Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1841-02-25
22d lust, was rejected. SO it isrrobablc
that measure will fail.
From The Washington Gtotc.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
SATURDAY, Feb. l3, 1871

=
which was ordered to be printed:
The Commi,lee on Foreign Affairs, to
whom was referred the Message of the Pre-
sident, transmitting correspondence with
the British Minister 10 relation to the burn
ing of the steamboat Caroline, and the de-
mand made for the liberation Of Mr.. Alex
ander Mcleod, respectfully report:
Itappears lha, the steamboat Caroline
was seized and destroyed in the mouth OF
December. 1897. The committee are in
duced 10 believe That the facts of the case
are rs follows: The boat was owned by,
and in possession Of. a citizen ofNew York.
She was cleared from the city of Buffalo,
and, on the morning ofIhe 29Ih Of Dccem-
ber, 1887, she left the port of Buffalo,
bound for Schlosser, upon the American
side Of the Niagara river, and within the
territory Of the United States, The ORR
cinal in,cntion seemed 10 be, to run the boat
between BuGalo and Schlosser, perhaps,
from Black Rock dam TO Schosscr, and
should it seem profitable, it was intended
to run her also 10 Navy Island, and touch
at Grand Islnnd and Tonawanda. Her
owner was Mr.. Wells, said 10 be respect
aoIe citizen Of Buffalo, and ii is obvious,
his intention in putting up the boat was
one of speculation and profit entirely. The
excitement upon that portion Of the fI"n-
tier, at this period, had collected "re;t
many in the observation-disclosures from Gu
riosi;y-sonc from idleness-a and others
from taking an interest in The unusual and
extraordinary collection Of adventurous
men gathered together at that time OH Ma.
wv Island. Navy Island was " nominalIy"
in The British "territory."
The owner ofthc Caroline took aGran-
tase of these circumstances to make some
money with his boat, by running her, as IA
ferry boat, over 10 Navy Island. All these
facts appear from testimony regularly Ia.
ken, (see H. f. Doc. No. 302, page 46 and
49, Cd Session, 25ih Congress- and the
committee knew of 10 legal evidence to
contradict them. There is no proof that
anv arms or munitions of war were carried
in tho boat, except, perhaps, one small six
pnunder fel'.piece belonging to passcn-
GER. The principal object was to run the
boat as ferry boat from Schlosser, on the
American side, 10 Navy Island, on the
British side. II is believed that, even in
war, neutral power has the rig ghl to trade
in conirahand articles, subject, Of course,
10 seizure and coniscatinu, il taken within
the jurisdiction Of either oflhe conlcnding
parties. WHAT'S contraband Of war is not
always certain. Treaty stipulalions frc-
quenlly include some articles, aud exclude
nlhcrs re oenzcl i'll The law Of nations.
Trading in contraband articles is no excuse
for invading the territory ard soil ola neu-
trail and Independent power, whose private
citizens may choose to run the lazart! Of
such Il trade. In this instance there were
nu rwo foreign powers engaged in war;
but all concerned III the outbreak or excite
mcnt within the British jurisdiction, claim
cd TO be British subjects, in resistance of
The authorities of Canada, province of
the British empire. Even admitting, then,
that the Caroline was engaged in contra
band trade, yet it was with citizens who
lei,as4 10 W. legitimate
officers of the Province. Abstractedly
speaking. how was private citizen to de.
eide who were rish, and who wrong in
these local disputes And which portion
Of citizens Of the same province must our
citizens have any communication with =!
But the boat was merely used for one day
as ferry boat; and OIL The night Of The
lay she commenced running, sho was
seized while mcored at the whaI(in Schlos.
ser, and burnt. Several men were assas-
sinated; certainly one, who fell dead upon
the dock. Now the insnuaion the Bri-
,ish Minister, that SchIosser was "nomi-
naIy" within the territory of the Untrd
States, may well be retortcd, as we eau
with equal truth say that Navy Island was
'.nominally" within the "terrlory'' of th
British Government; for at the period TO
which we alludc, the people collected there
had as ciIcctually dcGed Cauada authori-
ties as any portion of our people had dis.
regarded ours. Yet British authority
thought proper to pass by Navy Island,
then i'll its nominal" territory, and in The
plcni,ude Of its power, 10 cast the asis Of
British jurisdiction over American soil.
This was truly extending over us that kind
guardianship which they had not the abil-
ily at that time 10 extend to portion Of
their own territory, and which recommends
lselfto us, full rs much from its assump-
ton as from its love Of rish, or law.
The British Minister is pleased also TO
call the Caroline a "piratical steamboat"
The loose cplhets Of any one, no matter
how higI in place, cannot make that pira
cy which the law Of nations does not re-
cognise as such. Pirates are frcebooters,
enemies of the human race; and eminent
Iurisls describe them as ravas'ng every
sea and coast with no flag and no lone.
Piracy comes under the concurrent Juris-
dic,ion of all nations. Even in the worst
point of view that it can be considered,
those connected with the steamboat Caro-
line were but aiders and abetlors Of Others
engaged in rebellion. And the committee
are totally al loss to know upon what au-
,horily rebellion is recognized as piracy.
Such conloundns of terms is resting the
case upon epithcls, instead Of sound law
or facts. But even surprising it TO he a
"piratical boat" as The Minister asserts it
to he; yet the moment it touched our soil
il fell under our sovereignty, and no power