Litchfield enquirer., 1841-12-16

| JJpper Canada you are already made acquainted No such a'0ncnIen as was due tor ihe puplic W.o,s done to the United States by this invasion ot her teIt
 tory, so wholly rreconcieabe with her TlSnt as an ! indepe ndent power has yet been made In the view
 taken by this GOvermment' the lhqury ro .,
 vessel was in the employment ot those who were pIos ecuting an unauthorized war against that froVhce 1 or was engaged by the owner m the business oI
 rnnsp"fng ea which was mos. probably the
 case in no degree alters the real question at issue oe tween the two Governments ] h's N'oVeEnHle"t c""
 never cOncede any foreign Government the power
 rxccnt in n case of ihe most urgent and extreme ne
 cessitv of invading it's territory, either to arrest tne
 persons destroy the property "i those Wno nay
 have viola ted the municipal laws 0 slcn toreeh Oo- | yernment or have diSregarded thcr obhganons arS-
 ing under the law of nations. The territory ot the 1 United States must he regarded as sacIedy secure
 against all such inVasiOns until they shall voluntarily
 acknowledge their inability to acqut themselves o'
 their duties others And in announcing ihs sen'l-
 ment, do but affirm principle winch no nation on earth would be more ready to VndlcHte. at all naz- 1 ards, than the people and government ot G Britain l It. upon full investigation nf all the facts, 1t shall
 appear that he owner of the Caroline was governed
 by hostile intent, or had made common cause with | those who were in the occupancy ot Navy lslano'
 then, far he is concerned there can be no clam
 to indemnity for the destruction ot ms noa' when
 this Government would feel itself bound to prosecute
 since he would have acted not only m Ger"eatl"n
 of the rights of Great Britain but in clear violation o
 the law of the United States; but that IS qhes'lnh 1 which, however settled, in no manner involves tne | higher consideration of the violation of territorial
 sovereignty aEd jurisdiction. IT" recognize It as an
 admissible practice that each Government, m Its tnrn' 1 upon any sudden and unauthorized outbreak, when, on frontier the extent of which renders IL impossible 1 for either 10 have efficient force on every mile or it. and which outbreak, therefore, neither may he able to suppress iA day, may take vengeance into l it's own hands, and without even renonstrance, anu
 in the absence of any pressing or everything necess
 ty may invade the territory ot the ohcr would ineH- itably lead results equally to be dep'ored by ooh
 When border collisions come to receive me sanction l or to be made on the authority of either Government, general war must be the inevitable result Whle u 60 or1a # tho States the relations of peace with all nations. and to tnlh nl the duties of good neighborhood toward those wno possess territories adjoining their own that very ae sire would lead them to deny the right ct any foreign power to invade their boundary with an armed fOrce The correspondence between the two Governments on this subject, will, at future day ot your session, be submitted to your consideration; and in the mean time cannot but indulge the hope that the bnnsn Government will see the propriety of renounc'ng' ns rule of future action, the precedent which has been set in the affair at Schosser.
 herewith submit the correspondence which has recently taken place between the American Minister the Court of St. James, Mr. Stevenson, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of tha. Government, on detain vessels sailing under the Amerlcan nag an9 engaged in prosecuting lawful commerce m me Al rlcan seas. Our conmerc'a interests m mat resioh have experienced considerable increase and have be- come an object of much importance, and It IS the du- ty of this Government to protect them against all nm. proper and vexatious interruption However desrous
 the United States may be for the suppression of the slave trade they cannot consent to lnterpolatIons n lo the maritime code, at the mere will and pleas ure of other Goyernments We deny the right of any such interpolation to any one, or all the nations o the Earth, without our consent. We clalm to nave
 voice in all amendments or alterations o hn. code -and when we are given to understand as m lhis instance, by foreign Government, that ns treaties with other nations cannot be executed without the establishment and enforcement of new principles o maritime police, to be applied without our consent we must employ a language neither Ot equivocal ln- port, susceptible of miscOnstrucilon American citizens prosecuting lawful commerce in the Afrl- can seas, under the flag of their country are not re- sponSble for the abuse unlawful use o that flag by others; nor can they righ,tuly, on acconnt of any such alleged ablses be interrupted, moesed or de- taned while on the ocean; and U thus molesfed or way, and violating no law themselves. they are un- questionably entitled to indemnity. This Govern. ment has manifested its repugnance to the slave trade in manner which cannot be nisundersoDd By it's fundamental law, it prescribed limits in point of time to it's continuance; and against is own c- zens. who might SO far forget the rights of humanity by it's municipal laws. denounced the most condign punishment. Many of the States composing this Un- ion had deappcals to the civilized world for its suppression long before the mora sense ot other na tions had become shocked by the iniquities ot the traffic. Whether this Government should now enter into treaties containing mutual st'puailons upon thls Certain it is that if the right to detan American ships the high be justified on the plea ot a ne. cessy for such detention, arising out of the existence of treaties between other lions, the same plea may be extended and enlarged by the new stpula,ions of new treaties to which the United States may not be party. This Government will not cease to urge upon that of Great Britain full and ample remunera- ton for all losses, whether arising from detention or otherwise, to which American citizens have hereto fore heen, may hereafter be subjected by the ex- ercise of rights which this Government mot recog nze as legitimate and proper Nor will indulge a doubt but that the sense of justice of Great Britain will constrain her to mn ke retrihuton for any wrong or loss, which any American citizen, engaged m the prosecution of lawful commerce, may have experi- euced at the hand of her cruZers, other public au thortes. This Government, at the same time, will relax effort to prevent it's citizens, 1t there be any disposed, from prosecuting traffic 90 revolting 10 the feelings of humanity. It seeks to do more than to protect the fair and honest rader from moestation gagged in the pursuit of honorable trade. is entitled to It's proection it will visit with condign punishment others of an opposite character
 invite your attention to existing laws for the sup. presson of the African slave trade. ana recommend all such alterations may give 90 them greater force and efficacy. That the American flag is grossly abused by the abandoned ana proga'e o other @ ,m na since. had this subject under consideration and its importance well justifes renewed and anxious aten- ton.
 also communicate herewith the copy of cores pondence between MT. Stevenson and Lord Palmer sion upon the subject SO interesting to several of the Southern States. of the rice dniIes, which resulted hon0raby to the justice of Great Britain, and advan- tageousy to the United States.
 At the opening of the last annual session, the Pres.
 dent informed Congress of the progress which had
 then been made in negotiating a convention between this Government and that of England, with view to the final settlement ot the question of the boundary between the territorial limits oi the two countries.
 regret say that little further advancement of the object has hcen accomplished since last wear; bu, this is owing to circumstances way indicative of any abatement of the desire O both parties hasten the negotiation i;s conclusion. and to settle the question in dispute early possible In the course of the session, il is my hope to he able to announce some further degree of progress towards the accom- plshment of this highly desirable end
 The commission appointed by this Government for