GENERAL HISTORY. 



[171 



to give it effect. The season of 

 the year being unfavourable to 

 active operations, and the re- 

 cesses of the country affording 

 shelter to these savages, in case 

 of retreat, may prevent a prompt 

 termination of the war ; but it 

 may be fairly presumed, that it 

 will not be long before this tribe 

 and its associates receive the 

 pimishment which they have pro- 

 voked and justly merited. 



As almost the whole of this 

 tribe inhabits the country within 

 the limits of Florida, Spain was 

 bound, by the treaty of 1795, to 

 restrain them from committing 

 hostilities against the United 

 States. We have seen, with 

 regret, that her Government has 

 altogether failed to fulfil this 

 obligation, nor are we aware that 

 it made any effort to that effect. 

 When we consider her utter in- 

 ability to check, even in the 

 slightest degree, the movements 

 of this tribe, by her very small 

 and incompetent force in Florida, 

 we are not disposed to ascribe the 

 failure to any other cause. The 

 inability, however, of Spain to 

 maintain her authority over the 

 territory and Indians within her 

 limits, and in consequence to 

 fulfil the treaty, ought not to ex- 

 pose the United States to other 

 and greater injuries. Where the 

 authority of Spain ceases to exist, 

 there the United States have a right 

 to pursue their enemy, on a prin- 

 ciple of self-defence. In tliis in- 

 stance, the right is more complete 

 and obvious, because we shall 

 perform only what Spain was 

 bound to have performed herself. 

 To the high obligations and pri- 

 vileges of this great and sacred 

 right of self-defence, will the 



movementof ourtroopsbe strictly 

 confined. Orders have been 

 given to the General in command 

 not to enter Florida, unless it be 

 in pursuit of the enemy, and in 

 that case to respect the Spanish 

 authority wherever it is maintain- 

 ed ; and he will be instructed to 

 withdraw his forces from the pro- 

 vince, as soon as he shall have 

 reduced that tribe to order, and 

 secured our fellow-citizens in that 

 quarter, by satisfactory arrange- 

 ments, against its unprovoked 

 and savage hostilities in future. 

 James Monroe. 

 Washington, March 25. 



Washington, Nov. 16. 



This day, at 12 o'clock, the 

 President of the United States 

 transmitted to both Houses of 

 Congress, by his secretary, Mr. 

 J. J. Monroe, the following 



MESSAGE. 



Fellotu Citizens of the Senate, 

 and of the House of Re- 

 presentatives ; 



The auspicious circumstances 

 imder which you will commence 

 the duties of the present session, 

 will lighten the burden insepara- 

 ble from the high trust committed 

 to you. The fruits of the earth 

 have been unusually abundant ; 

 commerce has flourished ; the 

 revenue has exceeded the most 

 favourable anticipation; and peace 

 and amity are preserved with 

 foreign nations, on conditions just 

 and honourable to our country. 

 For these inestimable blessings, 

 we cannot but be grateful to that 

 Providence which watches over 

 the destinies of nations. 



As the term limited for the 

 operation of the commercial con- 

 vention 



