern-keeper, and he informs me the whole were deliment. They desire it to be made known, that they have implicitly followed your advice in liv-Hillisajo.] ing friendly with the Americans, who were their I am desired to return Hillisajo's warmest acneighbors, and nowise attempted to molest them: knowledgments for the very handsome manner though they have seen the Americans encroach you treated him in England; and he begs his prayon their territory, burning their towns, and er may be laid at the foot of his royal highness, making fields where their houses stood, on the the prince regent. I left him and all his family Chattahouche, rather than make resistance, they well on the 20th of June. Old Cappachimicco have retired lower in the peninsula. The town desires me to send his best respects, and requests of Echallaway, where Otis Micco was chief, is that you would send out some people to live among one instance of the encroachments of the Ameri. them, and all the land they took from Forbes shall be cans: this town is situated under the guns of Fort theirs. At all events, they must have an agent Gaines, and Micco was desired to submit to the among them, to see that the Americans adhere to Americans, or his town would be blown to atoms. the treaty, and permit them to live unmolested Rather than do so, he retired, and is now living on their own lands. This agent should be authoin the lower nation; and his fields, and even whererized by his majesty's government, or he will not the town stood, is ploughed up by the Americans. They complain of the English government neglecting them, after having drawn them into a war with America; that you, sir, have not kept your promise, of sending people to reside among them; and that if they have not some person or persons resident in the nation, to watch over their interests, they will soon be driven to the extremity of the peninsula. You left Mr. Hambly to watch ever the interest of the Creek nation, but you hardly left the nation, when he turned traitor," be attended to by the Americans. In the gazettes of Georgia the Americans report the Seminole Indians are continually committing murders on their borders, and making incursions into the state. These are fabrications tending to irritate the American government against the poor Indians; for, during the time I was in the nation, there was only one American killed, and he, with two others, were in the act of driving off cattle, belonging to Boleg, chief of Suwany; whereas three men and a boy were killed last June by a party |