The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1841-06-29
nations, and to advance the civilization Of man

nations and to advance the civilization OF man
kind
The undersigned trusts, that when herbri'ann'c
Maiesty's Government shall present the grounds,
at length, on which they justify the 10
col authorities Of Canada IN attacking and destroy
ing the "Caroline," they will consider that the
laws Of the United States are such as the undersign
ed has now represented them, and that the Govern
ment Of the United States has always manifested
sincere disposition to see those laws efsctually
and impartially administered. IL there have been
cases in which individuals, justly obnoxious to pun
ishment, have escaped, this is no more than hap
pens in regard to other laws
Under these circ1mstan and under those i'm
mediatey connected with the transaction ITSELF 1t
will be for her maesty's Government to show up
on what state of facts and what rules of national
law the destruction of the ''Caroline" is TO be de-
Tended. 1t will be for that Government to show a
necessity of selfdefence, instant, overwhelming,
leaving no choice of means and no moment for de-
liberation. 1t will be for IL to show also, that the
local authorities of Canada even supposng the ne
cessity of the moment authorized them to enter the
territories of the United State at all did nothing
unreasonable excessive; since the act, justified
by the necessity Of selCdefence, must be limited
by that necessity, and kept clearly within it.
| 1t must be shown that admonltion remon-
STRANGE to tho persons on board The "Carone' was
mpracticable, or would have been unavailing: it
must be shown that daylight could not be waited
for;that there could be no atmpt discrimination be-
I tween the innocent and the guilty; that it would
not have been enough to seize and detain the ves-
sell but that there necessity, present and in
ovable, for attacking her, in The darkness of the
;io ita N m
ed men were asleep on board, killing and
wounding others, and then drawing her into the
current, above the cataract setting her on fire, q
careless to know whether there might not be in
her the innocent with the guilty, or the living with
the dead committing her ton fate chIflls the mag
inaton with horror. A necessity for all this the
Government of theU. States cannot believe to have
existed
All will that if such things be allowed to oc
cur, they might lead 10 bloody aud exasperated
war; and when individual comes into the Unit
ed States from Canada and TO the very place on
which this drama performed and there choose
to make public and vain-glorous boast of the part
he acted in it, it is hardly wonderful that great ex-
element should BIO created, and some degree OF
commotlon arise.
| This republic does not wish to disturb the iran-
guilty cf the world It's object is peace, policy
peace 1t seeks no aggrandizement by foreign con
quest, because il knows that foreign acquisition
could augment its power and Importance SO rapid
ly as they are already advancing by its own natu
raj growth under the propitious circumstances OF
Its situation. But il cannot admit that its Govern
ment has not both the will and the power to pre-
| serve its own neutrality, and 10 enforce the OBJ.
servance Of its own laws upon its own citizens.
1t is jealous ofis rights, and among others, and
most especially, of the right of The absolute mmu
nifty of its territory against aggression from abroad;
and these rights it is the duty and the determine
ton of thisGovc,nment fully Sat all times to main
tain; while it will, at the time, scrnpu
| lonsly refrain from infringing the rights of 9th
| ers.
! The President instructs the undersigned To say,
in conclusion, that he confidently trusts that thisSs
an all other questions Of difference between the
two Governments will be treated by both in the
full exercise of such spirit of candor, justice and
mutual respect, shall give assurance ofthe long
continuance of peace between the two countries
The undersigned avas himself of this opportu
nifty to Mr.. Fox of his high consideration.
DANIEL WEBSTER.
HENRY s. Fox, Esq &c. &c.SGc.
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