session, therefore, of Pensacola and of the fort of Barrancas, as he had done of St. Mark, not in a spirit of hostility to Spain, but as a necessary measure of self-defense; giving notice that they should be restored whenever Spain should place commanders and a force there able and willing to fulfill the engagements of Spain towards the United States, or of restraining by force the Florida Indians from hostilities against their citizens." (Am. State Papers, For. Rel. IV. 539, 541.) (2) AMELIA ISLAND. § 216. "You will have been informed through the channel of the public prints of the manner in which Amelia Island has in the course of the last summer been occupied by an assemblage of adventurers under various commanders, and with commissioners, real or pretended, from several of the South American insurgent governments. You must have heard also of the feeble and ineffectual attempt made by the Spanish commanding authorities in East Florida to recover possession of the island. A similar band of desperate characters from various nations, and presumably impelled by motives of plunder alone, have formed a lodgment at Galveston, which we consider within the limits of the United States. These places have not only been consequently made receptacles for privateers illegally fitted out from our ports, but the means of every species of illicit traffic, and especially of introducing slaves illegally into the United States. The President has therefore determined to break up those settlements, which are presumed to have been made without proper authority from any government; and which if authorized by any government, have assumed an attitude too pernicious to the peace and prosperity of this Union and of its citizens to be tolerated. The orders for breaking them up have been given, and are in a train of execution. Possession will be taken of Galveston as within the limits of the United States, and perhaps of Amelia Island, to prevent its being taken again by similar adventurers for the same purposes, Spain being notoriously unable either to retain possession of it against them or to recover it from them." Mr. Adams, Sec. of State, to Mr. Erving, min. to Spain, Nov. 11, 1817, The occupation subsequently taken of Amelia Island under these orders "The executive government have ordered, and, as I conceive, very properly, Amelia Island to be taken possession of. This order ought to be carried into execution at all hazards, and simultaneously the 66 whole of East Florida seized and held as indemnity for the outrages of Spain upon the property of our citizens. . . . The order being given for the possession of Amelia Island, it ought to be executed, or our enemies, internal and external, will use it to the disadvantage of the Government. If our troops enter the territory of Spain in pursuit of our Indian enemy, all opposition that they meet with must be put down, or we will be involved in danger and disgrace." (General Jackson to Mr. Monroe, Jan. 6, 1818, Parton's Jackson, II. 434.) In the summer of the present year, an expedition was set on foot against East Florida by persons claiming to act under the authority of some of the colonies, who took possession of Amelia Island, at the mouth of St. Mary's river, near the boundary of the State of Georgia. As the province lies eastward of the Mississippi, and is bounded by the United States and the ocean on every side, and has been a subject of negotiaation with the Government of Spain as an indemnity for losses by spoliation, or in exchange for territory of equal value westward of the Mississippi, (a fact well known to the world,) it excited surprise that any countenance should be given to this measure by any of the colonies. As it would be difficult to reconcile it with the friendly relations existing between the United States and the colonies, a doubt was entertained whether it had been authorized by them, or any of them. This doubt has gained strength, by the circumstances which have unfolded themselves in the prosecution of the enterprise, which have marked it as a mere private, unauthorized adventure. Projected and commenced with an incompetent force, reliance seems to have been placed on what might be drawn, in defiance of our laws, from within our limits; and of late, as their resources have failed, it has assumed a more marked character of unfriendliness to us; the island being made a channel for the illicit introduction of slaves from Africa into the United States, an asylum for fugitive slaves from the neighboring States, and a port for smuggling of every kind. "A similar establishment was made, at an earlier period, by persons of the same description in the Gulf of Mexico, at a place called Galvezton, within the limits of the United States, as we contend, under the cession of Louisiana. This enterprise has been marked, in a more signal manner, by all the objectionable circumstances which characterized the other, and more particularly by the equipment of privateers which have annoyed our commerce, and by smuggling. These establishments, if ever sanctioned by any authority whatever, which is not believed, have abused their trust, and forfeited all claim to consideration. A just regard for the rights and interests of the United States required that they should be suppressed, and orders have been accordingly issued to that effect. The imperious considerations which produced this measure will be explained to the parties whom it may inany degree concern." President Monroe's First Annual Message, Dec. 2, 1817, Am. State Papers, On the same topic, see report of House Com. on For. Rel. Jan. 10, 1818, As to the occupation of the island by McGregor, professedly in the name See, particularly, President Monroe's special message of Jan. 13, 1818, announcing that "the establishment at Amelia Island has been suppressed, and without effusion of blood," and further explaining the motives of the United States. He described McGregor's followers as "adventurers from different countries, with very few, if any, of the native inhabitants of the Spanish colonies; " referred to their claim to the whole of the Floridas; and declared that their course in regard to slaves and contraband trade had been of "the most odious and dangerous character,” and that their claim to exercise sovereignty and to grant commissions to privateers entailed the most serious consequences. (Richardson, Messages, II. 23.) See, also, President Monroe's special message of March 26, 1818, his an- See, also, Wait's Am. State Papers, XI. 343, 