The foregoing is a true extract from the original letter on file in the War Office of the United States.

May 15, 1794.

JNO. STAGG, JR. Ch. Cl. W. D.

May 6, 1794.

MR. JOHN HOLLAND, an inhabitant of Savannah, left that place on the 26th ult. in the sloop Harmony, Capt. M'Cor. mack, and arrived here on the 5th of May.

This gentleman informs, that the French sloop of war Las Casas, supposed to belong to the French fleet lately from the Chesapeak, had landed some men on the island of Amelia, to the southward of the St. Mary's; and that they were there erecting some works, and had landed some cannon. That general Clarke was on the Georgia side of the St. Mary's with a few men; their numbers said to be various, from 150 to 300, but were daily augmenting; and it was supposed intended to join the French, and to take the oaths of allegiance to them, in order to invade the Floridas. Clarke was said to have provi sions and ammunition. The people of Savannah strongly reprobated the measure. A person, name unknown, attempted to beat up for volunteers in Savannah, but he was forced to desist, and to give bail in the federal court.

A captain of a privateer, named Curvin, also attempted to beat up, but was also obliged to give bail and desist.

The governour was daily expected in Savannah,

A Col. Hammond from Savannah is one of the principal officers. He was of the continental troops during the late war.

War Department, May 14, 1794. SIR,-By certain information, recently received from Georgia, it would appear that a General Clarke and others have organized themselves into a military corps, within the limits of the United States, and are thence about setting out upon some military expedition against the dominions of Spain, with whom we are at peace.

Any comments upon the illegality and criminality of such a conduct is entirely unnecessary to your Excellency, as you have already issued your proclamation against the design.

But it may be necessary that further and more effectual measures be taken to prevent, entirely, the expedition, and bring to punishment the authors, actors, and abettors thereof; other. wise the United States may become responsible for the consequences.

I am therefore desired by the President of the United States to request that your excellency will, if the same should be necessary, take the most energetick and decisive measures within your power for suppressing the said design. If the circumstances should require the employment of the militia, I am au

thorized to assure you, that it may be done at the expense of the United States; and I am also directed to put under your direction the regular troops of the United States; for which purpose I have given Lieut. Col. Gaither the necessary orders herein inclosed. And I have also further directed John Haber sham, Esquire, the agent for furnishing the supplies in Georgia, to afford every necessary aid of provisions and quarter-master's stores, which you may require for this object.

I have the honour to be, &c.

His Ex. the Governour of Georgia.

True Copy,

H. KNOX, Secretary of War.

JNO. STAGG, JR. Ch. Clk. W. D.

Extract of a letter from the Secretary of War, to Lieutenant Col. Gaither, dated May 14, 1794.

"SIR,-If the governour of Georgia should call upon you to assist him with the publick force under your command, for the purpose of suppressing an illegal combination of men, alleged to be organized within the United States for the purpose of invading the dominions of Spain, you are promptly and cordially to place yourself and all the troops and military stores under his orders for the said purpose."

True extract,

JNO. STAGG, JR. Ch. Clk. W. D.

OF THE PRESIDENT OF

MESSAGE

THE UNITED STATES TO CONGRESS. MAY 21, 1794.

I LAY before you in confidence, sundry papers, by which you will perceive the state of affairs between us and the six nations, and the probable cause to which it is owing.—And also, certain information, whereby it would appear that some encroachment was about to be made on our territory, by an officer and party of British troops. Proceeding on a supposition of the authenticity of this information, although of a private nature, I have caused the representation to be made to the British Minister, a copy of which accompanies this message.

It cannot be necessary to comment upon the very serious nature of such an encroachment, nor to urge, that this new state of things suggests the propriety of placing the United States in a posture of effectual preparation for an event, which, notwithstanding the endeavours making to avert it, may, by circumstances beyond our control, be forced upon us.

GEO. WASHINGTON.

MESSAGE

FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO CONGRESS. MAY 23, 1794.

I LAY before you the copy of a letter from the Minister Plenipotentiary of his Britannick Majesty, in answer to a letter from the Secretary of State, communicated to Congress yesterday; and also the copy of a letter from the Secretary, which is referred to in the above mentioned letter of the minister.

GEO. WASHINGTON.

Philadelphia, May 20, 1794.

SIR,-It cannot be unknown to you, that a speech, said to be addressed on the 10th of February, 1794, to several Indian nations, and ascribed to the Governour general of his Britannick Majesty at Quebec, has appeared in most of the publick prints in the United States. With so many circumstances of authenticity-after remaining so long without contradiction; it might have justified us in inquiring from you, whether it was really delivered under British authority. Our forbearance thus to in quire is conformable with the moderation which has directed the conduct of our government towards Great Britain, and indicates at the same time our hope from the declarations of yours, that its views would prove ultimately pacifick, and that it would discountenance every measure of its officers, having a contrary tendency.

Even now, sir, while I entertain a firm persuasion, that in assuming this speech to be genuine, I cannot well err; I shall be ready to retract the comments, which I am about to make, if you shall think, proper to deny its authenticity.

