Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 May 1898 — Page 1 Advertisements Column 3 [ADVERTISEMENT]

JACKSON'S SPANISH WA .« Jus' eighty years ago this spring we had a war with Spa n. Or, rather Andrew Jackson haft a .vai with Sbain, which lie carrieu on in the name and with tbe roops of th a TJtnted States, but on his own personal responsibilety. He him made one brilliant campaign'aga nst tbe Creeks of southern Georgia. He completely crushel tbe Creek nation, and though* they were “pacified” in the thoro’ Jacksonian manner. Bui a few thousand Greek braves fled across the border into tbe Spanis’ province of west Florida, and joined themselves to the blood-, thirsty horde of SeminoVs and fugitive slaves led by tbe great chief Billy Bowlegs. This tripartnership of dev Jtrv, aided end aoetfced by the Spaniard , made life in southern Georgia a series of alarms too frequently realized in butchery and rapine. The Spanish official attitude was perfectly cornet deprecatory afid regretful. But really, said the Spaniards, those savages are so strong and so wily that we can do nothing.

Then Andrew Jackson came. He had choice of two courses- to foln low the recognized international code of protest by post to Wash*, ington, thence after long delay to t e Spanish miu’st r.Jthence -after interminable delay to Spain by si w sailing vessel, and so on thro’ drawn out years of waiting: or to ad pt a Jacksonian code of ’nte/national law exactly suited to the circumstances. He reasoned thus: 1 Billy Bowlegs and his maraud: rs must be punished at once. 2. This is as much to the interest of Spain as to the United States, 3. That 1, Andrew Jackson, must do iny duty to my country and Spain. 4. If the Spanish officers assist me well and good; if not, then they are allies of the savages and enemies of the United States. Jackson wrote to the government at Washington just what he purposed to do. Then, without wait, ng for a reply he marched over ihe border into the sacred territos ry of Spain at the head of an aril y that knew no duty other than obedience to Jackson. He made straight for the nea: est Spanish fort.. St. Mark’s/ He ent word to t « governor that he (Jackson) had betn much pained to learn that the wicked Indians had forcibly entered Si. Mark’s, and had frigntened the weak garrison into giving them arms and ammunition. “To prevent the re>* currence of so gross a violation of neutrality,” wrote Jaekson, “and to exclude our savage enemies "rom so strong a hpid as St. Maik s, I deem it expedient to garrison that for’less with American tioops uu t 1 the cloie of the present war! ’ The governor was dumbfounded. He hurried forward a long reply in Spanish, the substance of which was that he would writ*- to his govs eminent aud see whether it wished him to 1 t Jackson puisu the pr -- posed c urse. That is, he said to Jackson, “Wait*six months oi a

| Jackson couldn’t read Spanish ! Ih his who e life he never • reamed • o' any one asking him to “wait." ! he assumed that the letter must jbe a cordial assent lo* his very I j. rop r proposals. He got the letter in the early rnorm g of April 7, 1818. Before noon the Spanish flag bad been baule.l d.vvn from “t Mark’s, the American flag was floating over it, and American troops were m possession. The governor made a dignified protest —in JJJoanish —and departed wttk his garrison. Gen. Jackson proceeded to chastise the Indians, and had his usual success. Put again he found the Spaniards interfering to save the Indians from Jacksonian ‘pacifi- | cation.” Here are his own viv d i words of description of his (.am-. paign against Spftio: | “I receiv'd information tLatsso Indians had collected in Pensacola, were fed by the governor, and that a party furnished by tne governor had issued forth and in one night had slain eighteen cf our citizens, and that another party, with Jie knowledge of the governor, went out publicly, murdered a Mr. “tokes and his family,|and in open day returned t Pensacola and sold the booty, among which wai the clothing of Mrs. JJtokes. Here was indeed a casus belli. Jackson did not hesitate between the accepted code and the Jacksonian code. He at once levied var against "pain. He says: “With a general detachment of regulars and 600 Tennesseeans I march d .'or Pensacola. “While on the eaarch thither £ was met by a protest from the governor of Pensacola ordering ”n e out of the Floridas or he would oppose force lo so ce and drive me out of tliH ter; itory of ”pain ” Jackson regarded this boeaf-ot p.wer as pooor posit iv of the treacherous 1 \ iog.of the governor ; in saying th :t the Indians were 100 strong for his wuk garrison J2>> lie marched on to Pensacola forthwith and took formal possession of it in the name ot the United “tates! The governor fled to Fort Carlos de Barrancos. There he thought himself from this terrible Jackson. For he ne ,er imagined for a moment that even such a high handed person as Jackson would