pioneers of the old southwest-第31部分

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e　demonstration　of　freedom。　The　Bourbons　and　their　agents　were　no　more　nor　less　blind　to　the　great　principle　stirring　the　hearts　of　men　in　their　day　than　were　the　Prussianized　hosts　over　a　hundred　years　later　who；　having　themselves　no　acquaintance　with　the　law　of　liberty；　could　not　foresee　that　half　a　world　would　rise　in　arms　to　maintain　that　law。

When　the　War　of　Independence　had　ended；　the　French　Minister；　Vergennes；　and　the　Spanish　Minister；　Floridablanca；　secretly　worked　in　unison　to　prevent　England's　recognition　of　the　new　republic；　and　Floridablanca　in　1782　even　offered　to　assist　England　if　she　would　make　further　efforts　to　subdue　her　〃rebel　subjects。〃　Both　Latin　powers　had　their　own　axes　to　grind；　and　America　was　to　tend　the　grindstone。　France　looked　for　recovery　of　her　old　prestige　in　Europe　and　expected　to　supersede　England　in　commerce。　She　would　do　this；　in　the　beginning；　chiefly　through　control　of　America　and　of　America's　commerce。　Vergennes　therefore　sought　not　only　to　dictate　the　final　terms　of　peace　but　also　to　say　what　the　American　commissioners　should　and　should　not　demand。　Of　the　latter　gentlemen　he　said　that　they　possessed　〃caracteres　peu　maniables！〃　In　writing　to　Luzerne；　the　French　Ambassador　in　Philadelphia；　on　October　14；　1782；　Vergennes　said：　〃it　behooves　us　to　leave　them　＇the　American　commissioners＇　to　their　illusions；　to　do　everything　that　can　make　them　fancy　that　we　share　them；　and　undertake　only　to　defeat　any　attempts　to　which　those　illusions　might　carry　them　if　our　cooperation　is　required。〃　Among　these　〃illusions〃　were　America's　desires　in　regard　to　the　fisheries　and　to　the　western　territory。　Concerning　the　West；　Vergennes　had　written　to　Luzerne；　as　early　as　July　18；　1780：　〃At　the　moment　when　the　revolution　broke　out；　the　limits　of　the　Thirteen　States　did　not　reach　the　River　＇Mississippi＇　and　it　would　be　absurd　for　them　to　claim　the　rights　of　England；　a　power　whose　rule　they　had　abjured。〃　By　the　secret　treaty　with　Spain；　furthermore；　France　had　agreed　to　continue　the　war　until　Gibraltar　should　be　taken；　andif　the　British　should　be　driven　from　Newfoundlandto　share　the　fisheries　only　with　Spain；　and　to　support　Spain　in　demanding　that　the　Thirteen　States　renounce　all　territory　west　of　the　Alleghanies。　The　American　States　must　by　no　means　achieve　a　genuine　independence　but　must　feel　the　need　of　sureties；　allies；　and　protection。*

*　See　John　Jay；　〃On　the　Peace　Negotiations　of　1782…1788　as　Illustrated　by　the　Secret　Correspondence　of　France　and　England；〃　New　York；　1888。


So　intent　was　Vergennes　on　these　aims　that　he　sent　a　secret　emissary　to　England　to　further　them　there。　This　act　of　his　perhaps　gave　the　first　inkling　to　the　English　statesmen*　that　American　and　French　desires　were　not　identical　and　hastened　England's　recognition　of　American　independence　and　her　agreement　to　American　demands　in　regard　to　the　western　territory。　When；　to　his　amazement；　Vergennes　learned　that　England　had　acceded　to　all　America's　demands；　he　said　that　England　had　〃bought　the　peace〃　rather　than　made　it。　The　policy　of　Vergennes　in　regard　to　America　was　not　unjustly　pronounced　by　a　later　French　statesman　〃A　VILE　SPECULATION。〃

*　〃Your　Lordship　was　well　founded　in　your　suspicion　that　the　granting　of　independence　to　America　as　a　previous　measure　is　a　point　which　the　French　have　by　no　means　at　heart　and　perhaps　are　entirely　averse　from。〃　Letter　from　Fitzherbert　to　Grantham；　September　3；　1782。


