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Mont to Guemes: Montiano entertains English envoy requesting slave exchange* (F9)

Source: Various letters #269

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Sir:
On March 9 last, a sloop arrived in this port from San Jorge having on board a Lieutenant Colonel, a member of Parliament and an interpreter, who presented a letter of instructions and authority to act from various citizens of those Colonies, and two letters from Don Diego Ogletor, commanding General of all the colonies of Carolina and from Don Guillermo Bull, Governor of San Jorge, asking for an audience on the subject of their mission. This was to ask for the restoration of the negro fugitives, deserters from the neighboring colonies. I received them into my own house and having heard their case through the medium of three interpreters, I answered that I deeply regretted my lack of authority to grant their wishes, inasmuch as the orders of the King contained no authority to deliberate on the matter of returning fugitive negroes who might take refuge in this Presidio, but on the contrary the express direction to set them at liberty. I could not thus make the exchange they offered of the eight convicts deserters from us for their slaves. I suggested that they apply to their own Government for a statement of the principles set forth in respect of the reciprocity they wish to establish with us, and that for my part, I should do the same, and make a report to the council of their request.
From the expression of their countenances, they were very much pleased with my decision, and with the courtesy shown them during the week they remained here without leaving my side for a single moment, and so returned well satisfied to their colonies, giving many signs of gratitude with very courteous compliments. And in order that Your Excellency may be informed of their claims and of the answers that I gave to the letters they brought, I send Your Excellency copies of their letters, and of one of mine, these being all alike on the principal subject. I shall be very glad to receive the approval of Your Excellency in this matter.
Florida, April 2, 1739.

The English wrote about this encounter later in a 1741 complaint about Montiano:
In 1738, altho' Peace subsisted, and Governor Johnson after his Arrival here had, in I733, renewed the before mentioned Stipulation, another Method was taken by the Spaniards to answer their Ends. Hitherto the Government of St. Augustine had not dared to acknowledge, much less to justify, the little Villainies and Violences offered to our Properties: But now an Edict of his Catholic Majesty himself, bearing Date in November I733, was published by Beat of Drum round the Town of St. Augustine (where many Negroes belonging to English Vessels that carried thither Supplies of Provisions, &c., had the Opportunity of hearing it) promising Liberty and Protection to all Slaves that should desert thither from any of the English Colonies, but more especially from this. And, lest that should not prove sufficient of itself, secret Measures were taken to make it known to our Slaves in general. In Consequence of which Numbers of Slaves did, from Time to Time, by Land and Water desert to St. Augustine; And, the better to facilitate their Escape, carried off their Master's Horses, Boats, &c.. some of them first committing Murder; and were accordingly received and declared free. Our present Lieutenant Governor, by Deputies sent from hence on that Occasion to Seignor Don Manuel De Montiano the present Governor of St. Augustine, set forth the Manner in which those Slaves had escaped: and redemanded them pursuant to the Stipulation between the Two Governments, and to the Peace subsisting between the Crowns. Notwithstanding which, tho' that Governor acknowledged those Slaves to be there, yet producing the King of Spain's said Edict he declared that he could not deliver Them up without a positive Order for that purpose from the King, and That he should continue to receive all others that should resort thither, it having been an article of Complaint against his Predecessor, that he had not put the said Edict in force sooner. The Success of those Deputies being too well known at their Return, Conspiracies were form'd and Attempts made by more Slaves to desert to St. Augustine: But . . . by great Vigilance, they were prevented from succeeding…