The Press. — London, England, 1856-06-07 00:00:00

aro far removed from the shores of Honduras, and by situation must be taken to belong to that country of Central America which Great Britain and the United States mutually agreed not to annex, occupy, settle, or colonise. A third serious difficulty has since arisen, through the invasion f Nicaragua by General WALKER and his armed force. For a body of American citizens to possess themselves of that State of Central America which it was the express object of the Convention of April, 1850, to render independent of both the United States and England, appears the most flagrant violation of the spirit of that treaty which can be conceived. By the recognition of WALKER'S Government, President PIERCE has shown that he has no longer any idea that a good understanding on this question between the two countries is possible. His act is a plain declaration that henceforth his Government will pursue the policy it has marked out for itself, and will endeavour to extend the influence of the United States in Central America. We do not know what course our Govern ment intends to pursue on this question. But we do know that the United States Govern ment has firmly taken up a position to oppose the Mosquito claim to Greytown and the British protectorate ; and to insist that the occupation of the Bay of Islands is a direct infraction of the Convention of April, 1850. While these difficult and delicate questions concerning Central America are pending, diplomatic intercourse, which alone could have solved them, is suddenly put an to, by the dismissal of Mr CRAMPTON from Washington, through the dispute on the re cruitment question. RECRUITING IN THE UNITED STATES. Immediately after the passing of the Fo reign Enlistment Act, Mr. CRAMPTON, at Washington, and our Consuls in various parts of the States, received offers of service, many of them sincere, but some evidently intended to fix on British agents a charge of violating the neutrality laws of the United States. Mr. Caemyrox very carefully ascertained, as he conceived, the exact limits of those laws, and WAS, beyond doubt, most anxious to avoid offending against them. But, on the most can did construction, it is extremely doubtful whe ther he did not, notwithstanding his repeated injunctions that they should be observed, act in a manner directly contrary to their spirit. For example, at the very commencement, he directed secret inquiries to be made by British Consuls and agents, as to the numbers of persons iu the United States desirous to enlist in the British Foreign Legion. That those inquiries were made with the greatest secrecy is some presumption in itself that no confidence was felt that the proceeding was legal. But Mr. CRAMPTON went much further. In reply to many applications made to him as for information, Sc., he returned answers, which it is, we fear, impossible to construe otherwise than as a publication of induce ments to recruit. To some written applica tions he returned answer (March 23, 1855) : Should you desire information as to the terms, dm., upon which foreigners may be enrolled under the provisions of' a late act of Parliament, I shall have pleasure in furnishing you with such informa tion as is in my possession at any time you should call at her Majesty's Legation in this city (Wash ington). To other applicants he wrote that he had no doubt their services would be accepted if they presented themselves to tile proper authorities in the British dominions. And again : I shall be ready to give you such information as I possess in regard to this subject., sliould you think it worth while to call upon me personally. To a Mr. C. MARTIN, who wrote to him from New Orleans, complaining bitterly of the in tolerance, bigotry, and persecution which foreigners (the Irish residents are particularly hinted at) suffer in that city, and saying that 5,000 men and upwards could be easily col lected from that port, Mr. CRAMPTON replied (through Mr. Lusit.Ev) by a caution not to violate the neutrality laws; and saying : Mr. Crampton has no doubt that the services of all those persons whom you describe as being anxious to join the forces of her Majesty will be gladly re ceived, and that the feelings which actuate you will THE PRESS. be gratefully acknowledged. . . . . Should they, on reaching Halifax or any otherl British possession, enlist in the service of her Majesty, their travelling expenses will he paid ; and they will receive the bounty of 6/., or thirty dollars, together with the pay of eight dollars a month, rations, good clothing, &c., for every effective man from nineteen to forty years of age. Any further information I may be able to obtain I will not fail to transmit to you. This MARTIN wrote again, saying that the expense of each man's passage would probably be from 6/. 15s. to 71. 10s.; and he inclosed a notice, which he proposed to insert in one or more newspapers. This notice was as fol lows : _ Emigration and General Agency Office, No. 1, Union -street, New Orleans. The A 1 passenger-ship - will sail for Hali fax on Tuesday, June 5, and will be followed by a ship of the same class on each succeeding Tues day throughout the summer, or so long as freight and passengers will offer to justify their continu ance. For freight or passage apply as above. (Signed) CHRISTOPHER MARTIN, Agent. There was no concealment as to the object of this notice. It was plainly declared to Mr. CaAsnyroN to be for the purpose of conveying men to Halifax to enlist in the Foreign• Le- gion. Mr. CRAMPTON replied that he had taken a legal opinion on the notice, and— I beg to inform you that there cannot be the slightest objection to your inserting the notice in any newspaper you may think fit. Numerous communications to the like effect were made by Mr. CRAMPTON to other persons. He forwards the whole correspondence to Lord CLARENDON, and it occupies several pages of the Blue-book (pp 183-195). Mr. CaptirroN seems confident that in acting as he did he gave the Government of the United States no cause of complaint, 3 et it appears impossible to contend, in the face of these documents supplied by himself, that he did not essentially violate the neutrality laws, which he was always asserting ought to be strictly observed. Nor can his conduct be reconciled to the legal opinion by which he dechced his determina tion to rule his conduct. This opinion► (Blue book, p. 10) defining what would constitute a " hiring or retaining " under the statute, says : I think the words " hire or retain " susceptible of very broad interpretation in such a statute. I in cline to think they would he held to reach ever, case of payment, expenditure, or other valuable consi deration k however ingeniously devised) moving from the party charged to another person, to the aid and with the intent that such other should " go beyond," et.c.