The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-10-02
THE BORDER TROUBLES.

! The Globe, of Thursday, attacks the policy
pursued by the administration in relation to the
difficulties on the northern frontier, and endea-
vors to draw o contrast in favor Of the last add
ministraion.
Mr. Van Buren, "took his stand" says the
Globe, "upon the Maine question in support Of
the rights asserted by Gov. Fairfield, in regard
to the disputed territory" &c. II is true Mr..
Van Buren, took his stand, and he kept 'his
stand for four years, without making a step of
progress He came TO ''standn still, and
there he stood, and at the end of his admi-
nistration, the boundary question was as far
from adjustment ever, and the outrage upon
the Caroline made in the first year Of his admi-
nistration, remained unexpiated and unexpan-
ed. The '.sand upon the Maine question:"
was backing out of the territory, leaving the
State of Maine to guard it.
The present administration, it is Understood,
have relieved Maine from that burden by pla-
cling upon the line the forces Of the United
States.
The "stand" which Mr.. Van Buren, took
about the Canada troubles and the Caroline
affair, was, in the first instance, to beg of
from the clemency of the British Govern
ment certain "Patriots" who had invaded
Canada and in the second, to Sleep as
above mentioned, three years over an invasion
of our soil, the murder of an American citizen,
and an outrage upon our national rights.
Very much Of piece with his "stand" on
this subject, was his stand" on the West In
dia question, wherein he begged boons from
British ministers, and desired them to under
stand that he receded from the pretensons of
America made through one of its former admi-
nistrations.
The Globe cannot comprehend bold and no.
nest course of policy, either between individuals
or nations nor that greatness of mind which
would rather proclaim an acquiescence IN great
and clear principles of international law, though
by such act, the country would be brought TO ar
btrament with powerful nation, than by a
creeping special pleading process, attempt to
justify mean revenge upon poor 5raggarl
caught within our lines.
The Globe speaks of Mr. Van Buren's .'turn-
ing Mcleod over to the State tribunal for trial, y
as a .sresolute assertion of national aw."-
1 What had Mr.. Van Buren, to do with il accord
ing TO the Globes own showing2 The State
of New York arrested McLeod-they did moi
ask the liberty of Mr.. Van Buren,. How, then
could the act of the State be called an asser
ton of national law" Mr.. Stevenson, the
American Minister at London, took the same
view of the matter in 1893. as has since beer
taken by Mr.. Webster. He regarded the at
tack on the Caroline as san invasion of the
territory and sovereignty OF an independent ma
ton by an armed force of a friendly Power,
and Mr. Webster. in his letter to Mr. Fox o
last April, says, :" the Government of the U. S
has mol changed the opinion rhich IL has here
tofore expressed to her Majesty's Government
of the character Of the act of destroying the Ca
roline.n 1t was an act of war, in which iht
soldiers concerned were the instruments of th
/, British Government, and which assumed by
, the Acknowledgements of that Government ma
tional aspect.
The memorable attack of the British ship o
J war Leopard, Capt. Humphreys, upon the fri
! gate Chesapeake, Capt Barron, in which Sc
e veral American sailors were killed, may per
: haps be mentioned as parallel case That at
I tack became the subject of discussion between
the two Governments, and resulted in an ad
,. justment in which, amongst other things, Eng
: land offered ''the American Government suit
able pecuniary provision for the sufferers in con
:. sequence of the attack on the Chesapeake
including the families Of those seamen who ur
:. fortunately fell in the action, and of the wound
o ed survivors" Could Capt. Humphreys aite
wards have been proceeded against in court {
our country, and held personally responsible
IS notwithstanding the Executive Department {
our Government had settled the whole matte