Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1841-03-06
CONGRESSIONAL.
Heusx or REPRESENTATIVES,, Fob Ia.

The COMMITTEES on Foreign Affairs, to whom
vas referred the Message Of the President, trans
| uniting a correspondence with the British MINI
iatcr In relation to the burning ofthe steamboat
Caroline, and the demand made Tor the Liberation
Of Alexander Mcleod, respectfully reports
II appears that the steamboat Caroline was sei-
zed and destroyed In the month OF December, ~.
The Committee are induced to believe that the
facts Of the ease are ~ follows The boat WAS
owned by, and IN the possession Of n citizen u N.
York. she WAS cleared from The city Of buffalo
and on the morning Of The zgth Of d. eember, '37,
she Ioit the port Of Buffalo, bound for s.hlosscr,
upon The American side Of the Niagara river, and
within the territory Of the u. Stntes. The orig
inal is'rntion seemed 10 be 10 run the boat be-
tween Buffalo and sehlasser, or perhaps, from
Uiaek iiesk Dam 10 s~ehlosser, and should IL seem
profitable. i, was intended to run her alsc to Ma
W Island. aud touch al Grand Island and Jona-
wa,ta. Her owner Was Mr. Wells, said to be u
respectable citizen Of Buffalo, aud 1T IL obvious
his intention IN running Ut, The boat WAS one Of
speculation and profit entirely.
The excitement upon that portion Of the from
tier, NJ this period, had collected a great many IN
the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES from curiosity, some
from idieness. aud others from taking an Interest
Ii the unusual and extraordinary eelleetion of adj
venturous men gathered together on Navy Island.
| Navy Island was 'notninaliy' in the British ter
%ritory.'
The ownrr Of the Caroline took advantage Of
these eireum stances 10 make so,ne money with his
boat. by running her al D Ferry boat, over 10 Ma
w Island. All these facts appear from testimo-
nv regularly taken, lace II, H.. Doe. No 302, page
40 and 40, Cd Session, 23th Congress-. and the
| Committee know OF no legal evidence TO contra
dies them. There 10 no proof that any arms or
munitions of war were carried In the boat. except,
perhaps, one small si1% pounder field piece belong
ing to a passenger, The principal object was 10
run The boat M n ferry boat from Sehlosser, on the
American side to Navy Island, on the British side.
Il Ia belieyei that, even IN war, n neutral power
has A right TO trade IN son.taband articles, SUBJECT,
| VI course, to SEIZURE and eonfseation, IL taken With
IN The jurisdiction of either Of the eehtehdihg par
ties. What Ia sontrabatd Of wnr 10 not always
certain. Treaty stipala,ions frequently include
some articles, and exclude others recognized In
tie Law III nations. Trading IN eontrnband arti-
| eles IL no excuse for invading the territory and soil
Of u friendly and independent power, whose pri.
yate sitizens may choose TO run the hazards OF
such i trade. In this instance there were no ior-
| eign powers engaged IN war, but all concerned IN
the outbreak or excitement within The British ja-
riHdiction, claimed TO be British subjects, IN re-
~sistaneg Of The authorities oil Catiada, 4 province
Of the British Empire. Even admitting, then,
that the Caroline WAS engaged IN e0ntrabapd
trade, yet II was with citizens who claimed 10
| be subjects Of the same empire with those who
were styled the legitimate officers Of the Prov
inee.
Abs,raetedly speaking, how was private eiti-
zen to decide who we're right and who wrong ia
those local d~isputes' And which portion Of eiti-
zens Of the same province must our citizens refuse
to have any coin munieatioH with, hut the boat
was merely used for one day 10 n ferry boats and
on the night Of the day she commenced running,
abe was seized while moored At the wharf In
Sehlosser, aud burnt. Several men we've assassi-
nnted, certainly one, who fell dead upon the deck.
