The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1841-06-24

81 he BRUSH. The British minister haa
declined 10 consider The staiess Bat aeciar-
u thai the British Government could on
u look . tie United States.
He commented o. me 80, ing u de
Attorney General % I.ockpos. % protect
Mcleod against ne vsolence-Of Hhoni
OF The highest Court in the Ssale of New
York. He ridiculed what Mr. Preston
had characterized = the moiheiy care
winch the Secretary Of Sssie hid thus ex-
ie7ied over Mcleod. Heshen proceed
Cd 70 Justify tie opinion.ke bad given IN
his former speech thai Mr.. Webster ought
70 have kept back his acquiescence in Inc
British construction d national law, IN -
reference 10 The case IL Mcleod. Mr..
Rives admitted that he had used language
Of this threatening character % proud
and naughty nation. But if ., il should
not be drawn into . precedent in refer
ence 70 ourselves.
Mr.. Riyes denied that he had said he
had used ! threat 10 France. lie had
pointed out consequences il > similar
lone.
Mr.. Buchanan said he had NOT eorrect-
N understood the Senator. lie then pro-
ceeded 10 condemn the pacific tone in
which The Secretary of State had CONT
nued % argue the question Of the Caro-
line, while he abandoned the night 70 re-
tain Mcleod. lie expressed his conyic-
ZION that General Harrison would not
have submitted 10 an insult. Only three
days elapsed between the receipt Of the
demand and the date Of the instructions,
and during that time General Harrison
was besei with those applications which
destroyed him. What has John Tyler
said! He has taken care not 10 say one
word in his Message in favor ofthe letter
Of the Secretary. There Is no indication
Of such appreciation. On the contrary,
he believed il to be q cautious Withholding
Of an opinion.
Mr.. Buchanan said il had been asserted
by the Senator from South Carolina 10 be
Cabinet measure. He was bound 10
believe il was so, and he regretted that
the course taken had not been such as to
prevent the probability Of war.
MIR. Clay rose merely for the purpose
ofshowing the responsibility ofhis friends
for the opinion expressed in the letter Of
the Secretary Of State. Before that letter
was written he had himself expressed his
opinion that no individual responsibility
could attach to Mcleod. lie maintained
that the capture of the Caroline was an
act Of war, il was effected by a military
force, no matter whether regulars or
militia, in which the bayonet was employ
ed. II was an invasion of our territory
by Great Britain for which reparation
was due. 1t was an act Of war, solitary,
unprecedented war, but still war, and the
Government Of Great Britain was response
BILE for il. Not only did National law,
continued Mr.. Clay, but National pride
also forbid that we should now endeayor
% rrpsir tlac wfvng ~ salking veagoanre
on an individual, who was no more
responsible than the musketry and powder
which were employed on the occasion.
Such were his views before the letter OF
the Secretary Of State was written. Mr..
Clay went on to show that Great Britain
was not bound 10 look to our internal condi-
ton and to exact from State the redress
which the nation was bound to give. lie
assured the Senator from Pennsylvania
that his friend, the Attorney General,
never felt that he was at all compromised
in his honor BY the mission to Lockport,
and that il he ever was required to per-
form any duty which he deemed al Yari-
ance with his sense of honor, he would
at once relinquish his commission rather
than give his acquiescence.
In reference to the correspondence, he
said thai il we could penetrate the mind
of Mr.. Fox, or the British Minister for
Foreign affairs, he was sure we should
discover that that which was deemed a
threat had been penned with a cautious
desire to free itirom manipulation which
was now cast uponi it. Had war followed
our refusal to surrender Mcleod! The
Secretary of State has replied to the de-
mand; that by Judicial process alone could
Mcleod be freed. And he would venture
an opinion that there would be no war
even if the Judicial tribunals should pro-
nouncc against The surrender Of Mcleod.
He stated that at the negotiation of the
treaty Of Client the British Commissioners
presented their sine gun ron, and took
some offence al the manner in which i,
was received. But it was Withdrawn,
and no more was heard of sine qua non.
Mr.. G. censured the war spirit which
animated the Senator from Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Buchanan not war spirit.
No, not war spirit; but desire to stir up
war spirit in the country. lie reminded
the Senate of the English feeling which
animated General Jackson and Mr.. Van
Buren,, when the latter informed the
British government that the administration
OF General Jackson would be more friend
/ ly IN Graaf prisa;n sb.r H.. ...L.nL -