Richmond Enquirer

RICHMOND, OCTOBER 26, 1821.

FLORIDA.

This new territory is fruitful in Documents, if nothing else. It yields to-day the following crop:

The Protest of the Ex-Governor Coppinger for papers seized by Governor Worthington at St. Augustine.—N. B. He was more fortunate than Callava—his person was not touched.

A Commentary by Dr. Bronaugh on Callava's Protest.

And lastly, a Proclamation issued by General Jackson, which we received on Friday, in shape of a hand-bill from the 'Floridian' Office, and re-publish to-day for the benefit of such readers as did not receive our Postscript.

We regret this new act in the drama of Pensacola. The Governor orders the seven Spanish officers to leave Pensacola in four days. Of what acts of insubordination these officers had been guilty—what other cause of excitement and disaffection they had thrown out, than the mere paragraph in a newspaper, which is cited in the proclamation, we know not. Nor will we at present stop to enquire, how far the expressions in the Treaty are technically applicable to this particular case. Yet it is a cause of deep regret, that if this power be attached to Gen. Jackson at all, and if it be exercised in a regular manner, he should have considered himself under the necessity of exercising it. It is against the genius of our institutions. It is against the usages of our people. It has too much of the features of the Alien and Sedition laws blended together. It looks too much like a Spanish power, exercised in the spirit of a Spanish Viceroy. It was but the other day that Gen. J. declared to an assembled court, in a tone which does the highest credit to his candor, that 'no one under a republic ought to possess such powers' as he was clothed with, and which he trusted 'will never again be given to any man.' Why could not Gen. J. have tempered down as much as possible the exercise of these powers? Would it not have been better, if he did possess this large range of authority, to let it fall as gently as he could upon those who might have come within its reach?

We are very doubtful whether in this particular case, the exigency was so great as to require this step; or whether some milder measure would not have sufficed to keep the peace. We shall wait with some little anxiety for the issue of this proceeding.