Canton herald. (Canton, Miss.) 1837-1839, 1838-12-26

hhal adjustment vi lHe dlsenItt,
bad hoped ihal The fespectiof ibf
laws nnd regard lof ihe peace and
honor ~ Their 0Wn country, which
has ever chl4cieriied he citizens n
tho Uniie41'iaics, would bias, pre-.
vented an fbftionof them from using
any means ~ promote instruction
IN the territory Of a power with
which We are at peace, and with
which the United States are dcdfoa,
Of maintaining the most friendly rc.
lailon' ! regret deeply, however,
10 be obliged to inform you that thi.
has not been the case. Information
has been given TO me. derived from
official and other sources. that many
citizens of the United Suites have MS.
socBted together TO make hostile in.
curslons from our territory into Can.
ada, and 10 aid and abet Instruction
there. IN violation Of the obligations
and laws of the United States. and
in open disregard of their own du.
ties as citizens. This information
has been in part confirmed, by hos
tile invasion actually made by eit.
zens of the United States in coniunc-
ton with Canadians and others, and
accompanied by lorcible seizure of
the property of our citizens. and an
application thereof to the prosecu-
ton of military operations against
the authorities and people of Can
ada.
The results of these criminal as.
saults upon the peace and order OF a
neighboring country have been, as
was to be expected, fatally destruc-
tive to the misguided or deludcd per.
sons engaged in them, and highly in
furious to those in whose behalf they
are protested to have been underta-
ken, The authorities in Canada. from
Intelligence received of such intend
ed movements among our citizens,
have felt themselves obliged to take
precautionary measures against them;
have actually embodied the militia,
and assumed an attitude to repel the
invasion to which they believed the
Colonies were exposed from the Uni-
ted States. A state of feeling on
both sides of the frontier has thus been
produced, which called for prompt
and vigorous interference. If an IN
surrectlon existed in Canada, the
amicable dispositions of the United
States towards Great Britain, as well
as their duty to themselves, would
lead them to maintain Il strict neu-.
trality, and to restrain their citizens
from all violations of the laws which
have been passed for its enforcement.
But this Government recognizes a
still higher obligation to rerress all
attempts on the part Of its citizens to
disturb the peace Of country where
order prevails, or has been re .estab-
lished. DepredaIlons by our citizens
upon nations at peace with the Uni.
ted States, or combinations for COM
hitting them. have at all times been
regarded by the American Govern.
ment ana people with the great alb.
horrence. Military incursion by our
citizens into countries SO situated,
and the commission of acts of VIC
lence on the members thereof, in Or
der to effect change in its govern.
ment, or under any preteSt whatev-.
er, have, from the commencement of.
our Government, been held equally
criminal on the part of those engaged
in them, and as much deserving of
punishment as would be the dlstur-
bance Of the public peace by the per-
petraton Of similar acts within our
own territory.
BY no country or persons have
these invaluable principles of inter-
national law-principles, the strict
o servance Of which is so indispensa-
bic to the preservation Of social or
der in the world--been more earnest
" cherished or sacredly respected
than by those great and good men
who first declared, and finally estab-
iehed, the independence of our own
country. They promulgated and
maintained them at an early aud
critical period in our history; they
were subsequently embodied in legis-
Iative enactments Of highly penal
chara cter, the faithful enforcement Of
which has hitherto been, and will, j
trust, always continue to be, regard
ed as a duty inseparably associated
with the maintenance of our nation
al honor. That the people of the Unl-
ted States should feel an interest in,
the spread Of political institutions as
free as they regard their own to be.