Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-07-02
GRAFTON, governed by all the rules and discipline
Of milf aru corXico and s.aLsa=i ia,a 4iasa

Grafton, governed by all the rules and discipline
of military service and subordination.
come now (said Mr.. R.)to notice some of
hose topics Of party, elimination which the hon.
orable Senator from Pennsylvania notwithstand.
Ing his usual parliamentary courtesy, scattered
with no s,inted hand in the progress Of his
observations. He told US Of some mysterious
panic which seemed 10 have seized upon the
minds Of men in regard to our relations with
England extending to Governmentand People.
The gentleman seemed to insinuatc that it was
under the influence of this panic that the Attor-
ney General was despatched with fiery speed
to Lockport, attended bya gallant and distin-
guished general officer Of the army, (Major
General Scott,) to shield Mcleod from impen-
ding danger. In order to complete this fancy
picture, the honorable Senator, for the want of
other material, brought in the precipate return
of the Mediterranean squadron as the effect of
this same panic at Washington /! If the public
journals have not grossly falsified the facts con-
nected with this affair, the return of the Med
lterranean squadron was owing to communica-
tons addressed directly to its commander by the
American Minister at London and if there was
any panic IN the case, the gentleman must fix
it elsewhere than in Washington So far was
the Government from being privy to this move-
ment, that the Brandywne, the avant-courier of
the returning squadron, had no sooner D bped
her anchor within our waters, than she was
sternly and promptly ordered back to her sta
ton.
Mr.. r. said he did not exactly apprehend for
what purpose the Senator from Pennsylvania
had alluded 10 the mission of Major General
Scott to the frontier, in company with the Attor-
ney General ; but there seemed to be an init.
nation that it was to protect Mcleod from the
anticipated violence of popular excitement.
MIR. Buchanan promty disclained any such
alluson.
Mr. RIVES. lam happy to find myself mis-
taken in what supposed to have been the mean
ing of the honorable Senator. tgives mo plea.
sure to inform him, from document now before
me, "a letter of Gov Seward to the Secretary of
War, dated 18th of March lastD for what pur.
pose this gallant defender Of his country in war,
and guardian OF her honor in peace, was sent to
the frontier. 1t was for an object strictly in &C.
cordance with his own noble calling-to meet
the possible contingency Of an invasion of por-
ton OF our territory from the adjoining province
calling to which, must be permitted to say,
that distinguished officer, already covered with
glory by his deeds of arms, has added a new il.
lustraton by his assiduous and successful efforts
to maintain the tranquility Of our frontiers and
to preserve from interruption, as yet, the peace
o. two great kindred nations.
beg leave (said Mr. RI to ask the Senator
from Pennsylvania, in what proceedings of the
Government he finds the evidence of an unbe-
coming spirit of concession to the demands ofthe
British Government! The British Minister, ain
the name of his Government, formally demanded
the immediate release Of Alexander Mcleod"
Was the demand granted! No sir it was firmly
refused, and that refusal VIGOROUSLY placed on
grounds intimately connected with the sanctty
OF American institutions The British Minister
informed the Secretary of State that her Maies-
tvs Government is "of opinion that the capture
and destruction OF the Caroline was justifiable
employment of force for the purpose Of defending
the British Territory from the unprovoked attack
of u band of British rebels and American pirates,
who having been permitted to arm and organize
themselves within the territory of the U. States,
had actually invaded portion Of the territory of
her Majesty" How was this met! BY conlro.
'ertng every point in the justification, interwea.
wing, in the course Of the reply, new, Just and
powerful defence Of the high moral character of
our legislation and policy on the subject of neu-
trail obligations, and "holdng up the mirror" to
the British Government, rejecting the agrraya.
tons and enormties of the destruction of the
Caroline i'll light and colors 50 vivid az TO lead
1t IS hoped, to reconsideration of that act. rovol
ting alike to humanity and to our national sens.
billty and honor.
The honorable Senator compmented our min.
lister at London for the able and eloquent man.
ner in which he had presented this subject to the
British Government. Far be it from me to abate
"Jot or title" from the praises bestowed by
the Senator upon this distinguished citizen of
my own State, but without disparagement to him
surely, may ask, when before has so powerful
and graphic picture OF that outrage, speaking
to the moral and almost to the bodily sense, been
exhibited as in the following extract Of the reply
OF the Secretary of State to Mr. Fox!
ut must be shown that admoniton or remon
STRANGE to the persons ON board the Carone'w
impractcable, or would have been unavailing
it must be shown that daylight could not be wal.
ted for that there could be no attempt at dis
elimination between the innocent and the guilty;
that it would not have been enough to seize and
dctain the vessel but that there was necessity,
present and inevitable, for attacking her in the
darkness Of the night, while moored to the shore
and while unarlned men were asleep on board,
killing some and woundng others and then draw
ing her into the cataract setting her on fire, and
careless to know whether there might not be in
her the innocent with the guilty, or the living
with the dead, committed her to a fate which fills
the imagination with horror"
Was there any want of American spirit in all
this No, sir, no. The destruction of the Car.
oline being, at length avowed by the British Gov
eminent as public act, the Administration could
not but feel that it was unworthy of its own char
acter and Of the character of the nation, to dig
nifty a miserable and subordinate instrument
who may have been employed in it, by making
him the selected object Of national vengeance.
1t could not but feel also that the principle of
public law which exempts these subordinate in
struments from individual responsibility for acts
done in obedience to the competent public au-
tlorites, is principle founded in reason and