The Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii) 1840-1841, 1841-09-25
Of justification stated by Her Majesty's Gov
1-. =, .ho;r ;,e,ruct;on TO MIR Fox.

ed Mr. Fox to say that they are of opinion
that the transaction which terminated IN tne
destruction Of the Caroline was JustlhaDle
employment Of force for the purpose OF de-
Tending the British territory from the unpro,
yoked attack of band of British rebels and
American pirates, who have been "Permlt-
ted ITO arm and organize themselves within
the territory of the United states. mad actu-
ally invaded portion of the territory OF Her
Majesty. ?,
The President cannot suppose that Her
Nlajesty's Government, by the use OF these
terms. meant to be understood as intimatIng
that those acts, violating the laws OF the Uni-
ted States, and disturbing the peace OF the
British territories, were done under any de-
gree of counienance from this Government,
or were regarded by it with Indifference; or
that, under the circumstances OF the case,
they could have been prevented by the ordI-
nary course Of proceeding Although he
regrets that by using the term permitted"
a possible infer enc, OF that kind IN ght be lals-
ed, yet such an inference, the President is
willing to believe, would be quite unjust to the
intentions of the British Government. That on
a line Of frontier such as separates the United
States from Her Britannia Majesty's North
American Prov inces-a line long enough to
divide the whole of Europe into hal> esirreg-
ularities, violences, and conflicts should some
times occur, equally against the will OF both
Gov ernmcnts, is certainly easily to be sup
posed. This may be more possible, perhaps,
in regard to the United States, without any
reproach to their Government, since their
institutions entirely discourage the keeping
up of large standing armies in time peace,
and their situation happily exempts them
from the necessity Of maintaining such eX-
pensive and dangerous establishments. All
that can be expected from either Govern
ment in these cases is good faith, sincere
desire to preserve peace and DO justice, the
use Of all proper means of prevention, and
that, if offences cannot, nevertheless, be al
ways prevented, the offenders shall still be
justly punished. In all these respects this
Government acknowledges no delinquency
in the performance of its duties.
Her Majesty's Government are pleased,
also, to speak of those American citizens
who took part with persons in Canada, en-
gagged in an instruction against the British
Government, as "American pirates" The
undersigned does not admit the propriety or
justice of this designation If citizens of the
United States fitted out, or were engaged in
fitting out, military expedition from the
United States intended to act against the
British Government in Canada, they were
clearly violating the laws of their country,
aad exposing themselves to the Just conse-
quences which might be inflicted on them if
taken within the British dominions. But,
Notwithstanding this, they were certainly not
pirates, nor does the undersigned think that
it can advance the purpose Of fair and friend
Iy discussion, or hasten the accommodation
of national difficulties, so to denominate them
Their offence, whatever it was, had no anal
ogy to cases of piracy Surprising all that
is alleged against them to be true, they we're
taking part in what they regarded as a
civil war, and they were taking part on the
side Of the rebels. Surely England herself
has not regarded persons thus engaged as
deserving the appellation which Her NIaes-
tvs Government bestows on these citizens
Of the United States.
1t is quite notorious, that for the greatest
part OF the last two centuries, subjects of
the British Grown have been permitted to
engage in foreign wars, both national and
civil, and in the latter, in every stage of
their progress; and yet it has not been i'm
agned that England has at any time allow
ed her subjects to turn pirates. Indeed. in
our own times, not only have individual
subjects of that Grown gone .brood A..