The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 4 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 4 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
war on us. Of this adventurer the Spanish government rid us; but not
of his principles, his practices, and his excitements against us. These
were more than continued by the officers commanding at New Orleans and
Pensacola, and by agents employed by them, and bearing their commission.
Their proceedings have been the subject of former letters to you, and
proofs of these proceedings have been sent to you. Those, with others now
sent, establish the facts, that they called assemblies of the southern
Indians, openly persuaded them to disavow their treaties, and the limits
therein established, promised to support them with all the powers which
depended on them, assured them of the protection of their sovereign,
gave them arms in great quantities for the avowed purpose of committing
hostilities on us, and promised them future supplies to their utmost
need. The Chickasaws, the most steady and faithful friends of these
States, have remained unshaken by these practices. So also have the
Chocktaws, for the most part. The Cherokees have been teased into some
expressions of discontent, delivered only to the Spanish Governors, or
their agents; while to us they have continued to speak the language of
peace and friendship. One part of the nation only, settled at Cuckamogga
and mixed with banditti and outcasts from the Shawanese and other
tribes, acknowledging control from none, and never in a state of peace,
have readily engaged in the hostilities against us to which they were
encouraged. But what was much more important, great numbers of the Creeks,
chiefly their young men, have yielded to these incitements, and have
now, for more than a twelvemonth, been committing murders and desolations
on our frontiers. Really desirous of living in peace with them, we have
redoubled our efforts to produce the same disposition in them. We have
borne with their aggressions, forbidden all returns of hostility against
them, tied up the hands of our people, insomuch that few instances of
retaliation have occurred even from our suffering citizens; we have
multiplied our gratifications to them, fed them when starving, from the
produce of our own fields and labor. No longer ago than the last winter,
when they had no other resource against famine, and must have perished in
great numbers, we carried into their country and distributed among them,
gratuitously, ten thousand bushels of corn; and that too, at the same
time, when their young men were daily committing murders on helpless women
and children on our frontiers. And though these depredations now involve
more considerable parts of the nation, we are still demanding punishment
of the guilty individuals, and shall be contented with it. These acts
of neighborly kindness and support on our part have not been confined
to the Creeks, though extended to them in much the greatest degree. Like
wants among the Chickasaws had induced us to send to them also, at first,
five hundred bushels of corn, and afterwards, fifteen hundred more. Our
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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