At the very moment when the British Ministry were forwarding assurances of good will, does Lord Dorchester foster and encourage in the Indians hostile dispositions towards the United States. If it was a part of the American character to indulge suspicion; what might not be conjectured as to the influence, by which our treaty was defeated in the last year, from the assembling of deputies from almost all the nations, who were at the late general council on the Miami ;, and whose enmity against us cannot be doubtful? How nearly would that suspicion approach to proof, were we to recollect that so high an officer as himself, would not rashly hazard this expression: "I should not be surprised if we are at war with the United States in the course of the present year; and if we are, a line must then be drawn by the warriors."

But this speech only forbodes hostility: the intelligence, which has been received this morning, is, if true, hostility itself. The President of the United States has understood through channels of real confidence, that governour Simcoe has gone to

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the foot of the rapids of the Miami, followed by three companies of a British regiment, in order to build a fort there.

Permit me then to ask, whether these things be so? It has been usual for each party to a negotiation, to pay such a deference to the pretensions of the other, as to keep their affairs in the same posture, until the negotiation was concluded. On this principle, you complained, in your letter of the 5th of July, 1792, of the jurisdiction, attempted to be exercised under the State of Vermont, within the districts occupied by the troops of your King; and demanded, that our government should suppress it, from respect to the discussion, which was pending. On this principle, you were assured, that proper measures should be adopted. On the same principle you renew on the 10th of March, 1794, a similar application; and are answered that the measures of the government should correspond with its assurances. Accordingly, although the forts, garrisons and districts, to which your letters relate, are confessedly within the limits of the United States; yet have our citizens been forbidden to interrupt you in the occupancy of them. What return then have we a right to expect.

But you will not suppose, that I put the impropriety of the present aggression upon the pendency of the negotiation. I quote this only to show the contrast between the temper observed on your part towards us and on our part towards you. This possession of our acknowledged territory has no pretext of statu quo on its side; it has no pretext at all: it is an act, the hostility of which cannot be palliated by any connection with that negotiation: it is calculated to support an enemy whom we are seeking to bring to peace.

A late mission of the United States to Great Britain is an unequivocal proof, after all that has happened, of the sincere wish of our government to preserve peace and a good understanding with your nation. But our honour and safety require that an invasion shall be repelled.

Let me therefore inform you, sir, that I have it in charge from the President of the United States to request and urge you to take immediate and effectual measures, as far as in you lies, to suppress these hostile movements; to call to mind that the army of the United States in their march against the enemy will not be able to distinguish between them, and any other people, associated in the war; to compare these encroachments with the candour of our conduct and the doctrines, which you have maintained; and to admonish those, who shall throw obstacles in the way of negotiation and tranquillity, that they will be responsible for all the unhappy consequences. I have the honour to be, &c. EDM. RANDOLPH.

Mr. Hammond, Minister Plenipoten-2 tiary of his Britannick Majesty. S

True copy, GEO. TAYLOR, JR.

Philadelphia, May 22, 1794.

SIR,-In answer to your letter of the 20th current which I did not receive until late in the afternoon of yesterday, it is necessary for me to premise that, whatever may be my personal opinion with respect to the style and manner in which you have thought it proper to address me upon the present occasion, it is not my intention to offer any animadversion upon them, but to proceed with temper and candour to the examination of the subjects of your letter.

Though I never can acknowledge the right of this government to require from me, so categorically as you have required it, an explanation of any measure emanating from the Gover. nours of Canada, over whose actions I have no control, and for whose conduct I am not responsible, I am willing to admit the authenticity of the speech to certain Indian nations, to which you have alluded, and which you have ascribed to the Governour General of his Majesty's possessions in North America. But in order to ascertain the precise sense of the only passage of that speech to which you have referred, and of which you have given merely a partial citation, I shall quote the passage at length.

"CHILDREN, Since my return I find no appearance of a line remains, and from the manner in which the people of the States push on, and act, and talk on this side, and from what I learn of their conduct towards the sea, I shall not be surprised if we are at war with them in the course of the present year; and if so, a line must then be drawn by the warriors." From the context of this whole passage, it is manifest that Lord Dorchester was persuaded, that the aggression which might eventually lead to a state of hostility, had proceeded from the United States: and so far as the state of Vermont, to which I presume his Lordship principally alluded, was implicated, I am convinced that that persuasion was not ill-founded. For notwithstanding the positive assurances which I received from your predecessor, on the 9th of July, 1792, in answer to my letter of the 5th of the same month, of the determination of the general government to discourage and repress the encroachments which the state and individuals of Vermont had committed on the territory occupied by his Majesty's garrisons-I assert with confidence that not only those encroachments have never been in any manner repressed, but that recent infringements in that quarter, and on the territory in its vicinity, have been since committed. Indeed if this assertion of mine could require any corroboration, I would remark that though the space of fifty days elapsed between my letter of the 10th of March, 1794, upon this subject, and your answer of the 29th of April, 1794, you did not attempt to deny the facts which I then stated, and which I now explicitly repeat.

In regard to your declaration that "Governour Simcoe has gone to the foot of the rapids of the Miami, followed by three