Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-12-22
RUTLAND HERALD.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER IS, 1864.



nelease Of ths sc. Adams Raisers,
The report which we published yes,
terday that the Sc, Adams raiders had
been discharged has been fully con-
frmed They are now at large, and al
bowed To carry OF their plunder.
On the re-assembling OF the court at
.sssY real, the counsel for the prisoners
raised the question OF Jurisdiction, and
aissr celebrating for some time, Judge
O0ursol assented TO the argument, and
sheclsled that the case came under the
fmpsriale Extaditlon act, and as the
Provincial Act, giving effect to the Ash
burton Treaty had never received the
royal sanction, he must give way, The
British Act, according TO the judges
ruling, required that the warrant under
which the prisoners were arrested should
be signed by the Governor General. He
therefore concluded that he must order
the immediate release of the prisoners.
This announcement was received with
applause by number of persons pres
sH.. efA
Mr.. Devlin, one of the counsel for the
prosecution, then rose, and In q most
impassioned manner addressed the court
OF length, imploring His Honor not to
discharge the prisoners upon the remain
ing indictments-half a dozen or more
urging that their good name for JUS
tice and fair play was at stake. Mr..
Rose, counsel for the United States, also
wished to speak, but the court declined
70 hear further discussion, saying that
he saw that he had been mistaken in
issuing his warrants, and it was the duty
OF every British Judge to rectify his err
rors. He should therefore take the re-
sponsibility, whatever it might be, of
discharging the prisoners without de-
lay.
Such then liz the nature of the redress
which the people along our borders are
10 expect from the Canadian authorities.
They have forsooth, no Jurisdiction In
the matter. III they have not, then
somebody else has. The unwritten
laws OF self defence establish that point,
and the history of this country for the
hast thirty years as developed in Texas,
California and the WeM has shown
that when the constituted tribunals fail,
through subtle technicalities, jury pack
ing, or otherwise, to bring outrageous
offenders to Justice, there arises some
thing in the nature of VIGILANCE COM
MIrTsBs that will dc the work effec-
tually
1t cannot be doubted that Yankee In
senuity and energy could easily devise
ways and means to exercise "jurisdic-
zion" over Canada raiders, If the Cana
dian authorities own themselves TO be
powerless in the case.
But the law OF nations is clear and
explicit. DR.. phillimore in his work on
International law says:
"a rebellion or civil commotion, it
pay happen, agitates nation; while
fhe authorities are engaged In depressing
Il, bands of rebels pass the frontier to
shelter themselves under the protection
of the eonterminous States, and from
thence, with restored strength and fresh
appliances renew their invasion upon
the State from which they have escaped.
The invaded State demonstrates. The
remonstrance, whether from favor to
rebels or feebleness of the executive, is
anheeded, or at least, the evil complain
ed OF remains unredressed In this state
of things the invaded State is warranted
by International law IN crossing the fron-
ste,, end ~ tatiag the necessary means for her
safety, sehetber these 6s the capture OF dtsper-
sioa Of the rebels or the destruction Of their
Stronghold, as the exigencies Of the case
may require"
1t Is noticed by some of our contem-
poraries as remarkable coincidence"
that the subject of increasing our lake
squadron, and also Of giving the requi-
site notice for terminating the Reciproc-
fty Treaty is receiving the serious con-
sideration of the Government at this
time, ~
The whole subject wears rather an
unpleasant aspect, 1t looks as ;f the
raiders were playing deeper game than
simply robbing and retaliating that
they were doing their best to bring the
two countries into angry collision.
This decision Of the Montreal Judge,
which, together with the accompanying
applause, looks so much like conniving
with the rebels, will go very far towards
dissipating the impression, extensively
prevailing in this State, that the Cana
dian authorities are opposed to the oper-
stsoas Of the raiders.
school houses for Freedmen.