Now the inainnatioh Of the British, minister, that
| sehlosser was 'nomirally' within the territory Of
l ~ ~ G..t.. .,a. ..lt Ia. ,-tn.f..J M. -, "a, 1st,t
equal truth say that Navy Island was 'nominaIly'
| within the territory Of the British governments;
Tor nj that period to which we ailudc, the people
| collected there had as effectually defed Canada aa-
| thorities as any portion Of our people had disre-
garded ours. Yet British authority thought prop
| or to pass by Navy Island, then In iss nominal
territory, and In the pleni,ude Of In power, TO east
the aegis Of British jurisdiction over American
soil. This was truly extending over us that Kind
guardianship which they had nt the ability at thst
time to extend to n portion Of their own territory.
and which itself to Us, full ~ much
from its assumption as from It's love Of right or
law.
The British Minister Is plensed also TO cali the
Caroline . s~,iratieal steamboat The loose epi-
thets pl any one, no matter how high in llaee,
cannot make thu, piracy which, the law OF nations
does no, recognize rs such. Pirates are ~treeboot-
ers-enemics Of the human race, ard eminent jm-
rists describe them as rayagihg every sea, and
coast, with no flag and no home. Piracy comes
under the concurrent jurisdiction Of all nations.
Even In the worst point Of view that 1t can be-
considered. those connected with the steamboat
Caroline were but aiders and abetters ofoti,ers en-
gagged in rebellion. And the committee are total
" alta loss tokaow upon what authority rebellion
il recognized as piracy. Such eonfounding OF
terms II Resin the case upon %epitlets, instead OF
sound Law or facts. but, even surprising it to be
a s~pirstieal boat, 'as the Minister asserts IL to be yet
the moment il touched our soil, II fell under Dur
sovereignty, and no power on earth could ~riglsful-
~ invade II.
fish history than that every human being who
touches the soil OF Great Britain, 10 Immediately
covered by British law. Suppose one Of her yes-
sells were cut from the banks OF the Thames, and
burnt BY Frcnehmen aud British citizens were as
sassinated at night, and the French ninist, RS were
TO ayow that they acted under the orders Of his
Government, and that the vessel was 'piratical',
and that the citizens murdered were flaws
then there is not an Englishman whose heart would
not beat high to avenge the wrong, aud vindicate
the rights OF his country. The law there is the
law here. Aud there is no international law, con
sisient With the separate independence OF nations,
that sanctions the pursuit, OF even pirates 20 mur-
der and arson, over the soil and jurisdiction Of one
o.! ,hc States Of this Coniederacy. No greater
wrong can be done to "a country than Invasion of
soil. II it can be done with IMMUNITY al one point
and one occasion, tic IN be done at another; and
the nation that submits 10 it fually sinks down in
to drivciliug inbeciiity. II II representation 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 have
been some show, Mt least. OF respect for our SOW
ereisnty and Independence, aud a disposition
to treat us as an equal. But, IN this case, AS il
to treat our authorities with contempt, there
was no preliminary demand Or representation
made.
1t was hoped that the outrage was pcrpetrated by
n marty in sudden heat and excitement upon
their own respon, iibility. But the British Minis
istet now avows that 'tlie act was the public act of
persons obeying the constituted authorities of her
Majesty's Province and again afirms that ssit
was g. public act of persons in her Majest,'s SER
vice, obeying the orders of their superior authori-
ties
If this had been the first and only point of collis-
ion with Great Britain it might not have excited
such interest, but there is an assumption in most
Of orr intercourse with that great power, revolving
to the pride and spirit Of independence in a free
people. II it be her desire to preserve peace,
her true policy would be TO do justice, and show
that courtesy to equals which she has always de-
manded from others. The comm 'ttee do not de-
to press views on this part of the subject, par
ticniarly as a demand has been made by our Gov
eminent upon the Government Of Great Britain
for an explanation as to the outrage committed, the
answer 10 which it is hoped will prove sstisfacto-
ry.
As tprthe other points presented in the demand
By the British Minister for the CELEBRATION"
Alexander Mcleod, the committee believe the
facts OF thecase to'be, that the steamboat was seized
and burnt as stated before, and that a citizen or
citizens Of New York were murdered in the ARRAY.
there were reasons to induce a belief that
Mcleod, was partieeps criminis. He was at first
a second time. Upon the evidence then
he was imprisoned to avail his trial.
There was no invasion of British territory to seize
49,, 4aLa him But UNI Lie ba;nn .alnnfanilr with |