TOTAL FAILURE OF ALL EFFORTS TO ENSLAVE THE EXILES.
Indians and Exiles complain--Government disregards their complaints--Further efforts to enslave Exiles--They fail--General Arbuckle's Report--Collins charges Reynolds with misconduct--Reynolds called on to explain--His reply and proofs--Collins desires claim to be made against Creek Warriors--They refuse to notice it--Political feelings--Watson presents his claim to Congress--Resolution of that body calling for information--Answer--House Doc. 225--Digression--Proceedings on claim before Congress--Its final settlement.
The Indians and Exiles who had emigrated, now found themselves separated at the distance of more than a thousand miles from their brethren in Florida, with whom they could hold no intercourse. They were without a country--without permanent homes--residing upon the lands of the Cherokees, at the mere sufferance of that Tribe, whose humanity had been awakened, and whose sympathy had been extended to them. Their situation and discontent were duly communicated to the Executive; but it appears to have been regarded as of too little importance to receive attention.
But while the President and the War Department disregarded all complaints coming from the Seminoles and Exiles, they relaxed no effort to secure Watson in the possession of the ninety human beings whom he had purchased of the Creek Indians, at the request of the Executive.
As the last resort, instructions were sent to General Arbuckle, commanding in the West, to make investigations, and ascertain what more could be done for the reënslavement of those people. That officer replied to this communication as follows:
"HEAD QUARTERS 2D DEPARTMENT, WESTERN DIVISION,} _Fort Gibson_, Aug. 27th, 1838. }
"SIR: I had the honor, on the 22d instant, to receive your instructions of the 21st ultimo, together with the papers to which they refer. I extremely regret that the United States is liable to suffer loss in consequence of the Creek warriors having sold, and received pay, for the negroes they captured from the Seminole Indians in Florida; and these negroes having been imprudently returned to the possession of their former owners at New Orleans, and brought to this place, with two hundred or more other negroes belonging to the Seminoles. Owing to these transactions, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to identify at most but few of them; and from the present position of this case, it is not probable _that one of the negroes will be obtained except by force_. For further information in relation to this subject, I beg leave to refer you to my letter to Captain Armstrong, Acting Superintendent of the Western Territory, of this date, a copy of which is herewith enclosed. I shall do all in my power to prevent loss to the Government, and will at an early period have the honor to advise you of the measures taken in the case."