The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1841-12-15
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
tizcns nfths Seruite,

SUltn UDCO Ile UiSCQdIEc GaO etSN',
which the People have charged ue' severally' we
find great occasion to rejoice IN the generai
prosperity Of the country. We are IN the ENJOY
ment of all the blessings OF civil ana rehslo"s
liberty. with unexampled means OF education,
tno,rle3pe, and Improvement. Through the year
which il now drawing to close pence has been
;n uir borders and plenty in our habltations; and
,j,bouoh disease has visited some few portions
If the land with distress and mortality, yet in
.neneral the health Of the people has been pre-
seryed., and we are called upon by the high
obligations of duty 70 renew our thanks and
our devotion to our Heavenly Parent who has
continued to vouchsafe to us the eminent bles-
sinps which surround us, and who has so sig.
nally crowned the year with his goodness II
we find ourselves increasing, beyond example,
IN numbers, in strength, in wealth, in knowl-
edee. in every thing which promotes human
and social happiness, let us ever remember our
dependence for all these on the protection and
merciful dispensations Of Divine Providence
Since vour last adjournment, Alexander NJ
I,eod. a. British subject, who was indicted for
the murder. of an American citizen, and whose
case has been the subject of a correspondence
heretofore communicated to you, has been ac-
united bv the verdict of an impartial and INTEL
iioent iurv, and has, under the judgement of
the court been regularly discharged.
Great Britain having made known to this
r,overnment that the expedition which was fit
ted from Canada for the destruction Of the steam
5hoat Caroline, in the winter Of 1887, and which
resulted in the destruction of the said boat and
in the death of an American citizen, was un-
dertaken by orders emanatng from the, authorl-
ties of the British Government in Canada, ana
demanding the discharge Of MLeod upon the
ground that, if engaged in that expedition ne
did but fulfil the orders OF his government
has thus been answered in the only way IN
which she could be answered by Government
the powers of which are distributed among Its
several departments by the fundamental law
Happily for the people of Great Britain, as well
as those of the United States, the only mode
'by which an individual arraigned for criminal
offence before the courts Of either can OBTAIN
his discharge, is by the Independent action OF
the judiciary, and by proceedings equally faml-
liar to the courts of both countries.
Ifin Great Britain a power exists in the
Crown to cause to be entered nolle Prosequ,'
which is not the case with the Executive power
of the United States upon prosecution pend
ting in State court, yet there, no more than here
can the chief executive power rescue aprisoner
from custody without an order of the proper trl-
bunal drectinghis discharge.
~ The precise stage of proceedings at which
such order may be made is matter of munich
pal regulation exclusively and not to be COM
planned of by any other Government In cases
of this kind, Government becomes politically
responsible only when its tribunals Of last re-
sort are shown to have rendered unjust and in
furious judgments in matters not doubtful. 10
the establishment and elucidation of this prln-
ciple, no nation has lent it's authority more ef-
ficiently than Great Britain. Alexander M
Leod having his option either to prosecute a.
writ of error from the decision of the Supreme
Court cf New York, which had been rendered
upon his. application for discharge, to the Su-
preme Court of the United States, or to submit
his case to the decision of jury, preferred the
latter, deeming it the readiest mode of obtain
ing his Liberation: and the result has fully sus-
tanned the wisdom of his choice The manner
in which the issue submitted was tried will salts
fy the English Government that the principles
Of justice will never fail to govern the enlight-
ened decision of an American tribunal. l can
not fail, however, to suggest to Congress the
propriety, and in some degree the necessity, OF
making such provisions by law, so far as they
NAV constitutionally do so, for the removal at
their commencement, and at the option of the
party, of all such cases as may hereafter arise,
and which may involve the faithful observance
and execution of our international obligations,
from the State to the Federal Judiciary. This
Government, by our institutions, is charged
with the maintenance of peace and the preserva.
ton of amicable relations with the nations of
the earth, and ought to possess, without ques-
ton, all the reasonable and proper means of
maintaining the one and preserving the other
Whilst just confidence is felt in the Judiciary
of the States, yet this Government ought to be
competent in itself for the fulflment of the
high duties which have been devolved upon il,
under the organic law, by the States them
selves.
In the month of September, a party of armed
men from Upper Canada invaded the territory of
the United States, and forcibly seized upon the
person of one Grogan, and, under circumstan-
ces of great harshness, hurriedly carried him
beyond the limits of the United States. and de-
livered him up to the authorities of Upper
Canada. His immediate discharge was ordered
by the authorities upon the facts Of the case be-
ing brought to their knowledge course of
procedure which was to have been expected
from nation with whom we are at peace, and
which was not more due to the righ.s Of the
United States than its own regard for Justice
The correspondence which passed between the
Department of State and the British Envoy,
Mr. Fox, and with the Governor of Vermont
as soon as the facts had been made known to
this Department, are herewith communicated.