Lexington union. (Lexington, Miss.) 1838-18??, 1841-03-13

boat, and on the night Of the day she COM
menced running, she was seized while
moored at the wharf in Schlosser, and
burnt. Several men were assassinated !;
Ger tainly one, who fell dead upon the
dock. Now, the insinuaton Of the Brit
ish minister, that Schlosser was "nomin-
ally" within the territory Of United States
nav we'll be .retorted, as we can with
equal truth say, that Navy Island was
"nominaIly'' within the TERRITORY" Of the
British government; for, at the period to
which we aIude, The people collected
there had as efjectually defied Canada au-
thorities as any portion Of our people had
disregaded 'uors; yet British authority
thought proper to pass by Navy Island,
then 10 its "nominaI" territory, and in
the plenttude of its power, TO east the
egis Of British jurisdiction over American
soil. This was truly extending over US
that guardianship, which they had The
| ability, at that time, TO extend to portion
of their own territory, and which recon-
mends itself full as much from its assump-
ton as from its love Of right or law.
The British minister is also pleased to
cnll The Caroline ''piratical steamboat"
The loose epithets of any one, no matter
how high in place, cannot make that
piracy which the law Of nations does not
recognize as such. Pirates are treeboot.
ers, enemies Of the human race; an emif
nent iurist describe them as ravaging every
sea and coast, with no flag and no home.
PIRACY comes under the concurrent juris-
diction OF all nations. Even in the worst
point Of view that il can be considered,
those connected with The steamboat Car.
olne were but aidcrs aud ehetters OF eth.
ers engaged in REBELLION; and the commit
tee are totally at a less to know upon what
authority rebellion is recognized as pira-
cy. Such confoundiDg of terms is resting
the case upon epithets, instead OF sound
law or facts. But even supposiog il TO
be "piratical boat" as the minister
asserts it TO be, yet the moment It touched
our soil, it fell under our sovereignty and
no power on earth could rightfully invade
lit.
There is no doctrine more consecraicd
IN English history, than that every human
I being who touches the soil Of Great Brit
,, ain, is immediately covered by British
, law Suppose one Of her vessels we're
, cut from the bank Of the Thames and
burnt hy Frcnchmen, and British citizens
we're assassnaied at night, & the French
minister were TO avow that they acted
under the orders Of his government, and
that the vessel was "piraiical,'' and the
; citizens murdered were outlaws, then there
J is not an Englishman whose heart would
not beat high to avenge the wrong and
vindicaie the rights OF his country. The
law, there is the law here, and there is no
internal law, consistent with the separate
independence of nations, that sanctions
the pursuits of even pirates to murder 81
arson over the soil and jurisdiction Of one
Of the States Of this Confederacy. No
greater wrong can be done to country
! than invasion of soil-if il can be done
with impuni,y ct one point and on ono
occasion, it can be done at another, and.
the nation that submits 10 il, finally sinka
down into dwelling imbecility. If a
representation Of the State OF things at
Schlosser, and the conduct Of those who,
had control Of the Caroline, had first been
, made to the proper authorities OF New
!, York or of the United States, then there
would nave been some show at least OF
respect tor our sovereignty and indepen-
dence, and disposition to treat us as an
, equal. But in this case, as If to treat our
authorities with contempt, there was no
preliminary demand or representation
made.
II was hoped that the outrage was.
perpetrated by party in sudden heat &
excitement, upon their own responsibility;
: but the British minister now avows that
) +" the. act was the public act of persons
o5eyiug the constituted authorities Of her
: majesty . provinces" Il again affirms that
"it was public act Of persons in her Ma
jesty's service, obeyipg the orders Of their
superior authorities"
IL this had been the first and only point
Of collision with Great Britain, it might
not have excited such interest; but
e there is az assumption in most Of our
: intercourse with that great power, revolt-
ing to the pride and spirit Of iadePen~
dence in free people. II II he her
: desire 10 preserve peace, her true policy
. would be to do justice, and show that
courtesy to equals, which she has always
e demanded. from others. The committee
I, do not desire to press views on this part OF
. the subject, particularly as demand has
s been made by our government upon the
e government Of Great Britain, for explains