Brooks: Diplomacy and the Borderlands 93

England assume any responsibility for guarding Spanish domain
under the out-dated Treaty of Utrecht. Accordingly, after another
session of the Consejo de Estado on October 2, the conditioning of
the Florida cession upon the approval of England was eliminated
from the new instructions to Onis." Ratification of the Claims Con-
vention of 1802 was to be offered on condition that Spain should
not be held liable for the damages by French corsairs, and that
spoliations committed since 1802 be left open to discussion. The
plan promised no real settlement of the difficulties, since ratifying
the old convention under these circumstances would be almost the
same as carrying through the arrangement proposed by Pizarro
to Erving. Thus little can be said to have been added to the possi-
bilities of agreement. At the time the instructions were sent to
Onis, the various ministers of the Spanish government were noti-
fied to instruct their officials in America to prepare for a possible
war with the United States."
 DIswTuBBIN FACTOR
 The most likely source of irritation sufficient to lead to war loomed
 in the projected expedition of Andrew Jackson to discipline the
 Seminoles. Jackson had been ordered to supersede Major General
 Edmund P. Gaines in charge of the United States forces on the
 border. On January 6, 1818, fe wrote a now-famous letter suggest-
 ing that if he should receive confidential, roundabout authorization
 from the President he could in sixty days realize one of his long-
 standing ambitions, the occupation of all of the Floridas. In con-
 ference ten days later, Adams opportunely warned Onis that if
 Spanish officials did not protect the Floridas from the Seminoles
 and from a threatened second invasion by McGregor the United
 States would be forced to occupy the region, under the provisions
 of the treaty of 1795." Article 5 of that agreement had stipulated
 that the two parties should
 ... by all means in their power maintain peace and harmony among the several
 Indian nations who inhabit the country adjacent to the lines and rivers, which,
 by the preceding articles, form the boundaries of the two Floridas. And the
 better to obtain this efeet, both parties oblige themselves expressly to restrain
 by force al hostilities on the part of the Indian nations living within their
 boundaries; so that Spain wil not suffer her Indians to attack the eitseas of
 the United States, nor the Indians inhabiting their territory; nor will the
 United States permit these last mentioned Indians to eommenee hostiities