the result of the recent charter election in the City of New York. This is a movement of the people alone, and is a convincing proof that when the people reflect they will always decide in favor of the pure Republican principles. New York will give at next election a triumphant Republican vote. Mark this—

From the signs of the times here everything denotes a change in public sentiment throughout the State. Polk will be elected, as I believe, by a triumphant majority, and if the best informed in this congressional district are not deceived, Burton will beat Bell. If Burton had come out six weeks sooner he would have carried the district without opposition. Bell would not have been a candidate. It was the influence of Genl Armstrong with my own with Mrs. Burton that at last brought him out. Armstrong has done his duty faithfully, and rest assured deserves the attention of the Republican party & the executive. He has done more in East Tennessee than any other man, by convincing his old friends who were under Judge White's influence of his apostacy & want of principle. The government could aid him. by giving his son Josiah, a very fine, sober, and industrious youth, the settlers place in Arkansas & continuing Harris, the general's son-in-law in the place selected for them. I am assured that everything will be done for them that can be with propriety, by the Secretary of War & the President. assure you that taking into view Genl Armstrong's large family & limited means no one has done more for the good cause than Genl Armstrong-and I pray you to join your influence to obtain for Josiah & Harris the situation selected. it will be the means of aiding the Genl & enable him to remain with us-otherwise he will have to move west & seek a new country for his large family where his expenses will be less.

Present me to the President and his family to Mr. Blair & his---say to them I rejoice in their god spirits, and will write them tomorrow-say to them the people will support the administration by its continuing steadfast in its course-the people has demanded and will have a separation of the government from all Banks.

My household joins me in kind regards to your lady & family.
Yr friend,
ANDREW JACKSON.

Felix Grundy, Esq..

Atty Genl for the United States.

LETTER FROM MAJ.-GENL. EDMUND P. GAINES

[The following communication is in the archives of the Tennessee Historical Society without any note to show whence it came to the society. While not in Gen. Gaines' hand, it bears his autograph signature. Evidently intended for publication, it is not known if it has been published before, or if any copy reached the adjutant-general. -ED.]

To Brig.-Genl. R. Jones, Adjt.-Genl. U. S. Army, Washington.

Sir:

Headquarters Western Department,

Camp Sabine, July 4, 1836.

I received on the 25th at Pensacola on my way to this place your letter of the 10th of March.

I have delayed replying until now from a firm conviction that my letters of the 15th and 25th of January and 6th of February to you with those of the 2nd 22nd 28th and 29th of February and 2nd of March to General Clinch with my orders and special orders of the 18th of January to the 9th of March 1836 inclusively reported to you by my acting Assistant Adjt.-Genl for the information of the proper authorities would fully exculpate me from the imputation of Genl. Scott that I had "interfered with his command" or "disturbed his plan of operations," &c; more especially as the complainant's accusations were not deemed to be of sufficient importance for me to be furnished with a copy. But having recently seen the attacks made on me, through the newspaper called the Globe, and some other papers of equal respectability and of all political parties since the Ist of April last, purporting to be from the pen of that officer or from his dictation or sanction aided by the Quarter Master General a franking bureau officer of the War Department-these insidious publications assure me that I am again wantonly assailed. These combined attacks suggest to me the propriety of making for the information of the proper authorities, the remarks and explanations which follow follow and and which

con

I deem necessary and proper in vindication of my duct, my movements and connection with the war in East Florida between the 15th of January and 9th of March last inclusive a task which I was more than willing to abstain from or leave to others as I could not consistently with my own selfrespect and justice to my Command repcl the caluminous accusations without calling in question the opinions of high public functionaries whose judgment and patriotism I had long sincerely respected; nor indeed without seeming disposed to join in an acrimonious controversy which nothing short of an order from the President or the absolute necessity of self-defense could prompt me to do.

