The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1866-11-02
DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
WAsmyGTOS, October %, 1866.

SIR: 1t is understood that James
Lynch and John McAlahOn have been
recently convicted in a Colonial Court
of Canada, and sentenced to death upon
a charge that, being citizens Of the Uni
ted States, they were actors in the as
sault made in the month Of June last,
at Fort Erie, in that colony.
1t can hardly be necessary to direct
your attention to the fact that the gov
ernment of the United States isrequir-
ed by the highest considerations of
national dignity, duty, and honor, to
inquire into the legality, justice, and
regularity of the Judicial proceedings
which have thus taken place, and that
after making such a careful scrutiny,
we shall expect to make known to her
MaiCsty's government such opinions as
the President, upon due consideration,
shall adopt. With this view, the I.
). Consul at Toronto is this day instruc-
ted to procure, for the information Of
this Department, copy of the record
of the trial and conviction of Lynch
and Mcmahon, and also of all further
trials and convictions of a similar char
acter which shall take place in Canada.
While no unnecessary delay in the eX-
animation of the cases which are thus
expected to come before this govern
ment is intended, it may nevertheless
happen hereafter that delays will una
voidably result from past incidents or
from future events which cannot now
be fOreseen.
l have now the honor to request you
to take such proceedings as you may
think proper, to the end that such ap-
pIicatiOns of the Consul shall be grant
ed promptly. The President directs
me to assure you of his confident hope
that her Majesty's government will not
only cheerfully comply with the re-
quest | have thus made, but that they
will think it proper also to examine
the judicial proceedings aforesaid with
a careful regard to the rights of the
United States, and to the maintenance
of good relations between the two
countries. Such relations are always
difficult and delicate in States that are
adjacent to each other without being
separated by impassable borders. For
this reason it would be very gratifying
to the President if you should be able
to give me an assurance that the exc
cutiOn of the sentences pronounced up
on the convicted persons will be sus-
pended, if occasion for delay shall arise
in the manner before mentioned to
make it desirable.
Finally, / deem it proper to say that
the OtienSeS involved in these trials are
in their nature emincntly political. 1t
is the opinion Of this government that
sound policy comedies with the best
impulses of a benevolent nature in rec
ommending tenderness, amnesty and
forgiveness in such cases.
This suggestion Is made with free
dom and earncstnCss, because the same
opinions were proposed to us, in our
recent civil war, byall the governments
and publicists Of Europe, and by none
of them with greater frankncss and
kindness than by the government and
statesmen of Great Britain.
am very sure that you will find that
these recommendation Of policy Ol
clemency and forgiveness in the case oi
the parties concerned, are in entire har.
mony with all the suggestions and rep.
reSentatiOns Whirh this government
has made to her Majesty'S government
in regard to the aggressions which have
been made on the Canadian frontier
and that they areaiso in harmony witt
the proceedings which this government
has thought it just, wise, and prudent
TO pursue in regard to the violation ot
its own neutrality which was involved
in those aggressiOus.
Ihave the honor to be, with the high
est consideration, sir, your Obcdient
servant, w. II. SEWARD.
TO the Hon. Sir Frederick Bruce.