MESSAGE

FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO CONGRESS. JUNE 11, 1812.

I TRANSMIT, for the information of Congress, copies of letters which have passed between the Secretary of State and the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Great Britain.

JAMES MADISON.

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN MR. Monroe and mr. foster, RELATIVE TO INDIAN HOSTILITIES.

Mr. Foster to Mr. Monroe. Washington, June 7, 1812. SIR, It is extremely painful to me to find that, notwithstanding the assurances which I had the honour to make to you on the authority of communications from his majesty's captain general in Canada, that his majesty's officers had not only had no hand in urging the Indian tribes to the late atrocities committed on the frontiers of the United States, but had even endeavoured, in the true spirit of friendly neighbourhood, to restrain them as far as lay in their power; such reports still continue to be circulated with revived industry, and have, in a great degree, even been countenanced by statements which were recently made in an address from a governour of one of the United States, to the citizens of that State.

To set this question at rest, I beg leave, sir, to transmit to you the enclosed copies of a letter from the late governour of Canada to his majesty's secretary of state for the war department, and the answer of lord Liverpool, which have been recently received by me, through lord Castlereagh's office, and from which you will perceive that his majesty's ministers had not only expressed their decided approbation of the conduct of the government of Canada, in using whatever influence they might possess over the Indians, to dissuade them from committing hostilities on

the citizens of the United States, but also had especially directed that those exertions should be continued.

While I assure you, sir, very frankly, that I do not believe such evidence was necessary to convince the American government of the erroneous nature of the abovementioned reports, I yet beg leave to request that this letter and its enclosures may, as early as possible, be laid before the President.

I also beg leave to add, that it is really a serious inconvenience thus to find it necessary continually to furnish fresh evidence, in order to oppose rumours which, though unsupported by the shadow of a document, or any other authority whatever than mere heresay, do yet derive a consequence from the circulation given to them under the official sanction of a state government.

I have thought it necessary to be thus explicit on this subject, on account of the odious nature of the reports in question: dreadful and horrible as they are, they would at any time suffice to excite the most violent irritation through a country, but they surely ought not to be made use of without the most clear and convincing proofs to constitute their veracity.

I have the honour, &c. &c.

Hon. James Monroe, &c. &c. &c.

AUG. J. FOSTER.

Copy of a Letter from J. H. Craig to the Earl of Liverpool. Quebec, March 29, 1811.

MY LORD,-Under the present circumstances existing between his majesty's government, and that of the American States, I feel it to be necessary to forward to your lordship, the information that is contained in the enclosed letter and papers from lieutenant governour Gore, to which I add a copy of my answer to him on the subject. This is the first direct communication that I have had either from lieutenant governour Gore, or from any officer of the Indian department, relative to the intentions of the Indians. My private accounts, however, which, though not official, were equally to be relied on, gave me assurances of their determination to have recourse to arms, so long ago as in November; and in my wish to assist in saving

the American frontier from the horrours usually attending the first burst of an Indian war, by enabling them to take precautions against it, I communicated my accounts to Mr. Morier, and though I thought that an official communication might be extremely objectionable, I gave him, however, permission, if he did not think it improper from any circumstance of situation in which he might find himself with them, verbally to convey the information to the American government. And I have since heard from Mr. Morier that he did so. In January, I repeated to Mr. Morier that I continued to receive a confirmation of the intelligence I had before sent him, but I do not know whether he made any farther communication to the American government.

I have the honour to be, &c. &c.

J. H. CRAIG.

Copy of a Letter from Lord Liverpool to the Officer administering the Government of Lower Canada. Downing Street, July 28, 1811.

SIR,-In reference to the despatches, Nos. 37 and 39, of lieutenant governour sir James Craig, with their respective enclosures, on the subject of the hostile intentions which have been manifeted by the Indians against the Americans, and of the measures which had been taken by that officer to dissuade them from a recourse to arms, I am commanded by his royal highness the prince regent to acquaint you that the conduct of sir James Craig, in this respect, has received his royal highness's entire approbation, and I am to desire that you will persevere in the attempt made by him to restrain the Indians from the commission of any act of hostility on the American frontier.

I have the honour to be, &c. &c.

LIVERPOOL.

Mr. Foster to the Secretary of State. Washington, June 8, 1812.

SIR,-Since I had the honour of writing to you yesterday, I have received some additional papers relating to

the subject mentioned in my letter, which I transmit to you enclosed. They consist of a letter from sir James Craig to lord Liverpool, enclosing the extract of a letter from lieutenant governour Gore, and of the instructions which he had given to the deputy superintendent of Indian affairs to exert himself in restraining the Indians from committing any act of hostility against the citizens of the United States.

Allow me, sir, to request that these papers may without loss of time be communicated to the President.

I have the honour, &c.

Hon. James Monroe, &c. &c. &c.

AUG. J. FOSTER.

Quebec, May 21, 1811.

MY LORD,-In a despatch, No. 37, I thought it right to apprize your lordship of the appearance of hostile intentions towards the Americans, which had shown itself among the Indians in the upper country, as well as of the steps had taken on the occasion.

In pursuing the same subject, I have now the honour to enclose copies of the letter I have received from lieutenant governour Gore, and of the instructions, which, in consequence of mine to him, he had given to the deputy superintendent of Indian affairs.

I have the honour to be, &c.

The Earl of Liverpool, &c. &c.

J. H. CRAIG.

Extract of a Letter from Lieutenant Governour Gore, to His Excellency Sir James Craig. York, (Upper Cana da,) March 2, 1811.

"I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency's letter of the 2d of February, which reached me on the 24th.

"I lost no time in directing the deputy superintendent general of Indian affairs to instruct the officers of the Indian department to caution and restrain the Indians from committing any act of hostility on the white inhabitants in the neighbourhood. A copy of my letter to colonel Claus is herewith transmitted."

Extract of a Letter from Lieutenant Governour Gore, to Colonel Claus, Deputy Superintendent General of Indian Affairs. York Place, Feb. 26, 1811.

"IN further notice of Mr. Elliott's letters to you, it is desirable that you should desire him to be more than usually circumspect in his communications with the Indians, so as to leave no possible suspicion of favouring their projected hostilities against the United States of America. You will therefore direct him, as occasion may offer, to impress upon the Indians the certainty of eventual misfortune to themselves from any attack on the whites; to point out to them that the Americans are become so strong, that any effort on their part to prevail by arms must be vain, and that it is from such an assurance, and out of regard to their safety, comfort, and happiness, that their Great Father expressly forbids that any encouragement should be afforded to them in any warlike enterprise."

Mr. Monroe to Mr. Foster. Department of State, June 10, 1812.

SIR, In answer to the letters of the 7th and 8th instant, which I have had the honour to receive from you, disclaiming any agency of your government in promoting the hostility of the Indians, it is my duty to communicate to you such information as has been transmitted to this government on the subject, at different periods, since the year 1807. From these documents it appears, that whatever may have been the disposition of your government, the conduct of its subordinate agents has tended to excite the hostility of those tribes towards the United States.

In estimating the comparative evidence on this subject, it is impossible not to recollect the communication lately made to this government respecting the conduct of sir James Craig in another important transaction, which it appears was approved by lord Liverpool.

I have the honour to be, &c.

Aug. J. Foster, &c. &c.

JAMES MONROE.