The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-04-23 00:00:00

On the other hand, it is alleged that the Caroline was an
American vessel, under American license, and was not en-
gaged, in any manner, in carrying the means of annoyance
to Navy Island, but had merely passed over to carry visitors
who had a right to go to that island, and whose purposes
were not unlawful. They, therefore, allege that the burning
of the Caroline was a violation of our neutral rights, and in-
vasion of our territory. .

After all, the case depends entirely on the facts. If the
allegations of the Canada authorities are correct and true, it
,would seem that we have little to complain of.
On the other hand, if our version of the facts be correct,
and according to the truth of the case, Great Britain never
can nor never will set up a justification. It would seem,
therefore, that the true course for both governments is to set
themselves at work in some way to ascertain the true state of
the facts. The principles which apply are very well settled.
In reference to M`Leod, it is said he was not engaged in
the affair of the Caroline ; if so, there is no question on the
subject, and it is a matter of deep regret that he should have
been harassed with prosecutions. _ _ _

If, however, he was one of the party, the affair is now
avowed by that goverment. It is with them, and not
M'Leod, we have to deal, to them we should direct our at-
tention. Our government should take measures to liberate
him at once, or at least to insure his safety. In the mean-
time an umpirage should be established to ascertain the facts.
Suppose we put the case of M`Leod in the worst point of
view, and say that the attack was a wanton outrage and with-
out a shadow of justification on the part of the invaders ;
still M`Leod was a soldier, bound to obey the orders of his
superiors in all lawful commands. Would any American feel
willing, under such circumstances, to see him expiate upon
the gallows an offence in which he was only an instrument,

bound by the paramount commands of his superiors? Surely
not. Before you could. convict him under_ such circum-

stances, you would require a " Jeffries for a judge, and twelve
butchers for a jury."
But we content ourselves just now with calling the atten-
tion of our readers to the facts in the case. The case has

become an important one, and it is necessary, calmly and
dispassionately, to go back to the beginning, and to hear the
complaints, before rendering judgment or acquittal.

CHURCH EXTENSION

(From the Standard )

There is a notion pretty generally entertained by poli-
ticians, which may be well founded in many cases, .but which
is wholly inaccurate in others. The notion to which we refer
is this :—" That the more the State does for the promotion
of any object, the less will be done by voluntary exertions."
To this proposition the extension of religious instruction by
State exertion presents a striking exception.
Twenty-one or twenty-two years ago, the legislature, having
awakened from its long lethargy, as regarded the interests of
religion, aroused no doubt by the progress of infidelity, and
its inseparable companion, political disorder, in the manufac-
turing districts and large towns, some new churches were
built and endowed, and more would have been provided, but
for the perversements of some whig servants of Satan, who
it must be remembered, divided the House of Commons nine
times in one night in resistance to the necessary grant.
Something was, however, done by the State for the cause
of religion, and with this effect, that instead of diminishing
voluntary exertion, in twenty years the little which the public
has contributed in its political character has been attended
by a three or four fold increase of voluntary contributions
from the same pcblie in that period.
Let it not be said that churchmen, in calling for the aid
of the legislature, are desirous of sparing their own pockets.
No, they give proof, that whatever the legislature may give,
they themselves will contribute more.
It becomes, then, a serious question to every man who has
any real religious impressions, whefher he can innocently
abstain from pressing the demand for new churches upon
Parliament. The demand is not for an object bounded by
its immediate purpose, but for the development, through
practical means, of a principle of boundless operation. You
build one church ; you do well in providing the means of
worship for as many as its walls contain. But is this all ?
Oh, no ' • in building one church you sow the seed of hun-
dreds of other churches, and of religious and benevolent in-
stitutions. In a word, you open the oracles of the Almighty,
and the teaching of his word in that place ; and all whose
hearts are touched by those oracles are not only made wise
to their own salvation, but engaged in the active service of
the all-good Creator—all earnestly engaged to do for others
what you have done for them. There is something so awfully
magnificent in this rate of progress of religious truth from so
slight an impulse, that if strict arirhmetical reasoning,
founded upon facts, did not lead to the conclusion, one would
not know how to believe in the possibility of such mighty
effects from such a cause.
We have so far spoken of the blessed results of the multi-
plication of churches among churchmen only ; but we are
sure that we should wrong our dissenting brethren were we
to doubt that their pious emulation has kept pace in the ad-
vancement of the means of religion with the exertions of the
church. It is by such pious emulation, and not by spiteful
opposition, that they can prove themselves Christian dis-
senters.

And now let us turn to another view of the effect of an
increase of churches—the increase of the clergy. It has been
demonstrated by the Rev. Sydney Smith—a good whig au-
thority—that the clergy, as a body, bring more moneyinto
the Church that they receive from it; that is to say, that
between the cost of education and the private fortunes of the
clergy, a great deal more is made available for the religious
instruction of the people than the State has left of its property
to the Church unplundered ; hut this excess of advantage to
the community would be much increased by a large addition
to the present number of churches, for the clergy of the new
churches are generally contented with a stipend less than the
annuity which the cost to their education would purchase ;
thus giving to the public not only the money, but their own
labour—for nothing.
We trust that the present opportunity will not be lost, and
that the table of the House of Commons will he covered with
petitions for new churches, previously to Sir Robert Harry
Inglis's motion.