The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1841-06-18

Canada to keep themselves in a state pre-
pared for sell-dclence, yet that these adj
yenturers were acting by no means in ac-
cordance with the feeling of the great
mass of the American people, or OF the
government of The United States.
This government, therefore, not only
holds itself above rcproach in every thing
respecting the preservation of neutrality,
the observance of the principle of non
intervention, and the strlctcst conformity
in these respects to the rules Of intcrna-
tional law, but it doubts not that the whole
world will do it the justice to acknowledge
that it has set IN example not unfit to be
followed by others, and that, by It's steady
legislation on this most important sub
iect, it has done something to promote
peace and good ncighborhood among
nations, and to advance the civilization of
mankind.
The undersigned trusts that, when her
Britannia malcsty's government shall pres
ent the grounds, at length, on which they
Justify the local authorities of Canada in
attacking and destroying the "Carollnc,"
they will consider that the laws of the
United States are such as the undersigned
has now represented them, and that the
government Of the United States has al
ways manifested a sincere disposition TO
see those laws ch'cctually and mparlially
administered If there have been cases
in which individuals, justly obnoxious to
punishment, have escaped, this is no
more than happens in regard to other
laws.
Under these circumstances, and under
those Immediately connected with the tran
sactons itself, it will be for her maics-
tvs government to show upon what state
of facts and what rules of national law the
destruction of the "Carolnc" is to.be de-
Tended 1t will be for that government to
show necessity of scli-dclencc, instant,
overwhelming, leaving no choice OF means
and no moment for dcIlbcraton. 1t will
be for il TO show, also, that the local au-
thorlllcs of Canada, even supposIng the
necessity of the moment authorized them
to enter the territories of the United States
at all, did nothing unreasonable or excess
sivc; since the act, justified by the ncces-
sity of scli-delencc, must be limited by
that necessity, and kept clearly within it.
1t mus, be shown that admonition or re.
monstrance to the persons on board the
"Carollnc' was impracticablc, or would
have been unavailing: it must be shown
that daylight could not be waited for;
that there could be no attempt at dscrimi-
nation between the innocent and the gull
ty {; that it would not have been enough
to seize and dctain the vessel but that
there was necessity, present and lncvlta-
BILE, for attacking her, i'll the darkness of
the night, while mOorcd to the shore, and
while unarmCd men were asleep on board,
killing some and wounding others, and
then drawing her into the current, above
the cataract, setting her on fire, and, care
less to know whether there might not be
i'll her the innocent with the guilty, or the
living with the dead, committing her to a
fate which fills the imagination with hor-
ror. A necessity for all this the govern
ment of the United States cannot believe
TO have existed.
All will see that if such things be allow
cd to occur, they might lead to bloody
and cXasperaicd war; and when an indi-
vidual comes into the United States from
Canada, and to the very place on which
this drama was performed, and there
chooses to make public and vainglorious
boasts of the part he acted in it, it is hard
ly wordcrl' that great excitement should
be created, and some degree orcommotion
arise.
This republic does not wish to disturb
the tranquility Of the world. lis object is
peace, its policy is peace. 1t seeks no
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT by foreign conquest, be-
cause it knows that no foreign acquisition
could augment It's power and Importance
so rapidly as they are already advancing
by its own natural growth, under the pro-
pitous circumstances of It's situation. But
ii cannot admit that its government has
not both the will and the power to pre-
serve its own neutrality, and to enforce
the observance of its owa laws upon its
own citizens. 1t is Jealous of its rights,
and among others, and most especially, Of
the right OF the absolute immunity Of its
territory against aggression from abroad !;
and these rights it is the duty and the de-
termination of this government fully and
at all times TO maintain; while it will, at
the same time, as scrupoIously refrain from
infringing on the rights of others.
The president inslructs the undcrsign-
cd to say, in conclusion, that he confident
iy trusts that this and all other questions
OF difference between the two governments
Will be treated by both in the full exercise
OF such a spirit of candor, Justice, and
mutual respect, as shall give assurance of