Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-12-12

4 f1rSt declared, ana Huaily eStaotlSneu tue
independence ofour own country. They
/ promulgated and maintained them at an
early and critical period in our history ;
they were subsequently embodied in leg
islative enactments of highly penal
character, the faithful enforcement Q!
which has hitherto been, and will, trust,
always continue TO be, regarded as du-
ty inseparably associated with the main
/ tenance OF our national honor. That the
people of the United States should feel an
interest in the spread of political instltu-
tons as free as they regard their own TO
be, is natural; nor can a sincere solicit
tude for the success of all those who are,
at any time, in good faith struggling for
/ their acquisition, be imputed TO our cili-
zens as a crime. With the entire free
dom of opinion, and an undsguised ex-
preston thereof, on their part, the Gov
eminent has neither the right, nor, |
trust, the disposition TO interfere. But
whether the interes; or the honor of the
United States require that they should be
made party to any such struggle, and,
by inevitable consequence, TO the war
which is waged in its support, is ques-
ton which, by our Constitution, is wisely
lief: to Congress alone TO decide. It's by the
laws, already made criminal IN our cisi-
zens to embarrass or anticipate that deci-
sion, by unauthorized military operations
on their part. Offences this character,
in addition to their criminality us viola
tons of the laws of our country, have a
direct tendency to draw down upon our
own citizens at large the multiplied evils
of a foreign war, and expose TO injurious
imputations the good faith and honor OF
the country. As such they deserve to
be put down with promptltude and deci-
sion. | cannot be mistaken, am conf
dent, in counting on the cordial and gene
raj concurrence of our fellow citizens in
this sentiment. A copy OF the proclama-
ton which | have felt it my duty to issue,
is herewith communicated. | cannot but
hope that the good sense and patriotism,
the regard for the honor and reputation
of their country, the respect for the laws
which they have themselves enacted for
their own government, and the love of
order for which the mass OF our people
have been so long and so justly distln-
guished, will deter the comparatively few
who are engaged in them from further
prosecution Of such desperate enterprises.
In the mean time, the existing laws have
been, and will continue to be, faithfully
executed and every effort will be made
to carry them out in their full extent.
Whether they are sufficient or not TO meet
the actual state Of things on The Canaoa
frontier, it is for Congress to decide.
1t will appear from the correspondence
herewith submitted, that the Government
of Russia declines renewal OF the fourth
article of the convention oil April, 1874,
between the United States and his lmpe-
rial Majesty, by the third article of which
if is agreed that "hcreaitcr there shall
not be formed by the citizens ofthe Uni
ted States, or under the authority OF the
said States, any establishment upon the
northwest coast Of America, nor IN any
of the islands adjacent, TO the north oil
ga deg. 40 sec. OF north latitude ana
that in the same maner there shall be
none formed by Russian subjects, or under
the authority of Russia, south ofthe same
parallel $" and by the fourth article
"that, during term OF ten years, coun-
ting from the signature the present con-
vention, the ships of both powers, or which
belong TO their citizens or subjects respec-
lively, may reciprocally frequent, without
apy hindrance whatever, the interior seas,
gulfs, harbors, and creeks upon the coast
mentioned in the preceding article, for the
purpose of fishing and trading with the
natives of the country" The reasons as
signed for declining to renew the provi-
SONS of this article, are, briefly, that the
only use made by our citizens OF the PRIV.
ilege il secures to them, has been to sup
ply the Indians with spurious liquors, am
munition, and firearms that this traffic
has been excluded from the Russian trade;
and as the supplies furnished from the U.
States are injurious TO the Russian estab.
lishmen.s on the northwest coast, ana
calculated to produce complaints between
the two Governments, his Imperial MaJes-
ty thinks it for the interest Of both coun-
tries not to accede to the proposition made
by the American Government for the re-
newal of the article las: referred to.
The correspondence herewith commu-
nicated will show the grounds upon which
we contend that the citizens OF the United
States have, independent ofthe provisions
of the convention of 1924, right to trade
with the natives upon the coast 10 ques-
ton, at unoccupied places, liable, howev-
er. il is admitted, to be at any time extin-
guished by the creation of Russian estab-
lishmenls at such points. This right is
denied by the Russian Government, which
asserts that, by the operation of the 'rea-
ty of 1924, each party agreed to waive
he general right to land on the vacant