Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1841-12-21
Presidents Message.
To ne Sennle and House of Rep


Ties with WHICH the pSopiS NV NhN' -
us, severay, we tiui great occasion to
rejoice in the general prosperity of the
country. We are in tn 1oymens OF
all the blessings Of civil and religions lib
ery, with unexanped means of knowl
edge, and Improvement. Through the
wear which is now drawing to close,
peace has been in our borders, and plenty |
in our habitations;-an although disease |
has visited some few portious of the land
with distress and mortality, yet 10 general
the health Of the people has been Prescr-
we'd, and we are called upon by the hIgh-
est Obligations ofduiy, to renew our thanks
and our devotion to our Heavenly Parent,
who has continued TO vouchsale to US the
eminent blessings which surround US, and
who has so sguaiIy crowned the year with
his goodness. Ii we find Ourselves in
creasing beyond example in numbers, IN
strength, IN wealth, in know'e lge, IN ev-
cry thing which promotes human aud So
cial happiness, let us ever remember our
dependence for all these, on the protection
and nlercifu dispensation Of Divine Prov
idence-
Since your last adjournment, Alexander
MCLBOug u DItilSl Sui!JCStf WIN ~
indicted for the murder of an American
citizen, and whose case has been the sub
iect of a oIrespondence heretofore COM
munica;ed to yor, has been acquitted by
the verdict Of an impartial and intellIgcnt
jury, and has under the judgment of the
Court, been regularly discharged.
Great Britain having nude Known TO
this government that the expe liuon which
was fitted out from Canada for the des
tsuction of the Steamboat Caroline, Ill the
winter of 1887, and which res I.ted in the
es'ructien Of SAID boa, ,and'in the death O
an American citizen, was undsrtaken by
orders enanating from the authorities o
the British Government IN Canada, anC
demanding the discharge of Mcleod upor
the ground that, if engaged in that expe
dition, he did out fulfil the orders Of hi
government, has thus been answered il
the only way in which he could be ans
wered by government, the powers O
which are distributed among its seyera
departments By the fundamental law
Happily Tor tbs people Of Great Britain, a
well as those Of the United States the OIL
mode bY which au lnIlY,tuj erraig e
fer @ criminal offence, before lha C11ils q
oi,asr, can obtain his discharge is By "a
dependent action af he judiciary, and b
proceeding; equally familiar Io the Cour
OF both countries.
If in Great Britain, power EXISTS
the crown TO cause to be entered mol
prosequl," which is not the case with 4!
Executive power Of the United States a.
on a prosecution pending in a State Cou
yet there, no m ire than here, can III
chief executive power rescue prisons
from custody without an order of the pr
per tu5 md directing his discharge. tt
precise stage Of the proceedings Al while
su,h orIer may be made, is matter
municipal regulation exclusively, aud n
10 be complained of by any other COVER
ment. In cases Of this kind, Cover
ment becomes politically responsible on
when lis tribunals Of last resort are SHOW
20 have rendered unjust ,.ud injurious in
ments in m1t'ers not doubtful. To t
eSt1hlI~hmeni in1 clIci latOr Of IN s pri
cipls, no nation has Lent lis authority I'M
efficiently than Great Britain. Aexlnd
Mcleod having his option ether to pr,
ecute writ Of error frOn the decision
the Supreme COIrt OF New Yo K, wal
had been reulered upon his application
discharge, to the Supreme Court of
United States, or TO submit the case 4
decision Of jury, preferred the att
deeming il the rea1iest mode of obtain
his Liberation, and the result has fully s
tanned the wisdom of his choice. I
manner in which the issue submitted v
tried, will satisfy the English ,IOvernm
that the principles Of justice will never
90 govern the enl ghiened j cision of
American tribunal. cannot fail, ht
ever. to suggest ~ Con !ress The Droar
and in some degree, tine recessi'y, of
king such provisions BY law, so far as I
ma con stntIonally DO 20, fE the REL
val at their comm 1cerneDt, AMI at
option of the pa ~, Of all such cases
may hereaf er arise, AMI wh c. may
yolve the f,ilh'iIl OBJ ;ervance ana exc
ton Of our Internal al Obligations. {
the State to the Fe e al JId cia "
goverhm Mt, by our lstulions, is hi
ed, with the mlintena zee Of pence and
preservation Of amicahle relations witt
nat ons Of the earth, and ought to pos
without question, all the reasonable
pup AiColo vi tic OuO
preserving the other-WhilSt Just G
dence is fell the Judiciary of the ST
yet this Government ought TO be cor
tent in itselffor the fulflmcnt of the
duties which have been devolved up
under the organic law, by the States Il
selves.
lathe month Of September, a par
armed me" from Upper Canada inv
the territory ofIhe United States, anc
chilly seized upon the person of one
gan, and, under circumstances of
harshness, hurriedly carried him be
the limits of the United States, and
cred him up to the authorities of
Canada. His immediate discharge
ordered by those authorities, upon the
of the case being brought to their XII
edge-a course ofprocedure which
to have been expected from nation
whom we are at Q zee, and which wa
more due to the rights OF the u
States, thanto IT'S own regard for ia
The correspondence which passed
tween the Department Of Stale, an
British Enyov, ar. Fox, AMI wit
Governor of Vermont, as soon rs the