The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1841-06-26

lhtIr own authority, or, by mlnTlnB
themselves in the belligcrent operations
OF other nations, to run the hazard of
counteracting the policy, or cmbrollng
the relations, Of their own Government.
And the United States have been the first
among civilized nations TO enforce the
observance Of this just rule of Morality
and peace, bv special and adequate legal
cnac,men's. In the infancy OF this Go
vcrnmcnt, on the breaking out of the
European wars which had their origin
in The French Revolution, Congress pass
ed laws with severe penalties, for pre-
venting the citizens of the United States
from taking part in these hostilites. BY
these laws, il prescribed to the citizens of
the United States what it understood to
be their duty, as neutrals, by the law of
nations, and the daiy. also, which they
owed to the dearest interest and honor
of their own country.
At a subsequent period, when the
American colonies of an Europea an power
took up arms against their Sovereign,
Congress, not diverted from the establish
ed system of the Government by any
temporary considerations, not swervcd
from It's sense Of Justice and duty by any
sympathes which il might naturally feel
for one of the parties, did not hesitate,
also TO pass acts applicable TO the case
of colonial instruction and civil war
And these provisions of law have been
continued, revised, amended, and are in
full force at the present moment. Nor
have they been dead letter, as it is we'll
known that exemplary punishments have
been inflicted on those who have trans
crossed them. 1t is known, indeed, that
heavy penalties have fallen on individu-
ais, citizens of the United States, enga-
ged in this very disturbance in Canada,
with which the destruction of the Caro-
line was connected. And it is in Mr..
Fox's knowledge, also, that the act of
Congress of March 10th 1888, was pass
ed for the precise purpose Of more effect
ually restraining military enterprise
from the United States into the British
Provinces, by authorizing the use of the
most sure and decisive preventive means.
The undersigned may add, that it stands
on the admission of very high British au-
thority, that during the very recent Ca
madam troubles, although bodies Of ad-
venturers appeared on the border, ma
king it necessary for the people of Cana.
da TO keep themselves in a state prepared
for self-defence, yet that these adventu.
rers were acting by no means in accord
ance with the feeling of the great mass
ofthe American people, or ofthe Govern
ment Of the United States.
The Government, therefore, not only
holds itself above reproach in every thing
respecting the preservation Of neutrali-
ty, the observance Of the principle Of
non-intervention, and the strictest con-
formity, in these respects, to the rules of
international law, but it doubts not that
the world will do it the justice to ac-
knowledge that it has set an example not
unfit to be followed by others, and that,
by It's steady Legislation on this import
ant subject, it has done something to pro-
mote peace and good neighborhood among
nations, and to advance the civilization
Of mankind.
The undersigned trusts that, when
Her Brittanic Majesty's Government
shall present the grounds, at length, on
which they Justify the local authorities
ofCana in attacking and destroying the
Caroline, they will consider that the laws
of the United States are such as the un-
dersigned has now represented them,
and that the Government of the United
States has always manifested a sincere
disposition to see those laws effectually
and impartiaIly administered. If there
have been cases in which individuals,
Justly obnoxious to punishment, have es-
capped, this is no more than happens In
regard to other laws.
Under these circumstances, and under
those Immediately connected with the
transaction itself, It will be for Her Ma
iesty's Government to show upon what
state of facts and what rules of national
law the destruction of the Caroline is to
be defended. 1t will be for that Govern
ment 10 show a necessity Of selfdefence,
instant, overwhelming, leaving no choice
of means and no moment for deIibera-
ton. 1t will be for it to show, also, that
the local authorities Of Canada, even sup
posing the necessity of the moment au-
thorized them to enter their territories Of
the United States at all, did nothing I'M
reasonable or excessive; since the act,
justified by the necessity of self-de(ence,
must be limited by that necessity, and
kept clearly within it. 1t must be shown
that admonition or rernonstaance to the
persons on board the sCaroline" was i'm
practicable, or would haue been unavail-
ing: it must be shown that daylight
could not be waited for, that there could
be no attempt at discrimination between
the innocent and the guilty that it would
not have been enough to seize and detain
the vessel but that there was necessity,
present and inevitable, for attacking her,
IN the darkness Of the night, while moor
ed 10 the shore, and while unarmed men