Through　England's　unexpected　action；　then；　the　Bourbon　cousins　had　forever　lost　their　opportunity　to　dominate　the　young　but　spent　and　war…weakened　Republic；　or　to　use　America　as　a　catspaw　to　snatch　English　commerce　for　France。　It　was　plain；　too；　that　any　frank　move　of　the　sort　would　range　the　English　alongside　of　their　American　kinsmen。　Since　American　Independence　was　an　accomplished　fact　and　therefore　could　no　longer　be　prevented；　the　present　object　of　the　Bourbon　cousins　was　to　restrict　it。　The　Appalachian　Mountains　should　be　the　western　limits　of　the　new　nation。　Therefore　the　settlements　in　Kentucky　and　Tennessee　must　be　broken　up；　or　the　settlers　must　be　induced　to　secede　from　the　Union　and　raise　the　Spanish　banner。　The　latter　alternative　was　held　to　be　preferable。　To　bring　it　about　the　same　methods　were　to　be　continued　which　had　been　used　prior　to　and　during　the　warnamely；　the　use　of　agents　provocateurs　to　corrupt　the　ignorant　and　incite　the　lawless；　the　instigation　of　Indian　massacres　to　daunt　the　brave；　and　the　distribution　of　gold　to　buy　the　avaricious。

As　her　final　and　supreme　means　of　coercion；　Spain　refused　to　America　the　right　of　navigation　on　the　Mississippi　and　so　deprived　the　Westerners　of　a　market　for　their　produce。　The　Northern　States；　having　no　immediate　use　for　the　Mississippi；　were　willing　to　placate　Spain　by　acknowledging　her　monopoly　of　the　great　waterway。　But　Virginia　and　North　Carolina　were　determined　that　America　should　not；　by　congressional　enactment；　surrender　her　〃natural　right〃；　and　they　cited　the　proposed　legislation　as　their　reason　for　refusing　to　ratify　the　Constitution。　〃The　act　which　abandons　it　＇the　right　of　navigation＇　is　an　act　of　separation　between　the　eastern　and　western　country；〃　Jefferson　realized　at　last。　〃An　act　of　separation〃that　point　had　long　been　very　clear　to　the　Latin　sachems　of　the　Mississippi　Valley！

Bounded　as　they　were　on　one　side　by　the　precipitous　mountains　and　on　the　other　by　the　southward　flow　of　the　Mississippi　and　its　tributary；　the　Ohio；　the　trappers　and　growers　of　corn　in　Kentucky　and　western　Tennessee　regarded　New　Orleans　as　their　logical　market；　as　the　wide　waters　were　their　natural　route。　If　market　and　route　were　to　be　closed　to　them；　their　commercial　advancement　was　something　less　than　a　dream。

In　1785；　Don　Estevan　Miro；　a　gentleman　of　artful　and　winning　address；　became　Governor　of　Louisiana　and　fountainhead　of　the　propaganda。　He　wrote　benign　and　brotherly　epistles　to　James　Robertson　of　the　Cumberland　and　to　His　Excellency　of　Franklin；　suggesting　that　to　be　of　service　to　them　was　his　dearest　aim　in　life；　and　at　the　same　time　he　kept　the　southern　Indians　continually　on　the　warpath。　When　Robertson　wrote　to　him　of　the　Creek　and　Cherokee　depredations；　with　a　hint　that　the　Spanish　might　have　some　responsibility　in　the　matter；　Miro　replied　by　offering　the　Cumberlander　a　safe　home　on　Spanish　territory　with　freedom　of　religion　and　no　taxes。　He　disclaimed　stirring　up　the　Indians。　He　had；　in　fact；　advised　Mr　McGillivray；　chief　of　the　Creeks；　to　make　peace。　He　would　try　again　what　he　could　do　with　Mr。　McGillivray。　As　to　the　Cherokees；　they　resided　in　a　very　distant　territory　and　he　was　not　acquainted　with　them；　he　might　have　added　that　he　did　not　need　to　be：　his　friend　McGillivray　was　the　potent　personality　among　the　Southern　tribes。

