Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1838-01-19

the streets o, Buffalo or on Navy Island |
It. is ridiculous to suppose that any n, |
tempted nrganl2liion can give them any
,tlc TO the consideration of n government. |
| j. far less entitled to such consideration
! than was the government ol Sancho on his
lutI leland II Is stated tha, there are on
the Island about onr thousand persons, OF
whom Mckenzie and some half dozen
others fl"d from the provlcc, while NOn
Rensselaer, and all the he others are fresh
from the state nr New York. II is per-
Cclv obvious tina, his temporary change o'
rcsldencr does NOT affect their nationality,
ard their srjE'ng upon part ct the BRUSH
territory md taking up arms against the
authority ol the province. Instead at gviuG
them any claim to the hcncf, of the laws
Of neutrality, is gross breach o' the laws
Of nations, and should place them You'd
the pale of lis protection Us lnwlrss
bandt. they are no more 10 be- regarded
as regular government than the Guerrilla
parties hat inles, the mountains of Spain.
or bands Of maraudcrs that have their
! hiding places IN the llltIc islands G' the
| West Indies. II Is n mockery to apply the
laws OF neutrality to them, aud without
imputng 10 them any dcpravIiv, every
| tcIon that has the courage 10 make bHd
resistance has an equal claim TO lis benefit.
! Navy Island it Is To be rccolcctcd, Is
part Of the British Provlncc. and if The
presence Of Mckenzie il TO give character
to the transaction, II is that of a rebellion.
| bu, if, as is probably the proper view, the
great ma jprliv Of numbers Is to characrerlzc
! the expedition. it is o seizure Of he British
territory, an actual war bv native Amcri-
cans upon the unoff1ndng people of the
province. In either poln, of view the laws
Of neutrality have no possible application.
| |, is a state of hostility between American
cllIz,ns and the provinces. and instead OF
comforting any rights of trade with them,
| their establishment is q viola ion OF or
statutes for which they ought 10 receive
I cond,rn punishment a. our hands. Are We
10 allow our CT lZ"ns In selZe upon the ter
ritoty Of friendly power, furnish them
wth cannon. ammunition and provisions
for the purpose of open hostility and then
talk about trading with them as ncn'ra|-
Strange neutrality! We canno, wink ~
bard as no, TO see this IN its true light
And vet strange to tel, this doctrine Is
graveIy resolved WITHIN the past week by
an assemhlane in view Of onr State House.
l. j. an abuse oi the word, TO call the
asscmbage on Navy Island. patriots. and
he must have strange views Of the Just
causes Of revolution TO give their awless
conduct that character. As have IN n
previous article eudeavorcd to show tina,
the contest III Canada had none of the char
ac,eri..ics OF a revolution, ! will dwell no
further on that point than merely to re-
mark, that never were two cases more dis
similar ln their causes and circumstances
,hon the contest IN Canada and our revou,
ton.
War can only exist, when the contest j.
between two distinct governments, and
even then II gives no license TO he lndivld.
uas to commit bu'cheries Ipon their oppo"
nen,s. have no reference To acts strictly
in scf-defcnce. By The practice of modern
warfare, no one without commission from
the government would BE- licensed TO take
up arms Cor off ,nslve purposes. 4 de'In-
gul-hed jurlst says; ''lf they have not n
irregular cOtlInIss IoD. as evidence of that
"couscnl. they run the hazard Of beng
created bv The emmy as lawlrss bandliu,
'not cnil,led 10 the protection of the ml'l-
gated rules Of modern warfare" Thu"
world will shortly give to Inns expedition on
Navy Island It's true character, and happy
viii il be for us, If The titm stand taken by
the Presdrn, shoIl have he effect Ia keep
out of vlcw he part taken By our citizens
Far be from me the wish TO baz n III"
nndircrrlons 81 nv counirvmon. | would
not even mention them, but for the hope,
that when the excitement of the moment
has passed away. better views Of duty may
succeed. ! choose rather to dwell upon
those acts Of the government, which are
sure pledges that the giant energies of the
nation will be exerted for the preservation
, of peace and m1lnalnanco Of national hon.
or. and that # nccd be, the arm of lis pow
CT will be pm forth oe'ay oar own cirlzens
in Their mad career. We owe much To the
{ President for his prompt and judlc'on-
, course and a better selection would no,
, have been made than she brave aUd aCc"m
, pllshod general ordcFcdto the scenes Of ms
farmer glory. The course pursued by
, Gov Marcy al & by our own governor in
, d,cale their zeal for the public coed aud
/! determination 20 pur. ne IT, and the tame Is
y at hand when they VIII be appnud"G for
, ,heir fearless discharge of duty, Already
, thrangnlhe opening clouds u brighter pros.
pccl appears and N Ihc returning rhnence
OF order aud of law. the apparent confusion
Of The moment w,l BE- 'orgo,tcn.
f Oar government has assumed high
y rank among nations and every man hoWev
, or humble his station has a deep intcreS, "
, The preservation Ofus honor. Unlike other
{ governments il has lis origin with The peo'
I pie is organized tor ,hclr benefit and ~
end their happiness and hence u RESPONSE
. blly is assumed uuiclt aud unknown b,
$ others demanding greater d"voliHn ant
, greater fallhtulness. Tne prlncnlns o! III,
government are but the ref c. IONS from
o the fifteen millions OF minds whch compose
= u, corresponding in purI,y"r 'mpnrlty WI
@ the character Of the majority Of ,h'st
minds. Us power Is hMl The nCCnmnl0l l0I