The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1841-03-11

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hoai," US the Minister asserts II 10 be, yet
the moment il touched our soil II fell under
our sovereignty, and no power on earth
could righ.tuiiy invade 1t.
There IS 10 doctrine more consecrated
10 Eagash history than that every human
belag who touches The soil OF Great Britain /
IS Immediately covered by British law;
Suppose one Of her vessels we're cut from
the banks Of the Thames and burnt BY
Frenchmeu, and British citizens we're as
sassina.ed a! night, and The French Minister
we're to ayov that they acted under Tie Or
ders Of his Government, and that the YES
SCI was praticnl,h and the cltlZeus mur
sered we're oullaaS-then there IS not an
EngIshman whose heat. would not beat
nigh 10 ayeuga The wrong, and vlndlcate
ho rights Of his country. The law there
1, the law here. And there IS no luterna
uonal law consistent with the separate IN
dependence Of nations, that sanctions the
pursuit of even pirates to murder aud arson
over the sol, aud jurisdiction Of enc OF the
States Of this Conlederacy. No greater
wrong can be done 10 a country than nva
sion Of soil lit can be done with mpuul
" at one point, and on one occasion, II can
be done al another, and the nation that sub
Rus 10 Il 6aally sluks down into dwelling
imbecility, liza representation Of The state
Of things at Schlosser, and the conduct Of
those who had control Of the Caroline, had
: FIRST been made 10 the proper authorities Of
& New York, or Of the United States, then
there would have been some show al least
Of respeet for our sovereignty and indepsu
dcuce, and a disposition 10 treat Us as an
equal, Eu. ID this case, as If 10 treat our
authority with contempt, there was no pre-,
hm.aary demand Or representation made.
Ii was hoped tina. The outrage was per
pe,rated By party is slddsn heat and OK
element upon their onn responsibility
Bu, the British Minister now syows tia,
tie act was the Pulhe act Of persons obey,
ing tie constitutional authorities Of leF lla
i.s;y's Province ard again aGIrms thai
!. vas public act Of persons 10 Ler Ma
as,y's setf lee, oaeyiag tie order OF their
superior authorities
If this bad been tde first AM only point
1i collision wlsa Great Britain, II might nf
Rave excited such interest. but there IS an
assumption ID most OF our intercourse with
that grea, Power, revolving to tie pride and
sTigi. Of independence in a free people Ii
Il to her desire 10 preserve peace, her true
policy woa,l he % % IIsace, ara show Inst
courtesy ID equals w.ish she has always
demanded from oiasss. TIC committee
ds ral desire e press views On tie subject,
particularly as o lamanL has been mads BIZ
oIr Geycr1maai gpaa the Government al
Glsas Esas.a Tor explanation as 10 lie out
Z rage committed, sae answer u Hhjeh, L IS
asre- MID sEoia s4A. eci9ry.
81 Il BE oacE points presented in The
dea4-l made By tae naush Minister for
.he "..ber1uuu Of Alexander Mcleod
tie committee believe The i4eis Il tbe case
to -, (44I tie steamboat vas seIzsL anu
5ira. as stated before, aal thai ea.zan OF
c,nzaas &. New York was murdered 10 the
a6saY. And there were reasons 10 induce
the bslaf,hl, Mcleod vas par.icfp5 Grim
ta.s. lie Gas e. Grs. arrested, and upon
saao.s testimony being taasn, vas then dis.
charge lie Was afterwards arrested Sc
ceal ume. Upon lie evidence then pre-
seated lie was imprisoned to await lis tli2t.
There VAS 10 lu4aaLon 81 British territory 10
se.zsor take am. Lgt, opao Bis being vol.
unfairly within our territory he vas arrest
Ell as any citizen of the Init d States
charged wish D similar 4geacc, night have
been. Ne kaoB 81 10 law Of nations that
sou.d csesag; uan irom arrest and I'm
prszouIert ior offences charged to he con.
UaloI against the peace and dignity Of
2 S!8&s, because be IS c sJlt8et II Great
Bnain, or because be committed The crime
81, The lr#3g4uoa or caGer the Ga,horily If
Brusa Provincial officers ; mach lees do We
know of cry law lhst voulj lgssfy the Pres
atepl 10 deliver alm Up without trial, az the
demand, aH4 Upaa the assertion Of any
aze1t G. the EG.,sa Government. II Se
bad been ct open var with Great Britain,
and Mcleod had committed tie odeuces
charged, then be mjsht haze fallen Under
lae r-scs aa1 regulations Of war, and been
treated rs q prisoner Of the United States
Government, an! would have been subject
to the iaas Of nations IN war. But as the
alleged crimiua. acts, N which Mcleod IS
charged 10 be implicated, were committed
10 profound peace. 1t is a crime, as far as he
may be concerned, solsly against the
" prace aud d,gnay q the State Of New
iork, and her criminal jurisdiction IS com
pieie and exclusive. II the crimes COMMIT.
ted be such ssto make a u4aa hogas Lxfaoni
ee9Us-an Outlaw pirate, 10 the legal
acceplaaon Of the term, then, under the la@
Of nations, the t8t'ed States courts and
tribunals wogd hs2e I4rsdiction. Buf
lae ohsuce charged 10 ;als case, committed
Is II vas 10 time Of peace, as far as this in
a.v!luaI was concerned, was one purely
against Ibe lay jer Tom and coming oxclu
s,seiy within the criminal Jurisdiction Of
the tribunals Of New York.
The Minister, IN his ,ler Of the 18Th
December, 1919, says: at ~ quite nolo
r.oga 'bat uf. Mcleod was 30, one Of the
eariv eguaeed ~ the destruction Of the