Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-11-12
ENGLISH MONARCHY AND AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY.

ENGLISH MONARCHY AND AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY
Sir Francis b. Head on the United States Policy
During the Canadian Rebellion.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE LONDON TIMES.
SIR In the leading article of your journal Of this day
IN which you support our Government for their detention
of the ironcads in the Mersey have read with great
pleasure and admiration the following remarks:
She (he Aabama) the produce Of trckery and eva
sion We say how where or by what instaments
her equipment furnished but can say that che
did not leave ports in the character fashion OF
honest vessel As the Attorney General put it, was an
escape and such escapes are exactly the things which
We ought to prevent"
Now. sir, as administered the government of Upper
Canada in 1887, will you allow me to contrast the honest
course which our Government s at this pursuing
and which you are powerfully supporting, with that
which the Government and people Of the United States
practised towards Great Britain when very small pol
tion of her territory disturbed by an lnurrection,
the iusiguifcance of which, compared with the sue
oessul secession for nearly three years eight millions
Inhabitants of the Confederate States may briefly be
monstrated by the following figures and facts:
On the 4th of December, 1887 Mr. Mckenzie, at the
head OF $40 noisy followers armed with sticks sny
with pixies and the rest with rifles suddenly appeared
before Toronto At that moment the population Of Upper
Canada was 900 the Home district 60 600 the city
of Toronto, 900.
On the 7h Of December, with great difficulty he es
capped 10 disguise the United States and 90 completely
was his insane project defeated by the loyalty Of the peo
pie. uuassistsd by troops, that the following day
only issued proclamation to stop the volunteers who
from all directions cking towards Toronto but
placed the militia Of counties the disposition of
Sir John Colborne, in Lower Canada.
IN 9th &c
William L. Marcy, Governor of the State of New York in
a letter, in which stated:
1T is ft should apprss your Excellency that there
not at this moment TO my knowledge within the whole
extent Of Upper Canada sing body Of men assembled
wilh arms, or otherwise, In opposon to the Govern
meut"
Simultaneously with this statement dispatched to Mr.
Marcy Mr. Bethune. requesting his Excelleucy, in con-
formy with the statute existing between the Canadian
provinces and the Stats Of New York to deliver to the
thorities Of Upper Canada William Lyon Mackenzie, to
be tried for the murder Of Col Noodle for arson and for
he robbery, with his hands, Of her Msjsstys mail in
full proof of which the requisite documents were enco.-
ed To my letter and request received the following
reply:
STATE OF NEW York. Executive DEpM'T,
Albany, ID cesabr 26, 1887.
To his EIcellency Sir FRANCIS b HEAD,
Lieutenant Governor &c
SIR have received from ID Bethune ESQ the off,
cal application, with the documents accompanying i
made by your Excelency Governor the State
OF New York for the arrest and delivery Of William Lyon
Mackenzie fugitive from justice the province OF
Upper Canada.
Mackenzie committed the crimes imputed to him that
previous thereto he had revoted aud aganst
her M"esty's Government Of Upper Canada. His crime
is therefore, tire and If fugitive in this State he
must be considered fugitive to avoid the punishment
for this offence rather for those imputed to him IN the
documents accompanying your Excellency's application
These latter offences be considered as the incidents
of the alleged treason.
have the honor TO be- &c.
w. l.. MARCY
1t will be observed that in the above reply Governor
Marcy abstaned from noticing the treaty between Great
Britain and the United States obedience to which had
on his application to me, faithfully surrendered 10 the au
thortes Of his State ugves from the United States sim
ply the legal evidence Of their guilt He also abstain
ed from noticing the fact to which Mr. Bethune drew his
special attention, namely, the robbery by Mr. Mackenzie
Of bis own State arsenals.
On the 29th Of December 1897 Governor Marcy after
having allowed the American Gems Van Rensselaer, and
Sutherland with impunity to seize twenty-five pieces of
his artillery and to issue proclamation 10 the United
States offering f50o for my apprehension with one hun
dred OF land Canada and 800 to whoever would
join what they pleased to call the patriot army
permitted the steamer Caroline in broad day light in the
presence Of the United States Marshal and in the imme
diae vicinity Of regiment Of militia Of the State of New
York to be cut out of the ice by thousand men He
lowed his own Collector Of Customs to give her license
under which, aud insured from loss by bond publcly
gwen by seventeen American merchants, she sailed
amidst the accamaons Of the people, to act as passage
boat to convey Government artillery and American ct.
zens to take possession Of Navy Island in Canada.
After reporting to her Majestys Minister at Washing
ton the foregoing facts mperecty expressed to him my
feelings as follows;
Il need not remark to your Exclency how unfair and
unjust it s that rebellion, which within this province
insignificant that il instantly crushed by the
civil inhabitants Of the colony should be revived and rem
dered formidable by the direct and active Of
the American people and that during the existeuce moi
only Of peace but Of the most friendly relations
Great Britain aud the Government OF the United States
peaceful population Of this province should be- threat
ened with devastation aud plunder and all ths al
war by the interference OF American ctizen
As their conduct in the bygone period to which have
referred has long been forgiven and forgotten by Eng
land surely the Government and people Of the dsunted
States will do we'll TO consider upon what plea they can
entertain feelings hostile to the British people tor
having without Intervention, merely expressed their opn
ion as to the probable results Of atransatantc civil war
which, il permitted, they would have endeavoed TO pre-
vent, and which without permssou they all deeply and
sincerely lament
am, sir, your obedient servant FB HEAD
CROYDON, OCTOBER IL 1863.