right or
title of the United States to the same.

_The Secretary of State to General Matthews_.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, _April 4, 1812_.

General MATTHEWS, etc.

SIR: I have had the honor to receive your letter of the 14th of March,
and have now to communicate to you the sentiments of the President on
the very interesting subject to which it relates.

I am sorry to have to state that the measures which you appear to have
adopted for obtaining possession of Amelia Island and other parts of
Bast Florida are not authorized by the law of the United States or the
instructions founded on it under which you have acted.

You were authorized by the law, a copy of which was communicated to you,
and by your instructions, which are strictly conformable to it, to take
possession of East Florida only in case one of the following contingencies
should happen: Either that the governor or other existing local
authority should be disposed to place it amicably in the hands of the
United States, or that an attempt should be made to, take possession
of it by a foreign power. Should the first contingency happen it would
follow that the arrangement, being amicable, would require no force on
the part of the United States to carry it into effect. It was only in
case of an attempt to take it by a foreign power that force could be
necessary, in which event only were you authorized to avail yourself
of it.

In neither of these contingencies was it the policy of the law or
purpose of the Executive to wrest the Province forcibly from Spain,
but only to occupy it with a view to prevent its falling into the
hands of any foreign power, and to hold that pledge under the existing
peculiarity of the circumstances of the Spanish Monarchy for a just
result in an amicable negotiation with Spain.

Had the United States been disposed to proceed otherwise, that intention
would have been manifested by a change of the law and suitable measures
to carry it into effect; and as it was in their power to take possession
whenever they might think that circumstances authorized and required it,
it would be the more to be regretted if possession should be effected by
any means irregular in themselves and subjecting the Government of the
United States to unmerited censure.

The views of the Executive respecting East Florida are further
illustrated by your instructions as to West Florida. Although the United
States have thought that they had a good title to the