It is a fact that at that time she was preparing to establish a line of military posts along our entire Southern- border. from which she could successfully and easily wage war upon our citizens. and these resolutions were passed to protect us from Great Britain. They contemplated a military necessity. Why. it is a fact that Great Britain did take possession of those Florida posts. that from the shelter of those Florida forts she organized the Indian bands to commit their depredations upon American civilization. that at the mouth of one of the Florida rivers she built a fort and garrisoned it with British arms. providing a place for the refugee slaves of the South and for the hostile Indians. and from that place. for years. war was waged upon our Southern country. It is a fact that the weak hand of Spain was no longer able to govern the Floridas. no longer able to control the freebooters who had made their rendezvous along her southern borders. no longer able to drive away the pirates who had taken possession of the islands. no longer able to control the Indians. as she was by treaty bound to do. from issuing out to make their forays upon us or to punish them when they returned. These were the facts that led to the passage of the resolutions that the gentleman from Illinois read the other day. and this House will remember that Florida was not acquired under those resolutions. but that afterwards. when the Seminoles. issuing from the Florida Everglades. waged war upon the United States. we followed them there. and General Jackson took possession of Florida in order to successfully prosecute that war. and afterwards we purchased it.