FOOLISH AND UNJUST CHARGES AGAINST T HE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
THE inability of' the American Government to prevent the aggro. sion of lawless citizens on the Canadian frontier, has served ta A text to persons in this country for discourses on the defects of R. publican institutions, and the evils of direct popular influence ce men in office. Thus says the Morning Chronicle— We have more than once since the breaking out of the Canadian resat adverted to the absence of all authority in the United States ; a circumstance which, whatever it may produce with respect to American citizens mum themselves, renders them very dangerous to Weir neighbours. There is r, reality no power to repress and to punish in the United States. But wink the Americans deem every thing allowable to themselves, should their PO hours, wearied out with aggressions for which they can obtain no redem, while they are attended with absolute impunity, attempt on any OCCIIMOD to avert the threatened mischief, by such acts as the destruction of the Carotin, there is the utmost danger of a war being the consequence; because the tune become instantly excited, and the passions of the multitude (make, which men in office seem unable to resiat."
By this process, a very heavy structure is put on a narrow basis. Let us see whether the facts warrant the assumption that there is no power in the United States "to repress or to punish; and whether " an absence of all authority in the United States" is to be inferred from the circumstances arising out of the Cans- dian revolt.
Arsenals, containing ammunition and warlike weapons, have been plundered by bodies of men, who in several places have at- tempted, and partially succeeded in, aggressions on the Canadian territory. Being driven back into their country by the British troops, they have dispersed, and, with a few exceptions, escaped punishment. Such are the facts.
Now, it must be remembered, that till within the last in months, there was no apprehension of warfare or disturbancesof any kind on the Canadian frontier. What has happened there, occurred not in the course of regular hostilities, but on a sudden outbreak of a party of malecontents in the British territory— mind, the British ; there was no revolt among the citizens of the United States ; the troubles, whatever may have been their con- sequences, had their origin in a country possessing a strong go- vernment and the blessing of monarchical institutions. Relying, as they had a right to do, on the continuance of peace with Eng- land, and that at any rate due notice of war would be given, the American authorities took no extraordinary precaution for the de- fence of their military st tres. The Governor of the State of New York, in an official statement, says- " Each of these arsenals has ever been without any guard, and has law hitherto left in the charge of a single individual, denominated a keeper, who compensation is limited by law to a sum not exceeding twenty.five dollars per annum. It was anticipated that there would be at all times, and under alley. cumstances, a general disposition among our citizens in the neighbourhoodal these establishments to defend them whenever they should be threatened with an attack, or exposed to be pillaged ; and, therefore, nothing more was deemed necessary in relation to their security than to put them into the charge of
keeper." Experience justified this confidence till very recently; and it does speak something in favour of the peaceable and honest habits of the American citizens, and their obedience to the law, that the military stores were sale for ninny years under such pro- tection. In England, it may be doubted whether they could have been so kept for a single night.
But these arsenals were plundered; and the assertion is that the Government was unable to punish the robbers. This is only partially true. The arms have, we believe in almost every in- stance, been recovered ; and some persons are or were imm. durance for the offence of taking them. A letter from the American Ge- neral Score to the British Colonel HUGHES, received with the last accounts from the Canadian frontier, details a number of ope- rations for the prevention of hostilities, most of which were sue- cessful. That there has been great difficulty in laying hold of the marauders, is admitted ; but that circumstance is partly ac- counted for by Governor MARCY- "1 am persuaded, however, that the number of our citizens who, en the in- dulgence of their feelings, might have been carried beyond the strict line of duty to their own country, oJight have been comparatively few, had not the outrage at Schlosser been committed; and not only committed, but avowed as an audio; rized act by the officers and Government of tipper Canada, and the person!, who perpetrated it commended and rewarded by maiks of public distinctio
act on the part of the Gamow' autinicatea, and the _manlier irt.
110448y1a6 .mch bas been justified and commended. has added vastly to the current of "-blis sympathy among our citizens in behalf If those who are opposing gh,"I Canadian Government. Under the impulse of the feelmvi which bve heen thus exciter!, inany have been betrayed into acts inconsistent with Sb.mama miations of their country. To this cause it is fair to ascribe s 4,04 somewhat diffused through the community, which may embarrass and obstruct the progress if mea i
sures nstituted on the part of the people of this to bring to punishment those who have violated our laws, in breaking
sopetaT our arsenal and gm-Amuses, and stealing therefrom the property of the mate. It is not to be li.guixed. that the tone of public sentiment in relation to these transactions, owing to the cause to which I have reran red. in such that the officers of justice cannot expect much voluntary aid in prosecuting the offrsders." Whet, it is considered that the frontier line extends for many hundred miles, it is manifest that a very numerous police or
tary forte would be required to seize offenders protected by the people. In Ireland, a small country row paratively, with a stand- ing army of 30,000 soldiers and police, it it. found impossible to prevent fights and murders of the most atrocious description; be- cause the people as mputhize with criminals awl disturbers of the peace. But is it reasonable to call upon the A meriean people to incur the expense of permanent netifications and a standieg army on theNorthern and Western frontier, because our government in Canada has been so conducted as to excite revult ? Remembering the suddenness %snit which the revolt broke out,—making due allowance for the natural sy mpathv of the Re- publicans with the Insurgents, and the indignation caused by the burning of the Caroline,—bearing in mind the extraordinary diffi- culty of executing the laws along a line tof several hundred miles bordering on vast inland seas,—also the attempts, successful in part, that have been made to preserve neutrality,—we think it absurd to conclude from the events on the Cacada line, that there is no power to enforce obedience to the laws in the Ueited States. It will occur to any person of common reflection, that those events lay the British open to a severe retort. It is indeed most unreasonable to taunt America with the refractory proceedings of her citizens, while the British authority in Canada is only main- tained by martial law and the bayonet. The people of the United Stales may safely say—" If your subjects were peaceable and obedient, there would be no difficulty with our citizens. Look at home. Execute your own laws. Preset ve tranquillity in your own territory !"
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