Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-08-28
AUTHORIZED AGENTS FOR THE TIMES
Mr.. For TO Mr.. Webster.
WASHINGTON, March IL, 1s4l.


The undersigned, her Britannia Maies-
ty's envoy extraordinary and minister plen-
ipotentiary, is instructed by his Govern
ment to make the following official COM
munication TO the Government of the Uni
ted States:
Her Maiesty's Government have had
under their consideration the correspond
ence which took place at Washington in
December last, between the United States
Secretary of State, Mr.. Forsyth. and the
undersigned, comprising two official letters
from the undersigned to Mr. Forsyth, dat
ed the 18th and Goth of December and
two official letters from Mr.. Forsyth to
the undersigned, dated the Goth and 30th
of the same month, upon the subject of the
arrest and Imprisonment of Mr.. Alexander
Mcleod, of Upper Canada, by the author
tiles of the State of New York. upon a
pretended charge of arson and murder,
as having been engaged in the capture and
destruction of the steamboat Caroline, on
the Goth of December, 1887.
The undersigned is directed, in the first
place, to make known to the Government
of the United States that her Majesty
Government entirely approve of the course
pursued by the undersigned in that cores
pondence, and of the language adopted by
him in the official letters above mentioned.
And the undersigned is now instructed
again to demand from the Government of
the United States, formally, in the name of
the British Government, the immediate re-
lease of Mr.. Alexander Mcleod.
The grounds upon which the British
Government make this demand upon the
Government of the United States are
these: that the transaction On account of
which Mr.. Mcleod has been arrested, and
is to be put upon his trial. was a transac-
ton of public character, planned and ex-
ccuted by persons duly empowered by her
Maiesty's colonial authorities to take any
steps to do any acts which might be neces-
sary for the defence of her Majesty's ter
rtories and for the protection of her Ma
jesty's subjects; and that consequently
those subjects of her Majesty who engaged
in that transaction were performing an act
Of public duty for which they cannot be
made personally and individually answera-
BILE to the laws and tribunals of any for
eign country.
The transaction in question may have
been, as her Maiesty's Government are Of
opinion that it was, justfiable employ
mcnt of force for the purpose OF defending
the British territory from the unprovoked
attack of band of British rebels and
American pirates, who, having been per-
mitted to arm and organize themselves
within the territory of the United States,
had actually invaded and occupied por
ton of the territory of her Majesty; or
it may have been, as alleged by Mr. For
syth, in his note to the undersigned of the
goth of December "a most unj ustiflable
invasion in time Of peace of the territory
of the United States" But this is ques-
zion especially of political and interna-
tional kind, which can be discussed and
settled only between the two Governments,
and which the courts of justice of the
State of New York cannot by possibility
have any means of Judging or any right of
deciding.
1t would be contrary to the universal
practice of civilized nations to fix indvid-
,ual responsibility upon such persons who
with the sanction or by the orders of the
constituted authorities of State engaged
in military or naval enterprises in their
country's cause; and it is obvious that the
introduction of such a principle would ag-
gravate beyond measure the miseries, and
would frightfully increase the demoralizing
effects of war, by mixing up with national
evaporation the ferocity of personal pas
sions, and the cruelty and bitterness of in
dividual revenge.
Her Majesty's Government cannot be-
lieve that the Government of the United
States can really intend to set an example
SO fraught with evil to the community of
nations, and the direct tendency of which
must be to bring back into the practice
of modern war, atrocities which civiza-
ton and Christianity have long since ban
ished
Neither can her Majesty's Government
admit for a moment the validity of the
doctrine advanced by Mr.. Forsyth, that the