492 RABUN COUNTY. 



To the above, Gov. Rabun sent the following reply : — 



Executive Department, Georgia, 

 Milledgeville, Sept. 1, 1818. 



Sir, — I have lately had the honour to receive your letter 

 of the 1st ult. I supposed that our correspondence on this 

 subject had finally terminated, but the renewal on your part 

 has induced me to make this short reply. I find that the same 

 angry disposition, which no doubt dictated your letter of the 

 7th of May last, is still rankling in your breast. It is very 

 certain that I have never intentionally assailed your feelings, 

 or wantonly provoked your frowns ; and I flatter myself that 

 it is equally certain that I shall never find it necessary to 

 court your smiles. You are not disposed to enter into a con- 

 troversy with me relative to our respective duties, but recom- 

 mend " an examination of the laws of our country before I 

 again hazard an ojoinion on the subject." Your advice is 

 good, and should be attended to (at least) by all public offi- 

 cers. I hope that you will now permit me in turn to recom- 

 mend to you, that before you undertake to prosecute another 

 campaign, you examine the orders of your superiors with 

 more attention than usual. You assert " that the better part 

 of the community know too well that they have nothing to 

 apprehend from a 7nilitary despotism" — and in proof of the 

 assertion it might have been well 'for you to have called my 

 attention to your late proceedings at St. Marks and Pensacola, 

 as affording conclusive evidence on that point. The situation 

 of our bleeding frontiers, you say, was magnified by the ap- 

 prehensions of a few frontier settlers, and those who had not 

 understanding enough to penetrate into the designs of your 

 operations. Indeed, sir, we had expected that your presence 

 at the head of an overwhelming force would have afforded 

 complete protection to our bleeding and distressed citizens, 

 bordering on an extensive and unprotected frontier ; but our 

 prospects were only delusive, for it would seem that the 

 laurels expected in Florida were the objects that accelerated 

 you more than the protection of the " ignorant Georgians." 

 If Col. Hayne, and his 300 or 400 Tennesseans, made a 

 movement for the security of the pretended assailed point of 



