RABUN COUNTY. 491 



and afterwards liberated by the civil authority. I have since 

 had him arrested and confined, and shall communicate the 

 whole transaction to the President of the United States for 

 his decision, together with a copy of your letter. 



(Signed) Wm, Rabun. 



To this letter Gen. Andrew Jackson made the following 



reply : 



Head Quarters, Division South, 

 Nashville, Ten., August 1, 1818. 



Sir, — Your letter of the 1st of June was not received 

 until this day, though a gasconading notice of such a commu- 

 nication having been written appeared long since in the 

 Georgia journals. I am not disposed to enter into any con- 

 troversy with you relative to our respective duties, but would 

 recommend an examination of the laws of our country before 

 you hazard an opinion on the subject. " The liberty of the 

 people prostrated at the feet of a military despotism," arecant 

 expressions for political purposes ; the better part of the com- 

 munity know too well that they have nothing to apprehend 

 from that quarter. The military have rights secured to them 

 by the laws of our country as well as the civil : and in my 

 respect for those of the latter, 1 will never permit those of the 

 former to be outraged with impunity. Your letter of the 21st 

 of March, on which you, and the journalists, dwell with so 

 much force, you must have been aware could not have 

 reached me in time to produce the object required. " The 

 situation of our bleeding frontier" at that period was magni- 

 fied by the apprehensions of a few frontier settlers, and those 

 who had not understanding enough to penetrate into the 

 designs of my operations. You have forgot that Col. Hayne, 

 with 300 or 400 Tennesseans, made a movement for the 

 security of the pretended assailed point in Georgia, and did 

 not pursue me until satisfied of the perfect security of that 

 frontier. Whilst you are so tenacious of your own executive 

 powers, it may be necessary to explain upon what authority 

 Capt. Wright received instructions to call for a reenforcement 

 from Fort Early, garrisoned by militia, who, you will not 

 deny, were at that time in the service of the United States, 

 and under my command. 



(Signed) And. Jackson. 



