The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1841-07-09

THE MCLEOD AFFAIR--MR. FOX AND
MIR. w EBSTE R--ARROGANCE OF
THE ONE AND PUSILLANIMITY OF
THE OTHER.
Every body admired the pickens Report, Eve
ry body was delighted at the bold, American stand
that it took, and at the unflinchng spirit of indie
pendenco it exhibited, By every body we mean
every citizen possessed ola proper feeling. The
Wings, ofcourse, disliked it, Their political allies,
the English, of course grew furious, and Illuminated
all sorts of young thunder at the committee who
had venturcd upon such broad defence of our ma
tonal liberties. Mr., Forsyths cool, keen, polite
but decisive reply 10 Mr.. Fox's last arrogant noe
upon the subject of the outrage upon the Caroline,
and the arrest of Mcleod, also enlisted the warm
est eucomum from every true friend of American
dignity and American rights, But these things have
passed. new era has broken upon u.s. A new
administration have come into power headed by
the great foe to repubIicanism, the great friend to
England, the great oppoSer of tho war of 1872, aud
the great apOlogst for British aggressons in every
quarter of the habitabe globe Times have chang
ed; and with them have gone that dream of proud
and manly bearing which our country had assumed,
and we Ondly hoped was about 10 maintain, TO-
wards her insolent and ancient dictator.
Look at Mr.. Fox's last letter to Mr.. Webster,
our new Hartford Convention Secretary of State,
and the feeble, puslllanmous reply of tho latter.
1t is enough to make patriots blood boil with in
dignaton 10 peruse them. The note of the British
minister is lmpudent, percmplory and direct, The
reply of Mr.. Webster is concessve, quiet limid,
and domure Mr.. Fox avoids the circumlocuton
and honied phrases of diplomacy. lilo asserts the
positive RIGHT of the BRUSH to invade our shores,
burn down and destroy our property, and murder
our citizens at pleasure, provided his Government
think proper TO " assume the responsibility" Mr..
Webster, instead of iiercely denying such prepOste
rous prcmises-irsteud of scornlul,y and briefly
pointing out the fact that the robbers and murder
ers should first be tried for the offence against the
property and lives Of our citizens, and that we would
afterwards hold Gro0I Britain accountable for her
iniracon of the law of natons-cody comedies
all that is demanded, and almost bcgs in so muny
words, the Representative of Her Majesty to have
little patience until the people can be ccaXed into
the same cowardlv spirit which he and his Ceadu-
tors Of the new Federal Cabinet entertain And
this j. put forth MS American feeling This is ex-
tollcd by the wing prints as the nc pins ultra of
craftsmanship and diplomacy. Had Mr.. Forsyth
spoken in the same cowardly stran these very
journals would have rung from Maine 10 Georgia
with cXGcraions upon his weakness. Now, It Is
different affair. John Bull formally tells US that
is his pleasure to blow ont the brains of q few OF
our cii2ens-thut he has sent his minlons TO do the
work of butchcry-und that if we do not like it, he
is fully responsible. In his usual way, he iilst at
tempted TO inlimidste, and failing in that, dared 10
insult with blow, the dignity aud sovereignty of
our republic. Ofcourse he Immediately afterwards
protested willingness 10 make the insult subject
ofdplomncy. But we want no diplomacy in such
case. We want but simple justice. We want
not only an atonCmGnt for the stain put upon our
national honor, but we want that the ieonS who
with fire aud sword invaded nur peaceful shores,
DESTROYED our property, murdered some unresistng
citizens, and in the dead of night hurled others, en-
veoped IN flames, over the cataract of Nlagara-
we want that these mlscreants should be tried by.
the laws they have offended, and made TO suffer
the penalty Of their iransgresslonS. Diplomacy
viii not restore the dead IT will not bring back
the murdered Durlee, nor will it teach the bowling
torrent to throw mp the mangled and bleeding cor
SEES it has swallowed, What, then, is the use of
diplomacy in such case This is the language Of
common sense. This was the language, too, Of
Mr.. FORSYTH. II was founded on reason and pro-
per regard for human rights, and as all law-the
common Unsatisfactory law, and the law of nations
affect similar basis, of course it harmonzed with
the whole, and completely Disconnected the bold,
impudeni, and unrighteous positions of Her Mnjes
tvs representative. Not so with Mr.. Webster
iIo il too much interested IN Thcadneede street.
lie il sold, body and soul, to the London stock
0hhprs. He would no, for the world utter sy-
liable calculated to mar the monied interests of G.
Britain, though his country's salvation depended
upon it.. Like whipped cur, he crouches beneath
the power that threatens him, admits the excuse
presented, gulps down the insulting taunts Of his
adversary and promises better behavior for the i'n-
ture. And vet this is our Secretary of State This
il the leading member Of the Cabinet of our present
Federal Executive This coward-this traitor 10
every thing Ancrican-this bastard in spirit and
alien in principe--is the man into whose hands the
honor and welfare of our exemplary republic has
been placed by the present imbccile, prolgato and
wicked administration May Heaven watch over
aud preserve our liberties !-PhH. Tines