395; XII. 388; Am. State The Chev. de Onis, Spanish minister at Washington, protested against the "No dissatisfaction has been expressed here at our occupation of Amelia Island." (Mr. Rush, min. at London, to Mr. Adams, Sec. of State, March 2, 1818, MS. Disp. England.) "When an island is occupied by a nest of pirates, harassing the commerce of the United States, they may be pursued and driven from it, by authority of the United States, even though such island were nominally under the jurisdiction of Spain, Spain not exercising over it any control." Mr. Adams, Sec. of State, to Mr. Hyde De Neuville, French min., Jan. 27, See President Monroe, confidential, to Mr. Madison, Nov. 24, Dec. 22, 1817, The possession taken by the United States of Amelia Island, in Florida, gave it a possessory title, for which it was accountable only to Spain. Mr. Gallatin, minister to France, to Baron Pasquier, French minister of foreign affairs, June 28, 1821, 2 Gallatin's writings, 187. (3) DESTRUCTION OF THE CAROLINE." § 217. During the insurrection in Canada in 1837 sympathic commotions occurred at various places in the United States, especially along the Canadian border. The Government of the United States adopted active measures for the enforcement of the neutrality laws, but the difficulties of the situation were increased by the course of the insurgents, who, when defeated, sought refuge in the United States, where they endeavored to recruit their forces. In December, 1837, meetings were held in Buffalo, in the State of New York, by McKenzie and Rolfe, the leaders in the insurrection, who made a public appeal for arms, ammunition, and volunteers. On the 28th of the month, the United States marshal for the northern district of New York, who had proceeded to Buffalo for the purpose of suppressing violations of neutrality, reported that he had found 200 or 300 men, mostly from the American side of the Niagara River, encamped on Navy Island, in Upper Canada, armed and under the command of "General" Van Rensselaer, of Albany, and that the encampment had received accessions till it numbered about 1,000 men, well armed. This expedition had been organized at Buffalo after McKenzie's arrival, and warrants had been issued for the arrest of the men, but could not be served. There was also an encampment at Black Rock. On the 29th of December occurred the destruction of the Caroline. This vessel was a small steamer employed by the men at Black Rock and on Navy Island in communicating with the mainland. According to the deposition of the master, the Caroline left Buffalo on the 29th of December for the port of Schlosser, which was also in New York. On the way he caused a landing to be made at Black Rock and the American flag to be run up. After the steamer left Black Rock a volley of musketry was fired at her from the Canadian side, but without injuring her. She then landed a number of passengers" at Navy Island, and arrived at Schlosser about 3 o'clock p. m. Subsequently, in the same afternoon, she made two more trips to Navy Island, and returned finally to Schlosser about 6 o'clock p. m. During the evening about 23 persons, all citizens of the United States, came on board and asked to be permitted to " remain on board all night." At midnight about 70 or 80 armed men boarded the steamer and attacked the persons on board with muskets, swords, and cutlasses. The "passengers and crew," of whom there were in all 33, merely endeavored to escape. After this attack the assailing force set the steamer on fire, cut her loose, and set her adrift over the Niagara Falls. Only 21 of the persons on board had since been found, and one of these, Amos Durfee, was killed on the dock by a musket ball. Several others were wounded. Twelve were missing. After the Caroline was set adrift beacon lights were seen on the Canadian side, and cheering was heard, and it was not doubted that the assailants belonged to the British force at Chippewa. Such was the statement made by the master. It was generally reported and believed at the time that the men said to be missing lay wounded in the steamer, and were sent with her over the falls. It was subsequently ascertained, however, on further investigation that of the persons on board the only ones missing were Durfee and the cabin. boy, Johnson, popularly known as "Little Billy," both of whom were shot as they were leaving the steamer; that Van Rensselaer's forces had made some use of Grand Island, and had fired some shots into Canada while the main forces lay at Navy Island and before the Caroline went to Schlosser; that two persons from the Caroline were carried by the attacking force into Canada, but were afterward set at liberty, and that that force acted under the command of Col. A. N. McNab, of Chippewa, who was acting under the orders of his superior officer. On receiving information as to this occurrence, Mr. Forsyth, who was then Secretary of State, addressed a note to Mr. Fox, the British minister at Washington, saying that the destruction of property and assassination of citizens of the United States on the soil of New York, when the President was endeavoring to allay excitement and prevent any unfortunate occurrence on the frontier, had produced "the most painful emotions of surprise and regret," and that the incident would be made the "subject of a demand for redress." General Scott was sent to the frontier, with letters to the governors of New York and Vermont, requesting them to call out the militia. On the 6th of February, Mr. Fox communicated to Mr. Forsyth a letter from Governor Head, and while avowing that the force that destroyed the Caroline was under the command of Colonel McNab, declared that the piratical character of the Caroline seemed to be fully established; that the ordinary laws of the United States were not at the time enforced along the frontier, but were openly overborne; and that the destruction of the Caroline was an act of necessary self-defense. On the 22d of May, 1838, Mr. Stevenson, then minister of the United States at London, presented a demand for reparation. Its receipt was acknowledged by Lord Palmerston on the 6th of June, with a promise of consideration. In March, 1841, a sudden turn was given to the discussion by the arrest and imprisonment on a charge of murder, in the State of New York, of Alexander McLeod, who had, as it appears, while under the influence of liquor, boasted of having taken an effective part in the destruction of the Caroline. Lord Palmerston then avowed respon |