In　Alexander　McGillivray；　Miro　found　a　weapon　fashioned　to　his　hand。　If　the　Creek　chieftain's　figure　might　stand　as　the　symbol　of　treachery；　it　is　none　the　less　one　of　the　most　picturesque　and　pathetic　in　our　early　annals。　McGillivray；　it　will　be　remembered；　was　the　son　of　Adair's　friend　Lachlan　McGillivray；　the　trader；　and　a　Creek　woman　whose　sire　had　been　a　French　officer。　A　brilliant　and　beautiful　youth；　he　had　given　his　father　a　pride　in　him　which　is　generally　denied　to　the　fathers　of　sons　with　Indian　blood　in　them。　The　Highland　trader　had　spared　nothing　in　his　son's　education　and　had　placed　him；　after　his　school　days；　in　the　business　office　of　the　large　trading　establishment　of　which　he　himself　was　a　member。　At　about　the　age　of　seventeen　Alexander　had　become　a　chieftain　in　his　mother's　nation；　and　doubtless　it　is　he　who　appears　shortly　afterwards　in　the　Colonial　Records　as　the　White　Leader　whose　influence　is　seen　to　have　been　at　work　for　friendship　between　the　colonists　and　the　tribes。　When　the　Revolutionary　War　broke　out；　Lachlan　McGillivray；　like　many　of　the　old　traders　who　had　served　British　interests　so　long　and　so　faithfully；　held　to　the　British　cause。　Georgia　confiscated　all　his　property　and　Lachlan　fled　to　Scotland。　For　this；　his　son　hated　the　people　of　Georgia　with　a　perfect　hatred。　He　remembered　how　often　his　father's　courage　alone　had　stood　between　those　same　people　and　the　warlike　Creeks。　He　could　recall　the　few　days　in　1760　when　Lachlan　and　his　fellow　trader；　Galphin；　at　the　risk　of　their　lives　had　braved　the　Creek　warriorsalready　painted　for　war　and　on　the　marchand　so　had　saved　the　settlements　of　the　Back　Country　from　extermination。　He　looked　upon　the　men　of　Georgia　as　an　Indian　regards　those　who　forget　either　a　blood　gift　or　a　blood　vengeance。　And　he　embraced　the　whole　American　nation　in　his　hatred　for　their　sakes。

In　1776　Alexander　McGillivray　was　in　his　early　thirties…the　exact　date　of　his　birth　is　uncertain。*　He　had；　we　are　told；　the　tall；　sturdy；　but　spare　physique　of　the　Gael；　with　a　countenance　of　Indian　color　though　not　of　Indian　cast。　His　overhanging　brows　made　more　striking　his　very　large　and　luminous　dark　eyes。　He　bore　himself　with　great　dignity；　his　voice　was　soft；　his　manner　gentle。　He　might　have　been　supposed　to　be　some　Latin　courtier　but　for　the　barbaric　display　of　his　dress　and　his　ornaments。　He　possessed　extraordinary　personal　magnetism；　and　his　power　extended　beyond　the　Creek　nation　to　the　Choctaws　and　Chickasaws　and　the　Southern　Cherokees。　He　had　long　been　wooed　by　the　Louisiana　authorities；　but　there　is　no　evidence　that　he　had　made　alliance　with　them　prior　to　the　Revolution。

*　Probably　about　1741　or　1742。　Some　writers　give　1739　and　others　1746。　His　father　landed　in　Charleston；　Pickett　（〃History　of　Alabama〃）　says；　in　1735；　and　was　then　only　sixteen。


Early　in　the　war　he　joined　the　British；　received　a　colonel's　commission；　and　led　his　formidable　Creeks　against　the　people　of　Georgia。　When　the　British　were　driven　from　the　Back　Countries；　McGillivray；　in　his　British　uniform；　went　on　with　the　war。　When　the　British　made　peace；　McGillivray　exchanged　his　British　uniform　for　a　Spanish　one　and　went　on　with　the　war。　In　later　days；　when　he　had　forced　Congress　to　pay　him　for　his　father's　confiscated　property　and　had　made　peace；　he　wore　the　uniform　of　an　American　Brigadier　General；　but　he　did　not　keep　the　peace；　never　having　intended　to　keep　it。　It　was　not　until　he　had　seen　the　Spanish　plots　collapse　and　had　realized　th