ns, having slaves,
cultivated the ground and had large stocks of cattle. Florida, like all
the confines of the United States, had a white population not very
creditable to any country, and many of these people went there more with
a view of robbing the Indians of their negroes and cattle, and selling
them in the Western States, than with any intention of permanently
settling in the country.

As soon as the Floridas were ceded by the Spanish, the American
Government perceived the expediency of removing the Indians from the
territories, and, on the 18th of September 1823, a treaty was entered
into with the Indians, by which the Indians, on their part, agreed to
remove to the westward after _twenty years_ from that date, that is on
September 18th, 1843. By the same treaty the American Government
secured to the Indians a tract of land in Florida, containing five
millions of acres, for their subsistence during the time that they
remained in that State; and agreed to pay the Indians certain advances,
in consequence of their surrendering all title to the rest of the
Florida country, and engaging to confine themselves to the limits of the
territory allotted to them.

Nothing could be more plain or simple than the terms of this treaty,
which, in consequence of the council being held at this spot, was
denominated the treaty of Camp Moultrie.

The third article in the treaty of Camp Moultrie runs as follows:--"The
United States will take the Florida Indians under their care and
patronage, and _will afford them protection against all persons
whatsoever_."

One of the great errors committed by the American Government was in
binding itself to perform what was not in its power. It could no more
protect these Indians against the white marauders than it could prevent
the insurgents from attacking Upper Canada. The arm of the Federal
Government is too weak to reach its own confines, as will hereafter be
shewn by its own acknowledgment. The consequence was that, very soon
after the treaty of Camp Moultrie had been signed, the Indians were
robbed and plundered by the miscreants who hovered near them for that
purpose.

An American author states that two men, Robinson and Wilburn, belonging
to Georgia, contrived to steal from one chief twenty slaves, to the
value of 15,000 dollars, and carried them to New Orleans. I will
however quote a portion of the work.

"Another influential chief, Emachitochustern, commonly called John
Wa