Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-03-20

and who wrong in these local disputes
And which portion of citizens of the SAM
province must our citizens refuse to have
any communication WITH But the boa
was merely used for one day as ferry boa
and on the night of the day commenced
running, she was seized while moored a
the wharf in SchlOsser, and burnt. Sever
al men were assassnated; certainly one
who fell dead upon the deck. Now the in.
situation OF the British Minister, that
Schosser was "nomnally' within the ter,
ritory of the United States, may well be
retorted, rs we can with equal truth say
that Navy Island was "nominay" within
the "territory" of the British Government:
for at the period to which we aIlude, the
people collected there had as ellectuaIly de.
fled Canada authorities as any portion of
our people had disregarded ours. Yet Bri-
tlsh authority thought proper to pass by Ma
Wy Island, then in its "nominal' territory,
and in the plenitude Of its power, to cast
the wgis of British jurisdiction over Amer
lean soil. THIS was truly extending over
us that kind guardianship which they had
not the ability at that time to extend to a
portion of their own territory, and which
ec0mmends itself to US, full as much from
its assumption as from its love of right Or
! law.
The British Minister is pleased to call the
Caroline a "piratical steamboat" The
loose epthets of any one, no matter how
high in place, cannot make that piracy
which the law OF nations does not recognise
as such. Pirates are freebootes, enemies
of the human race; and eminent iurists de-
scribe them as ravaging every sea and coast
with no flag and no home. Piracy comes
under the concurrent jurisdiction of all ma
tons. Even in the worst point Of view
that it can be considered, those connected
with the steamboat Caroline were but aid
erS and abettors of others engaged in REBEL
ion And the committee are totally at a
lossto know upon what authority rebellion
is recognised as piracy. Such conGondng
of terms is resting the case upon epithets.
instead of sound law or facts. But even
supposing it to be ''piratca boat" as the
Minister asserts it be; yet the moment it
touched our soil it fell under our sovereign
ty, and no power on earth could rightfuIIy
invade it.
There is no doctrine more consecrated in
English history, than that every human be-
is Immediately covered by British law.
Suppose one Of her vessels were cut from
the banks of the Thames and burnt by
Frenchmen, and British citizens were assas-
slnated at night, and the French Minister
were to avow that they acted under the
orders OF his Government, and that the YES
sci was ''praticah" and the citizens murder
ed were outlawS--thpn there is not an En-
gIishman whose heart would not beat high
to avengc the wrong, and vindicate the
rights OF his country. And there is no in
ternatiQna law consistent with the sepa.
rate independence of nations, that sane
tons the pursuits OF even pirates to mur-
der and arson over the soil and jurisdiction
OF one OF the States Of this Coniederacy.
No greater wrong can be done to a country
than invasion of soil. If it can be done
with impunity at one point, and on one oc-
cason, it can be done at another, and the
nation that submits to it, finally sinks down
into dwelling imbecilily. If 4 represent
tation 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 the |
United States, then there would have been
some show at least Of respect for our soyc-
reignty and independence, 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 repre-
sentation made.
1t was hoped that the outrage was perpe-
trated by a party in sudden heat and excite
ment, upon their own responsibility. But
the British Minister now avows that "the
act was the public act of persons obcying
the constituted authorities of her Maicsty's |
Province,' and again adirms that ''t was a
public act Of persons in her Maiesty's SER
vic obeying the orders Of their superior au-
thorities."
If this had been the first and only point
Of collision with Great Britain il might not
have excited such interest, but their is an
assumption in most of our intercourse with
that great power, revolving to the pride and
spirit of independence in free people. III
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
demanded from others. The committee do
not desire to press views on this part Of the
subject, particularly as a demand has been
made by our Government upon the Govern
ment of Great Britain, for explanation as to
the outrage committed, the answer to which
it is to be hoped will prove satisfactory.
As to the other points presented in the
demand made by the British Minister for
the alteration" of Alexander Mcleod, the
committee believe the facts Of the case
to be, that the steamboat was seized and
burnt as stated before, and that citizen or