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TREATY
OF MOBILE 1784
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ON June 22, 1784, a "vast congress of Indians was held at Mobile,"
in response to the Spanish invitation. Choctaws, Chickasaws, Alibamons and
smaller tribes were represented, and treaties of alliance were made with
all of them. In terms this treaty wsa identical with the treaty made on
June 1 at Pensacola, with the "Talapuches" (Creeks) mainly, but also with
"Usatastaneque or War Dog, chief of the town of Natchez; Chickasaw Mingo,
and Chickasaw Retired Arrow, the Talapuchy." The Spanish were represented
by Don Stephen Miro, acting governor of Louisiana, by order of Count de
Galvez, Lieutenant-general, and governor of the provinces of Louisiana and
West Florida, also Don Martin Navarro, intendant general of the
provinces.
The Indians in these treaties promise to "maintain an
inviolable peace and fidelity" with Spain and among themselves. "We
undertake to expose for the royal service of his Catholic majesty, our
lives and fortunes; and we promise to obey the sovereign orders which, in
a case of necessity, shall be communicated to us by the captain-general of
the provinces of Louisiana and Florida, and in his name by the respective
governor or particular commander of said provinces."
In return for
this allegiance by the contracting Indians, and the others "who are in the
lands conquered by teh arms of his majesty," the Spanish officers promised
to establish a permanent commerce at the most equitable prices, the
tariffs and regulations to be then and there fixed. It was promised that
any stranger entering the nation to induce them to take up arms against
Spain should be turned over to theSpanishh authorities. No white person,
of "what nation soever he be," should be admitted among these Indians
without a Spanish passport. "We renounce forever the practice of taking
scalps or making slaves of the whites." In case of war against "enemies of
his Catholic majesty," they promised to treat prisoners humanely and
exchange them with the enemy. All white prisoners, subjects of the United
States, should be delivered to the governor-general. Other provisions were
made to prevent the common crimes of the frontier.
The Spanish
reminded the Indians that they asked no land, and promised security and
guarantee for the lands they actually held, "according to the right of
property, with which they possess them, on condition that they are
comprehended within the lines and limits of his Catholic majesty." If
enemies of Spain should dispossess the Indians, Spain would provide them
new homes, in any vacant land available.
These treaties were made
through the influence of Alexander McGillivray, chief of the Tallapoosas,
and that of the British trading house of Panton, Leslie & Co.
McGillivray's explanation of them is given in his letter to Gen. Pickens,
September 5, in the same year, when invited to a council with American
commissioners to make a similar treaty. He expressed his surprise that the
Americans had so long delayed to take the Indians under their protection,
since the peace with England. That would have made the United States the
natural guardian and ally of the Indian nations. They had hoped for such
action by Georgia, but "violence and prejudice had taken the palce of good
policy and reason in all their proceedings with us. They attempted to
avail themselves of our supposed distressed situation. Their talks to us
breathed nothing but vengeance; and, being entirely possessed with the
idea that we were wholly at their mercy, they never once reflected that
the colonies of a powerful monarch were nearly surrounding us, and to whom
in any extremity, we might apply for succor and protection . . . .
However, we yet deferred any such proceeding, still expecting we could
bring them to a sense of their interest; but still finding no alteration
in their conduct towards us, we sought the protection of Spain and
treaties of friendship and alliance were mutually entered into; they to
guarantee our hunting grounds and territory and to grant us a free trade
in the ports of the Florida." How the limits of the United States and the
Spanish would be settled, a little time would show. "However, we know our
own limits, and the extent of our hunting grounds, and, as a free nation,
we have applied, as we have a right, and have obtained protection, so that
we shall pay no attention to any limits that may prejudice our claims,
that were drawn by an American, and confirmed by a British,
negotiator."
The commissioners reported taht McGillivray appeared
to be "forming a dangerous conspiracy between the several INdian nations,
the Spaniards and British agents, with whom he is connected. His
resentment is chiefly against the citizens of Georgia who banished his
father and confiscated a capital property which he had in that State.
There is a capital British company of merchants, engaged, by license form
the court of Spain, to supply all the Indian nations to the southward with
goods, through East Florida, in whic company, it is said, McGillivray is a
partner, and they have their agents in all the towns from Tennessee,
southerwardly>" It appears that McGillivray gave sufficient notice of
this treaty to the United States, but it was treated as a mystery in the
later negotiations with Spain.
See Also Treaty
of Beaufort for more information re: Georgia |
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