Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1841-12-31

L
has vet been made. In the view taken by this
Government, the inquiry whether the vessel
was in the employment Of those who were
prosecuting an unauthorized war against the
Province, or was engagedby the owner in the
! business of transporting passengers to and
| from Navy Island in hopes of private gain.
which was most probably the case, in no de-
gree alters the real question at issue between
| the Governments. This Government can new
| er concede to any foreign Government the
power, except in case of ae most urgent and
exteme necessity, of invading its Territory, Ell
ther to arrest the personssor destroy the prop
erty of those who may hsFe violated the mu-
| ncipal laws of such fordgn Government or
have dsregarded their OBLIGATIONS arising IN
der the law of nations. The Territory Of the
United States must be tgarded as sacredly
secure against all such kvasions, until they
shall voluntarily acknowledge their inability
| to acqui, themselves Of their duties to others.
And, in announcing this sentiment, | do but
affirm a princip pie which no nation on earth
| would be more ready TO vindicate, at all haz-
ards, than the people and Government Of Great
Britain.
If upon full investigation Of all the facts
it shall appear that the owner Of the Caroline
was governed by hostile intent, or had made
common cause with those who were In the &C.
cupancy of Navy Island, then SO far as he is
concerned, there can be no clam TO Indemnity
for the destruction Of his boat, which this gov
eminent would feel itself bound to prosecute
since he would have acted not only in 0eroga-
ton of the rights of Great Britain, but in clear
violation of the laws of the United States but
that is question which, however settled, in
| no manner involves the higher consideration
OF the violation of territorial sovereignty and
jurisdiction. To recognize II as an admissible
practice, that each government, in its turn, up
on any sudden and unauthorized outbreak,
which, on fiontier, the extent Of which rem
ders it impossible for either 10 have an eff
cient force on every mile of it, and which out
break, therefore, neither may be able to sup
press in day, may take vengeance into It's
own hands, and, without even remonstfance,
and in the absence of any pressing or over-ru-
ling necessity, may invade the Territory of the
other, would lead 10 results equally to be de-
plored by both When border collisions come
10 receive the sanction, or TO be made on the
authority of either Government, general war
must be the inevitable result. While it is the
ardent desire of the Uoied States to cultivate
the relations of peace with all nations, and to
fulfil all the duties of good neighborhood to-
wards those who possess Territories adjoining
their own, that every desire would lead them
TO deny the right Of any foreign Power to IN
wade their boundary with an armed force
The correspondence between the two Govern
ments on this subject, WILL at futute day OF
your session, be submitted to your consldera-
ton; and in the mean time, cannot but indulge
the hope that the British Government will see
the propriety of renouncing, as rule of future
action, the precedent which has been set them
in the affair at Schlosser.
Right Of Search.
| herewith submit the correspondence which
has recently taken place between the Ameri-
can Minister at the Court Of st. James, Mr..
Stephenson, & the Minister of Foreign Affairs
of that Government, on the right claimed by
that Government, to visit and detan vessels
sailing under the American flag, and engaged
in prosecuting lawful commerce in the African
Seas. Our commercial interests In that region
have experienced considerable increase, and
have become an object of much importance;
and it is the duty of this Government to pro-
tect them against all improper and vexalious
interruption. However DESTROYS the United
States may be Tor the suppression OF the slave
trade, they cannot consent TO interpretations IN
to the maratime code, at the mere will and
pleasure of other Governments.
We deny the right of any such interpolation
to any one, or all the nations Of the earth, with
out our consent. We claim to have voice in
all amendments or alterations Of that code;
and when we are given to understand as IN
this instance, by foreign Government, that
its treaties with other nations cannot be exc
cuted without the establishment and enforce
ment Of new principles of maratime police to
be applied wit out our consent, we must en-
ploy language neither of equivocal import, or
susceptible of misconstructons. American cit
liens prosecuting lawful commerce in the
African seas, under the flag Of their country,
are not responsible for the abuse or unlawful
use Of that flag by others; nor can they right
fully, on account of any such alleged abuses,
be interrupted, molested or detained while
on the ocean, and il thus moested and de-
tanned, while pursuing honest voyages, in the
usual way, and violating no law themselves,
they are unquestionably entitled to indemnity,
.9frican SlaUe Trade.
This Government has manifested its repug-
nance to the slave trade, in manner which
cannot be misunderstood. By its fundamental
law, 1t prescribed limits in point of time to its
continuance, and against its own citizens, who
might so far forget the rights Of humanity as.to
engage in that wicked traffic, it has long since,
By its municipal laws, denounced the most
condign punishment. Many ofthe States COM
posing this Union had made appeals to the civ
ilized world for its suppression, long before
the moral sense of other nations had become
shocked by the iniquites of the traffic. Wheth-
er this Government should now enter into trea-