The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1841-12-14

ions by law, so lar as tney may DO SO, Ipl tu'
removal at their commencement, and at the
option of the party, of all such cases as may
| hereafter arise, and which may involve Int
| faithful observance and execution OF our In
ternational obligations, from the State to the
Federal Judiciary This Government, by ou
institutions. is charged with the maintenance
| of peace and the preservation of amicable re
lations with the nations of the earth, and ough
TO possess. without question, all the reasonable
and proper means of maintaining the one ano
preserving the other. Whilst Just confidence
is felt in the Judiciary of the States, yet this
Government ought to be competent in itsel
for the fulfilment of the high duties which have
been devolved upon it under the organic law
by the States themselves.
In the month of Sept. party Of armed men
from Upper Canada invaded the territory fthe
United States, and forcibly seized upon the
person of one Grogan, and, under circumstan-
ces of great harshness, hurriedly carried him
beyond the limbs of the United States, and de.
livered him up to the authorities of Upper Can
ada. His immediate discharge was ordered
by those authorities, upon the facts of the case
being brought TO their knowledge-a course of
procedure which was to have been expected
from a nation with whom we are at peace, and
which was not more due to the rights of the
United States, then to its own regard for JUS
tice. The correspondence which passed be-
tween the Department of State, and the Brit
ish Envoy, Mr.. Fox, and with the Governor
of Vermont, as soon as the facts had been
made known to this Department, are herewith
communicated
regret that it is not in my power TO make
known to you an equally satisfactory conclu-
sion in the case of the Caroline steamer, with
the circumstances connected with the destruc-
ton ofwhich,'in December, 1887, by an armed
force fitted out in the Province of Upper Cana
da, you are already made acquainted. No
such atonement as was due for the public wrong
done to the United st; te by this invasion of her
territory so wholly RECOGNIZABLE with her rights
as an independent power, has yet been made.
In the view taken by this Government, the in
quIry whether the vessel was in the employ
ment of those who were prosecuting an unau-
thorized war against that Province, or was en-
gaed by the owner in the business of trans.
porting passengers 10 and from Navy Island in
hopes of private gain, which was most proba-
bly, the case, in no degree alters the real ques-
ton at issue between the two governments.
This Government can never concede TO any
foreign Government the power,except in case
of the most urgent and extreme necessity, of
invading its territory, either to arrest the per.
sons or destroy the property of those who may
have violated the municipal laws of such for.
eign Government, or have disregarded their
arising under the law of nations.
The territory of the United States must be re-
IL H.
vasions, until they shall voluntarily acknowl-
edge their inability TO acquit themselves of
heir duties to others. And in announcing this
sentiment, do but affirm principle which no
nation on earth would be more ready to vindi-
cate at all hazards, then the people and gov
ernment of Great Britain.
If, upon full investigation of all the facts,
it shall appear that the owner of the Caroline
was governed by hostile intent, or had made
common cause with those who were in the &C.
cupacy of Navy Island, then, so far as he is
there can be no claim to udemni-
tv for the destruction of this boat, which this
Government would feel itself bound to prose
cute-since he would have acted not only in
derogation of the rights of Great Britain. but
in clear violation of the laws of the United
States but that is question which, however
settled, in no manner involves the higher con.
sderation of the violation of territorial sover-
eighty and jurisdiction. To recognise it as an
practice that each government, in
its turn, upon any sudden and unauthorized
which on frontier, the extent of
which renders it impossible for either to have
an efficient force on every mile oft, and which
outbreak, therefore, neither may be able to
suppress in a day, may take vengence into its
own hands, and without even a remonstrance,
and in the absence of any pressing or overru-
ling necessity, may invade the territory of the
other, would inevitably lead to results equally
to be deplored by both.
When border collisions come TO receive the
sanction, or TO be made on the authority of
either Government, general war must be the
result. While it is the ardent desire
of the United States TO cultivate the relations
of peace with all nations, and to fulfil all the
duties of good neighborhood towards those who
possess territories adJourning their own, that
very desire would lead them to deny the right
of any foreign power 10 invade their boundary
with an armed force. The correspondence be-
tween the two Governments on this subject
will. att future day of your session, be submit
ted to your consideration; and in the mean
time. cannot but indulge the hope that the
British Government will see the proprety of
renouncing, as rule of future action, the pre-
cedent which has been set in the affair at
Schlosser.
herewith submit the correspondence which
has recently taken place between the Ameri-
can Minister at the Court of St. James, Mr..
Stevens on, and the Minister of Foreign AT.
fairs of that Government, on the right claimed
by that Government to visit and detain vessels
sailing under the American flag and engaged
in prosecuting lawful commerce in the African
seas. Commercial interests in that region
have experienced considerable increase, and
have become an ohiect of puch ;p,nort,nco