STATE PAPERS. 
which the parties have mutual in- 
terests, or which might endanger 
their future harmony. Congress 
will decide on the expediency of 
promoting such a sequel, by giving 
effect to the measure of confining 
the American navigation to Ame- 
rican seamen; a measure which, 
at the same time that it might have 
that conciliatory tendency, would 
have the further advantage of in- 
creasing the independence of our 
navigation, and the resources for 
our maritime rights. 
In conformity with the articles 
of the treaty of Ghent, relating 
to the Indians, as well as with a 
view to the tranquillity of our 
western and north-western fron- 
tiers, measures were taken to 
establish an immediate peace with 
the several tribes who had been 
engaged in hostilities against the 
United States. Such of them as 
were invited to Detroit acceded 
readily to a renewal of the former 
treaties of friendship. Of the 
other tribes who were invited to 
a station on the Mississippi, the 
greater number have also accepted 
the peace offered to them. The 
residue, consisting of the more 
distant tribes or parts of tribes, 
remain to be brought over by 
further explanations, or by such 
other means as may be adapted to 
the disposition they may finally 
disclose. 
The Indian tribes within, and 
bordering on our southern fron- 
tier, whom a cruel war on their 
part had compelled us to chastise 
into peace, have lately shewn a 
restlessness, which has called for 
preparatory measures for repress- 
ing it, and for protecting the 
Commissioners engaged in car- 
rying the terms of the peace into 
execution. 
423 
The execution of the act for 
fixing the military peace establish- 
ment, has been attended with dif- 
ficulties which, even now, can 
only be overcome by legislative 
aid. The selection of officers; 
the payment and discharge of the 
troops enlisted for the war; the 
payment of the retained troops, 
and their re-union from detached 
and distant stations; the collec- 
tion and security of the ‘public 
property, in the quarter-master, 
commissary, and ordnance de-— 
partments; and the constant me- 
dical assistance required in hos- 
pitals and garrisons, rendered a 
complete execution of the act 
impracticable on the first of May, 
the period more immediately con- 
templated. As soon, however, as 
circumstances would permit, and 
as far as has been practicable, 
consistently with the public inte- 
rests, the reduction of the army 
has been accomplished; but the 
appropriations for its pay, and 
for other branches of the military 
service, having proved inadequate, 
the earliest attention to that sub- 
ject will be necessary; and the 
expediency of continuing upon 
the peace establishment the Staff 
Officers, who have hitherto been 
provisionally retained, is also re- 
commended to the consideration 
of Congress. 
In the performance of the exe- 
cutive duty upon this occasion, 
there has not been wanting a just 
sensibility to the merits of the 
American army during the late 
war; but the obvious policy and 
design in fixing an efficient mili- 
tary peace establishment, did not 
afford an opportunity to distin- 
guish the aged and infirm on ac- 
count of their past services; nor 
the wounded and disabled, on ac- 
count 
