th respect to Spain and the Indians, their allies,
they foresee that our peace with Spain is very problematical in future.
The principal object of the letter being our supposed excitements of the
Chickasaws against the Creeks, and their protection of the latter, are
we to understand from this, that if we arm to repulse the attacks of the
Creeks on ourselves, it will disturb our peace with Spain? That if we
will not fold our arms and let them butcher us without resistance,
Spain will consider it as a cause of war? This is, indeed, so serious an
intimation, that the President has thought it could no longer be treated
with subordinate characters, but that his sentiments should be conveyed
to the government of Spain itself, through you.

We love and we value peace: we know its blessings from experience. We
abhor the follies of war, and are not untried in its distresses and
calamities. Unmeddling with the affairs of other nations, we had hoped
that our distance and our disposition would have left us free, in the
example and indulgence of peace with all the world. We had, with sincere
and particular dispositions, courted and cultivated the friendship of
Spain. We have made to it great sacrifices of time and interest, and
were disposed to believe she would see her interests also in a perfect
coalition and good understanding with us. Cherishing still the same
sentiments, we have chosen, in the present instance, to ascribe the
intimations in this letter to the particular character of the writers,
displayed in the peculiarity of the style of their communications, and
therefore we have removed the cause from them to their sovereign,
in whose justice and love of peace we have confidence. If we are
disappointed in this appeal, if we are to be forced into a contrary
order of things, our mind is made up. We shall meet it with firmness.
The necessity of our position will supersede all appeal to calculation
how, as it has done heretofore. We confide in our own strength, without
boasting of it; we respect that of others, without fearing it. If
we cannot otherwise prevail on the Creeks to discontinue their
depredations, we will attack them in force. If Spain chooses to consider
our defence against savage butchery as a cause of war to her, we must
meet her also in war, with regret, but without fear; and we shall be
happier, to the last moment, to repair with her to the tribunal of peace
and reason.

The President charges you to communicat