The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-29 00:00:00

Kidnapping by the Federals.

With reference to the case of George Hopper, of
Sunderland, who it is alleged has been entrapped
into the Federal army, the following letter has been
addressed to Earl Russell by Mr Lindsay, M.I. :-
8, A.ustin Friars, City, Octoblr 20, 18G1.—My Lord,—l
enclose for your lordship's consideration a letter from a
young man, George John Hopper, to his parents, who
reside in the borough of Sunderland, which I have the
honour to represent in Parliament. The letter is sent to
me by Mr J. H. Hodge, the ruler of pilots at Sunderland,
who vouches for Hopper's resrectability. It appears that
Hepper, who is only 18 years of age, was in the course of
serving the requisite number of voyages at sea to qualify
himself to be competent to follow his father's occupation,
that of a pilot at the port of Sunderland. It further
appears that, for the purpose I have named, Hopper, in
January last, sailed in the Jessie Scott, from Sunderland
for Pernambuco, and returned to Liverpool in the same
ship in June last ; at that port he joined the Chancellor,
also a British ship, and on the 22d June sailed in her for
New York, where he arrived about the beginning of last
month. Two days after his arrival he was entrapped and
carried off to the United States army of the Potomac, where
he was on the 22d ult. The case, then, presented to your
lordship is simply this :—A subject of her Majesty, under
the immediate protection of treaty, has been intoxicated or
poisonously drugged, in the city of New York, by per-
sons acting in the interest of the Government of the
United States, and that Government has taken the benefit
of such cruel and lawless act by retaining the services of
the captive. The unfortunate subject, it would appear, too
ignorant to know through what channels to appeal for
redress, was immediately hurried to the field of battle,
and is retained there against his will, exposed to the risk
of a daily recurring combat. I assume that the statements
in his letter to lals parents are true, for none can read it
and doubt. His simple ignorance precludes deception.
But the occasion is imminent. It may be that this young
man is killed or maimed for life before the most active
interference can come to his relief: I feel it incumbent
on me, therefore, as his immediate representative, to whom
the appeal is made, to ask of your lordship that her
Majesty's Minister at Washington be directed to require
that without delay, for the purpose of inquiry or other-
wise, the young man in question be brought to his pre-
sence, and if the Government of the United States, after
his personal safety is thus ensured, desire inquiry to be
made, it can then be made. I do not, of course, know
what like cases of actual kidnapping of subjects of Her
Majesty, under the auspices of the present policy of the
Government of the United States, may have been brought
directly to the notice of the Forcieh Office—but I do know
that the public journals of that country keep us informed
that such cases aro constantly occurring with very many
ignorant and helpless foreigners who find themselves un-
protected in their cities. I have desired to give publicity
to this in England under the sanction of my name, and on
the proof herewith submitted to your lordship, and hope I
shall be pardoned, therefore, for sending this communica-
tion to your lordship at once to the press.—l am, &c., W.
S. LINDSAY.