__ . " Do ut facies," or facio ut facies. When we consider the necessity of something like an inspection ; the unavoidable coincidence of num bers of emigrants; the malice of rejected appli cants ; the inducements to treachery; the natural vigilance of a certain portion of tho community, in such a matter, and through them the action of the press and the police, I think the least to be appre hended is a prosecution, whatever its result; and in that event the connection of any official person, however indirect or faintly traced, would more than counterbalance the advantages proposed. It is astonishing that Mr. Cnioirros with this opinion before him on March 12, 1855, should have acted as he did throughout the months of March, April, and May. Such pro ceedings could not take place without discre ditable agents being mixed up in them, with out misunderstandings, nor without being brought with every kind of exaggeration to the notice of the United States Government. Discrediting the testimony of such scoundrels as Hertz, Strobel, and Perkins, how was it possible for arrangements to be made under Mr. ChAmproN's sanction for the sailing of a ship weekly from New Orleans to Halifax, the head quarters of the recruiting service, with a promise that the expense of the niens' pas sage should be paid, that they should receive bounty, pay, &c , and that the services of the shipping agent would be gratefully acknow ledged, without a positive infraction of the neutrality laws taking place? Oa any fair con sideration of Mr. CRAIMON'S own statements he must be charged with an infraction to those laws, setting aside altogether the evidence given on the trials which took place. When Mr. MARCY, on the part of the United States Government, first expressed uneasiness on the recruitment question, he was answered SATURDAY, by a despatch of Lord CLARENDON (12t11 April, 1855), stating : The law of the United States with respect to enlist ment, however conducted, is not only very just but very stringent And her Mikiesty's Go vernment would on no account run any risk of in. fringing this law of the United States. Later (June 22) Lord CLARENDON wrote:— I have been informed by Lord Panmure that his lordship wishes all further proceedings in the matter of enlistment to be stayed, and the project to be definitively abandoned. Unfortunately this determination was not adhered to, for on the following 6th of July Lord CLARENDON wrote that "certain Ger mans " should be received into the Foreign Legion should they find their way to Halifax. It was on the date of this last despatch that Mr. BUCHANAN, in London, addressed a strong remonstrance to Lord CLARENDON against the continued violation of the United States neutrality laws. Lord CLARENDON replied (July 16), regretting that unauthorised agents should have committed undoubted violations of the law, and added that instructions had been sent out that all proceedings for enlist ment should be put an end to. Here it seemed probable that the matter would end. But the Hartz trial, and the disclosures made of the extent to which the system of enlistment had been carried, induced Mr MARCY (Sept. 5) to address a further angry remonstrance to Mr. CRAMPTON. From this time the correspondence became embittered. At the Hartz trial, the prosecution was conducted in a spirit most offensive to the British Government. The urgent demands of Mr. MARCY that satisfac• tiou should he given for the violation of the United States law were met by Lord CLARENDON by an assertion that no cause for satisfaction had been made out ; sad at the commencement be aggravated the dispute by charging the United States Government with having connived at a violation of the spirit of Have not arms, and ammunition, and warlike stores of various kinds, been sent in large quantities from the United States for the service of Russia? To this accusation the answer of Mr. MAscv was complete. If American citizens, at their own risk, chose to supply either of the bel ligerent parties with warlike stores, the neu• trality of the Government was in no way compromised :-- Private manufacturing establishments in the United States have been resorted to for powder, arms, and warlike stores fur the use of the allies, and immense quantities of provisions have been tar nished to supply their armies in the Crimea. The subsequent correspondence may be de scribed in few words. Mr. MARCY constantly charged a violation of the United States laws, and demanded redress. Lord CLARENDON— sometimes with a sneer, sometimes with hi boured humility—denied that such violation had taken place on the part of any British agents, and refused redress. At last the posi tive demand was made fat the recul of Mr. CRAMPTON, and the removal of certain ob noxious Consuls. Lord CLARENDON replied to this demand (30th April last) in a despatch of elaborate moderation, regretting that the United States Government should think that it had any cause of complaint, and hoping that it would be satisfied with an assurance that it had throughout been labouring under com plete mistake. The last intelligence is that Mr CRAMPTON, her Majesty's representative, has been dismissed from Washington. The whole question turns on whether Mr. CRAMPTON did or did not violate the neutrality laws of the United States. We have seen his own admissions. A frank apology or explana tion from Lord CLARENDON in the first instance would no doubt have been accepted. He denied that such apology was due; and hence the two Governments were thrown into direct antagonism. Diplomatic intercourse has ceased at a moment when the complications in Central America demand instant solution. If it be true that the Cabinet of General PIERCE is bent on making a hostile demonstration againA this country, assuredly our Government, by conduct on the recruiting question, and by 11 0 retention of the Central American islands, has placed convenient weapons of attack in its hands.