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

THE ATTACK ON THE CAROLINE AND CASE
OF M'LEOD.

The following sensible and judicious remarks- are copied
from the New York Express:—
Much has been said and written on both sides of the
water, in reference to these topics, and yet the public seem
to have a most imperfect idea of the facts and principles on
which they rest. It is apprehended that most of the diffi-
culty arises from a want of knowledge of the facts. The
principles which must govern the settlement of the case are
few' and well settled, and if the facts can be once ascertained
the difficulty is easily disposed of.
A recurrence to the particular transactions should be
brought to the view of the public, and the questions placed
in their true light. _

In the fall of 1837 an insurrection broke out in Upper
Canada, which was put down by the people themselves, and
the insurgents driven out of that country.
They flocked to our shores, and by mixing with, and stat-
ing the hardships of their case and their suffering's, to our
people, excited them to a disposition to aid in the still fur-
ther accomplishment of their designs to revolutionize that
country. They had neither means nor numbers to enable
them again to get a foothold on the Canada shore.
An expedition was fitted out on our side, which took pos-
session of Navy Island, an unsettled place within the British
dominions, about half a mile from the Canada shore, situated
in Niagara river, (all of which went from the State of New
York, and a part of them from the State Arsenal at Batavia,
without the consent of our authorities) were planted on this
island, so as to annoy the inhabitants from the other side,
particularly the village of Chippewa, and which commanded
the channel on the other side. Remonstrances were made
to our government, and proclamations were issued by the
governor of New York, arid by the President, enjoining our
citizens to cease all interference.

Indeed the public officers were instructed to prosecute all
Persons engaged in it from our territory, and a military force
was at last sent to enforce obedience to the laws, and to pre-
vent all interference. _ _

In the meantime a brisk and constant communication was
kept up from our side with Navy Island, and citizens were
constantly passing to and•from in steamboats and skiffs.
The Caroline was a steamer, owned in Buffalo, and, at a
short period before her destruction, went down the river,
and passed several times from our dock at Schlosser to Navy
Island and back. On the evening of her destruction she lay
at this dock, apparently and evidently unsuspicious of harm,
when a force was sent over from Canada shore in boats,
which destroyed her, and one man was killed in the affray.
Now the reader must see that this statement covers many
minor facts in reference to the affair, not so easy to ascer-
tain without a special examination.
Nobody doubts that every interference on the part of our
citizens in the Canada difficulties was not only a violation of
our neutrality, but a violation of our own laws. If our go-
vernment had not done all in its power to restrain these ag-
gressions, it would have been a just cause of war. But they
did put forth their power, and, although not able to check it
on the moment, finally succeeded ; but in the meantime the
mischief was done. _ _ _ _ . .

It is alleged by the Canada authorities that the Caroline
was chartered by the Patriots to carry arms and munitions of
war, and that the government had not then the means and
ability to restrain her, and as we could not then enforce our
own laws and restrain our own people from these aggres-
sions, they had a right in self-defence to come to our shores
and destroy what they considered a piratical vessel, used in
carrying destruction to their shores. And they cite General
Jackson's descent into the Spanish territory, and the capture
of a Spanish fort, because it harboured marauding Indians
who had committed depredations in Georgia, and fled thither
for refuge. _ _