The Sun. — 1838-02-02 (London, England)

WASHINGTON, JAN. 6.  The affairs of Canada arc awakening an interest here, second only to that aroused all along the frontiers of New York and Canada. Men are now enlisting their feelings and sympathies eit'ier upon the one side or the other. The Canadian French and the Canadian English— Patriots and Royalists—find both warm friends and warm v.ndicators among not merely the citizens of Washington, but among members of Congress and the officers of the General Government. Mr. Fox, the British Minister, as I learn, up to yesterday morning, when the news of murdering of Americans and the destruction of American property upon American ground, by British soldiers, first reached the city, was loud in his expressions of complaint of a violation of neutrality on the part of the frontier citizens. The story, however, of demanding his passport was all moonshine. The President andthe Secretary of State have gore as far as the law gave them power to go, in demanding the strictest neutrality, and now that the laws of the land allow them to go no further, they call upon Congress to revise the existing laws, inasmuch as the President in his message says, they are " insufficient, powerless, and shotAl therefore be revised, with additional enactments," Sz.c. The British Min'ster knows all this, and knows, as I believe, that the Government, in the affairs of Canada, whatever it may have done in the affairs of Mexico, is more willing to suffer wrong than to do wrong. The story then of demanding passports is preposterous. The United States are the proper complainants--the United States, whose north-eastern territory, in spite of pledge, faith, right, and everything else, has been wantonly and unjustifiably occupied by British soldiers from New Brunswick. So long as the British, unmolested, can march over our territory--so long as British soldiers can leave the headquarters of the British army to attack American citizens— not American soldiers—at midnight, and destroy American property under the cover of darkness, so long I imagine the British Minister will be content to remain in the Ur.ited States without demanding his passports. The Americans, not the British, are now to call for redress. We have violated no law—mode no attack—approved of no lack of the observances of the strictest neutrality—disapproved of all improper expressions of feeling ; in short, done all the law allowed us to do, and are now about to clothe the Executive with new powers to enforce neutrality. We have done both through the General and States' Governments, all that we had the power to do, and it is now time that Great Britain should meet the United States half way in the observance of neutrality. Such, at least is the opinion of the many here ; for the many here, as I believe everywhere else, when well informed of Canadian matters, are in favour of the Patriots of Canada. At least the many wish them well, and sympathise with them, and will rejoice at their success. None, however, would violate, or aid in :the violation of a single requisition demanded upon the ground of neutrality. As it was said in the. House of Representatives, during the discussion of yesterday—" We will speak—we must think—and we cannot but sympathise—still we are for the strictest observance both of the letter and spirit of the law."  Mr. Cushing thought, and upon just grounds, that there was no danger of a conflict with Great Britain. " England," said he, " holds her North American colonies by a thread, and a war with us severs that thread for ever and ever. She will not be the aggressor." The discussion of yesterday in the House, as you will observe, gave rise to a strong expression of opinion in regard to the north-eastern boundary. The members from Maine will take this occasion to demand a settlement at the hands of the Government. ES B.