The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1841-07-15

lIeOd, and covers III and fw give up that man, to tho
demand of the British Government, shrink on..Ie
defence ofrght and suffer the law of nlOns to he Vi
olaed in our persons.
This bring. me to the before us. What is III
The facts of the are spread out in official doc
ments aud the evidence of them are clear and undena
ble An American steam ferry boat the Nj.
agara river; she carries passengers and property from
one shore TO the othsr The English believe and per-
haos truly, nat she carries and arms to the nsur>
gents IN Canada; and without any appeal To our Cow
ernments, either State or Federal without applying to
us TO put our laws in force against her-ans En-
gish officer, of his own head, without the knowleJge
ofthe British Government determines to do-whatl
Not TO watch the suspected vessel arrest her in tho
fact, seize the guilty anspare the innocent but to steal
upon her in the night board her nsleep' and destroy
her at the American shore, under the flag of her couns
try. In the evening of the meditated outrage vouu-
teers are called orfy sixty dashing, daring feI-
lows-ready to follow their leader to The devil for that
was the language used and 1t proves the expedition to
have been diaholical cne, and worthy to be led as
well as followed BY demons. The arms were sahers
and pistols; the of attack midnight the means Of
approach, hight boats and mufled oars; the progress
silent and stealhy that no suspicious sound should
larm tie sleeping victims. The order was death aud
no quarter Thus prepared and led they apr roach the
boat in the dead of the nisht-reach her without dis
covery-rush on board-ily TO the berths-cu', SLASH
stab andshoot all whom they pursue the flying,
and besides those in the boat kill one man at least up.
on the soil of his country far from the waers edge.
VctOriou in an attack where there Was no resistance,
the conquerors drew the vessel into the midst of the
current, set her fire. and with all her contents the
dead, the living the wounded and dying, send her in
flames over the lrlghtln cataract the Niagara. Nc
Leod THE man whose release is demanded from us,
wos (accordng to his declarations, made at the
time IN his own country, repeated siLce in ours, nnd
according to the sworn testimony Of one of the survi
Vors) an actor in that praca and Cowardly tragedy.
According to his assertions, and the admissions of
his comrades he of the foremost in that cruel
work, and actually killed the 'tdamned Yankees" TO
use his own words, with his own hands.
All this was in December of the year 1887. II filled
the country with Indignation. II fired the bosoms of
the border settlers on line of fifteen hundred miles.
Retaliation in every heart threats in every mouth
ard war imminent. Mr.. Van Buren, was then Presi.
dent. To calm tho spirits of the excited, rroclamaons
were issued to them. To prevent acts of taiaton,
troops raised and stationed along the line. To OBJ
tain redress for the outrage to citizens, and tho in
suit to our national character, application made 10
the British Government 10 repair the wrong that was
done. That Government delayed its answer TO cur Just
demand, avoided the assumption Of the criminal act, ex
cmsed and justified, without assumngit rewarded the
offenders with titles and pensions, and praises, and
clearly encouraged them TO do the like again. Dipo.
macy was still drawing out its heightened thread still
avirg lis long and diIaory web, still Peneopzing,
when the Mcleod the boas,er in Canada ofhis ac-
tive share in this triple crime of midnight murder, arson
and robbery to the American side and re,
pelts, in the heating of Americans, and on the spot
which had been the Of his exploit the auiacnnS
boaSt Of his participation in it. Justice then took held
Of hm. The lws Of New York laid their hands upon
him and grand jury ofta vicirage: on an indictment
regularly preferred, returned rre bill against him.
trial Ocourse, wis 10 take place in courts orthe State
whose laws mad heen Nola whose citizens had been
murdered and robbed, whose peace had been disturbed
and whose authority had been set at defiance. The
news of this proceeding flies to the British Minister
here that Minister addresses note to the Secretary of
State, (Mr. Futsylh) denandngthe release OfMCIeod
and the Secretary answered, by the direction Of The
then President, Mr.. Van Buren thal this man helng
charged with Offences against the laws of New York,
the General Government had no right 10 interfere, and
should not do This was read in the Senate
in January last, when most ofhe present members of
the body were then preseHwhen the present SeCraa-
ry of State and the present Attorney General were both
presOnt when all the old Senators here We're pres.
ent; and when this response of Nlr. Forsyth refusing
TO give up cLeod to interfere with the courts of
New York, received the unanimous appreciation Of this
Chanberl
MIR. b. repeated the expression, unanimous aPpr0ha-
baton and said he would pause for 60 rec'on if he
was mistaken. He paused. Several Senators excairn
ed, Eyes, yes.
Mr.. r. conrnuclt. remember the rea;ing or,at let
Ter well, and the feeling Of unanimous aporoblt"u
which perva'o the whole chamber when it wns read.
Every Senator that spoke expressed his approbltion.
No one sign fled dissent and the feeling then nn~
versa that the proper answer had been gwen hv Mr.
Forsyth; the answer which the law ofnatons, tho dug.
nifty Of the Union, and the rights ofNew York required
to he given. IT, am wrong in my recollection, | re-
peat the requCs, lei me be corrected now.
Several voices cried ont fright, right" No one
said the conrary.] .. .....
Mr.. b. resumed: great poiu one vital and concu.
sive in this inquiry, ia established. II is ostJhliSl>
ed, that inihe month ofJanury last, when Mr. For,
syh's letter was read in this chamber, all Of
opinion that he had given the correct and proper answer
and among the Senators then present were the present
Secretary ofState, the present Attorney General, all
the old Senators now present. and four-6fhs Of the
whole number now present.. In word, the Senate
was constituted rs il is with The exception O;nine
members who have gone out, and tho. same number
who have come in.
In January last, as We see, it was the unan-
, imous sense of4he Senate that Mcleod should
not be given up-thatth the course OF Justice in
New York should not be interrupted; and this
also, feel justified IN saying, was'the sense
OF the House Of Representatives. The Me-
Leod correspondence was communicated to
that body Five thousand copies Of it were
moved TO be printed. reference of the
whole was made 10 The Committee Of Foreign
Relations; aad the Judgment Of the House ap~
peared 10 be The same Of that Of the Senate.
luthe month Of January last, il may then be
asserted, that the two Housos of Congress
approved The decision Of President Van Bu-
reD; and, according 10 that decision, Mcleod
was neither to be given up, nor the course Of
justice in Now York inlerfered with by the
Federal Government.