The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-22 00:00:00

ENGLAND AND AMERICA.

The remarkable letter, signed "An American Citizen,"
which appeared in the Times a few days ago, deprecating
the importance attached to Mr. Sumner's speech, was
written by Mr. Grimes, a member of the United States
Senate, and who happened to be hi London at the time.
He is an influential man, and he holds that there is not
any prospect of a collision. Mr. Sumner's speech
was published by permission because it is almost
a matter of course to give leave to any member
of the Senate who wishes to make his sentiments
in debate fully known ; and it monopolised attention
on the late occasion because, happening to be the
only one delivered on the rejection of the treaty
whose author was ambitious of print, there was little
else upon the subject for the public to read. But this in
no way proves that Mr. Sumner's rhetoric or his reasoning
was approved of by the whole, or even by a majority of
his colleagues. Among the fifty senators who voted
for the rejection of the Clarendon-Johnson treaty,
much diversity of motives existed. There is no
doubt, however, that the majority were dissatisfied with
the over anxiety shewn by Mr. Reverdy Johnson to
bring the controversy to a close during the brief period of
his mission ; and they were resolved at any hazard to
show that America could wait until such time as, without
the possibility of being misapprehended in her tone of
claim, the matters in dispute might be adjusted. As Mr.
Motley comes with no instructions, and our Government
cannot make any further move in the matter, the question
will necessarily be hung up for a time.
Mr. Sumner, in his recent speech on the Clarendon-
Johnson Treaty, laid down at great length what he deemed
the just doctrine of neutrality between belligerents. Be-
tween two established nations, both independent,
there might, he admitted, be neutrality. But
when one was "an odious combination of rebels,"
a declaration of neutrality was unequal in opera-
tion, for it invested the rebels with the rights of war,
and gave them a status which did not properly belong to
them. It was on this ground that he complained of the
Queen's Proclamation of 1861. Sir Francis Head, late
Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, publishes certain
official documents which exemplify how admirably the
Americans have carried out this doctrine in cases of
rebellion against us. In December 1837 an American
" General," named Mackenzie, made a raid into Upper
Canada. He suddenly appeared before Toronto at the head of
GOO men. The raid was of the most contemptible character.
Mackenzie not only had no more than 500 men, whilst the
population of the province was 200,000—Toronto alone
having 10,000—but even these 500 were badly armed,
very few having rifles. The mob was dispersed at
once. The IL itish troops had been sent out of
the province, but the people rose and scattered the
" invading force," Mackeree with difficulty escaping into
the States three days after he opened the " campaign."
So completely did the outbreak collapse that every pri-
loner was pardoned and discharged.

But bow did the A mAican Government act? Mackenzie
was a runaway murderer. Previously to his having
appeared in arms he had committed highway robbery,
arson, and murder. It was owing to these crhneb, committed
before his act of treason, that Sir Francis Head requested
the American Government to deliver him up in virtue of
the treaty then in force. The Governor of New York
State refused. He regarded Mackenzie as a belligerent, and,
therefore, proclaimed neutrality between him and her
Majesty's Government. Here are the Governor's own
words :

"lie (Mackenzie) was at the head of a military force,
a hostile force to the Government, and seeking its subver-
dion and overthrow by violence. It was a civil war ;
whether just or unjust is not material for the present pur-
pose to inquire ; it is enough that it was a state of open,
public, and notorious war, on one side to overthrow, and
in the other to preserve, the Royal Government. All who
mere thus arrayed- against the Government may in view of
its laws be niurdeuers or felons as well as traitors, but so
far as regards other Governments, and as respects the
queAion now pending, they should, I apprehend, be looked
upon as traitors only, and of eonsequenc- as men who have
not forfeited a right to an asylum within the limits of an
independent State."
And, in fact, not only was th's mur.lerer protected,
though be had insulted the American Government
but he was encouraged and supported in every way. And
the nation whose representativ,s proclain.ed the bellige•
rency of this kind, den and hundreds of millions sterling
as ieraration for our proclan a'...on of neutrality betwetn
the North and the South!

CHILDREN FOR THE FAR WEST.

A corresrondent of the Daily News recounts L good
work done by the Children's Aid Society in New York.
For fifteen years this society has been instrumental in
sending children to the West, and in improving their con-
dition generally. The number of children it has sent out
has been over 1.5,000, and they have been scattered over
fifteen different States. The Western farmers are glad
to receive these children, who in their turn become
speedily domiciled. All applications are referred to
local committees, to provide against imposture,
and no child is sent out without the consent
of its parents, if they can be found. For the most
part the children are orphans. The agents of the
society meet with them principally in the lodging-houses
which it has established. These are most useful institu-
tions, and many avail themselves of the advantages they
offer. Every effort is made by the society to induce boys
to abandon New York for the Western prairies, where
they are out of the reach of temptation. In the event of
poor English children being sent out to that country, it
would be well to communicate with the secretary of the
Children's Aid Society.