These commissioners received instructions January 26,
1811. They were directed to enter into negotiations with Governor Folch for the surrender of the portion of West Florida still in his possession, and with the governor of East Florida for the surrender of that province. In case of the amicable surrender, they were authorized to pledge to Governor Folch, of West Florida, or to Colonel Estrada, the acting governor of East Florida, the faith of the United States for the redelivery of the province to the "lawful sovereign of Spain. " They were further authorized to assume on the part of the United States "debts clearly due from the Spanish government to the people of the territory surrendered," to be hereafter adjusted; to continue in office Spanish civil functionaries and Spanish laws, as far as possible; and to advance what money should be necessary for the transportation of Spanish troops. On one point the instructions were positive: "Should there be room to entertain a suspicion of an existing design in any foreign power to occupy the country in question, you are to keep yourselves on the alert, and, on the first undoubted manifestation of the approach of a force for that purpose, you will exercise with promptness and vigor the powers with which you are invested by the President to preoccupy by force the territory, to the entire exclusion of the armament that may be advancing to take possession of it." The commissioners were further informed that instructions had been issued to the treasury department to meet their drafts, and to the military and naval officers to obey their orders under the specified contingencies.
The Spanish authorities refused to surrender the province, and no evidence of any attempt on the part of Great Britain to take possession had been found, when a crisis was presented to General Matthews. (Fairbank s History of Florida, p. 253, et seq.) A number of American residents, aided by Georgians living near the border, organized an independent government, adopted