The order No 7 of the 20th of January of the present year requiring Genl. Scott to repair to the left wing of my department was never seen by me until my arrival at Fort King the 22nd of February. I state this fact simply because it is a fact hitherto I apprehend, unknown at your office-but it is a fact to which I attach little or no importance. Had I received this order at Pensacola I should have viewed it as a measure of the Secretary of War taken without a full knowledge of the progress of the war upon that frontier and of the circumstances which had rendered my movement to Florida proper and that therefore my movement thither ought to continue until I should feel assured that the President was apprized of all the material facts bearing upon the subject; and more especially until the cfficer authorized to enter upon that part of my Command assigned to him and which formed the principal theater of the War, should make his appearance in person upon that theater of the War; unless indeed my attention had been called to other and apparently more important military operations also in war than those which called me to East Florida.

This view of the subject is based upon an essential principle. of military law, derived from the laws of nature and incorporated in our institutions--a principle sustained by the ablest writers of all enlightened nations to whose works I have had access—a principle without the strict observance of which no nation whose geographical limits exceed twenty miles square could be successfully defended-a principle deeply interwoven with the highest attributes of sovereignty and of self-government namely, self-defense and self-preservation as a nation or a State; or in

other words Protection, immediate and instantaneous, to the exposed feeble members of the community from savage war.

Let us look at a few of the principal features of the case in question and see the probable effect of contrary conduct on my part.

In command of the Western Department I had learned at New Orleans of a great and unlooked-for disaster occurring in my department far removed from the seat of government from whence alone could I hope to receive new orders or special instructions more applicable to the case than the orders of the President embraced in my commission to serve the United States diligently as a General officer with the orders he had given me to command the Western Department. An important white settlement in my Department was reported overrun, sacked and burnt; a United States Agent of Indian affairs, eight officers and ninety eight soldiers with many citizens killed and their property stolen or destroyed, and I was aware that many neighboring military posts, Forts Brooke, King, Drane and Key West all in my department were without defense other than what an efficient force of 500 men could take in a few hours-the garrisons of two, Ft. King and Key West being insufficient. I knew that there were about 600 regular troops in Florida and these separated by a wilderness supposed to be occupied by the enemy. comprehending-near 20,000 square miles extending near 250 miles from North to South, and 120 to 40 miles from East to West.

The destruction of the brave but unfortunate Major Dade with his heroic officers and men affords an impressive lesson upon this subject which no prudent soldier should ever lose sight of. Under these circumstances what was the duty of the Commander? This question can be most readily answered by another. What had I promised upon oath to do? "To bear true faith and allegiance to the United States, to serve them honestly and faithfully against their enemies and to obey the orders of the President and the officers appointed over me according to the Rules and Articles of War."

I had with me my sword and commission with orders to "command" this Department. It is well known that for me to command a military department is in a plain military sense so

to order and employ the men and means confided to my direction as to protect the people of the United States in that depart ment against their enemies and if it be in time of war, to continue so to command until duly relieved by the new commander in his own proper person and on the theater of the war. Failing to comply with this injunction I well knew I might have suffered the enemy to kill numbers of citizens and troops in addition to those already slain, burn their houses and take their property.

It was my duty therefore without waiting for new orders to collect any disposable force within my department sufficient to strike the enemy, subdue then! or check their devastations until the President should have notice of them and of my efforts to arrest them and then give such new orders as he might see fit.

But it is contended principally by those who have proved themselves better qualified for the quiet vocation of a writing desk than the turbulent scenes of an Indian war that I should have abandoned the expedition at Pensacola because I received on arriving there your letter notifying me not that Genl. Scott had actually arrived at the theater of war in Florida but that he had been ordered thither by the Secretary of War!

Little reflection is necessary to see the fallacy of this closetview of the subject. I had embarked pursuant to my letter of Feby 2nd to Genl. Clinch or the officer commanding in the north east border of Florida with a view to co-operate with that officer. I had given a pledge to the principal force with me the Louisiana Volunteers, that I would not require them to go farther than I would myself go and that I would stand by them as long as they would stand by me in bringing the war to a close. I had thus promised with a force of 700 men so to co-operate; this force had been increased before embarkation to near 1100 men.

With this very respectable force embarked and in its movement for Tampa Bay within two days reach by steam of that place I received at Pensacola the notification from you that Genl. Scott had been ordered by the Secty of War to that part of my command to which I was under the above mentioned circumstances destined. But what assurance could I have that he was there? Did you notify me that he was at the post assigned him? or that such arrangements had been made as afforded reasonable hope that Genl. Scott would be prepared soon to breast the