The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-11-20

British enlistment agents in this city. 1t will
complete the history Of these curious trausac-
tions, of the first stages of which we gave CO
| pious narrative on Saturday, and, according to
our information, will show the lengths to which
the parties concerned thought themselves au-
thorized in proceeding in the face of these in
structions, and of the determination evinced
by our government to put them down by the
strong arm Of the law
| It twill be recolleoted that, after Lord Claren-
dons instructions were stated to have been
received here, Mr. Strobel had, in February,
the interviews with Mr.. Champion to which he
/ has deposed. 1t will also be borne in mind
| that the British proclamations are dated the
18th Of March, 1855 On the 22d of March
Mr.. Angus Mcdonald inquired Of the United
States District Attorney in New York, whether
it would be a violation of law to engage in the
enterprise Of opening an Office at No. SO Pearl
street, near Broad, for the purpose of sending
men to Halifax to join the Foreign Legion
then being formed in Nova Scotia, and was
answered that it would. The office was already
open, but was Immediately shut up. The next
day advertisements appeared in the German
| papers calling for the same description of re-
| cruits, and Mr. McKeon addressed the follow
| ing letter to the Marshal of the United States
| which was published in most Of the daily pa
| pers and also in the Washington Union
srR--Frm the newspapers duriog the last few days.
other Sources inclined to believe that 10
this city are engaged in recruiting men, and shipping
them place out OF the jurisdiction OF the United
States with intent there to be formed into regiments
In OF France EnRnud and their al
| lies against Russia.
The United States are happily at peace with ali the ma
tions of the world. The continuance of peace to
country depends upon the strict enforcement Of our neu
tralty laws The government determined to execute
these laws TO their fullest extent This duty to
ourselves AM to all the nations with whom in
smiy beg, therefore, 10 call your attention to the
second section of the neutrality act of 1915 which
! vides that
Ifany person shall within he territory or jurisdiction Of ,hs
Sr or 4 h m or
dcton United g enlisted entered
pie soldier any war
Se deemed s% high nor
Ing thousand dollars and imprisoned not exceeding three
! wish you 10 use such may be at your
mand to prevent any violation of the laws Of the United
States winch passed to preserve our neutrality
win cheerfully opera e with yon in such
You may adopt to prevent the infacton Of this i'm
portan safeguard to national peace and prosperity
have the honor to be- very respectfully your most obe
JOHN McKEoN, U. S. District Attorney.
| A. 7. HnIyER, Esq., U. s. Marshal New York.
These instructions, it will be remembered,
were in perfect harmony with the course pur-
sued by our government in the cases in which
the governments of Spain, Venezuela and
Nicaragua were concerned, and were not
framed specially to meet these iDfractions of
the law by the British agents. Shortly after,
Mr.. McKeon went on board the steamer State
of Maine, and there dispersed squad of men
who had already received their tickets for
Boston. Some Of the parties were arrested
and subsequently indicted, but the two persons
whose conduct indicated them to be the direct
agents of the British government succeeded
in escaping. Mr.. Bucknall, the confidential
agent of Mr.. Howe, was arrested, but dis.
charged for want of sufficient evidence, with
an admonition from the authorities. Mr. Pic
ton, De Bongars, and others, declared that
they had abandoned the engagement con-
tracted with the British agent from Nova
| Scotia. This was about the same time that
Hertz was actively engaged in the transaction
| for which he was arrested in Philadelphia.
Advertisements of a recruiting character, re
| ferring to No " Chatham street, again appear
ing in the German papers, Mr.. McKeon caused
the occupant of those premises to be informed
| of the Illegal nature of the business, and en-
deavored to put stop to the enlistments f; but
it was only after the party was indicted that he
promised to suspend operations Nevertheless
the recruitments went on. The plan adopted to
| disguise them was changed. Advertisements
were daily inserted soliciting applications at
| places in various parts of the city for stua
tions alleged to be open to machinists and
other mechanics near Boston, Mass. This plan
was detected by the complaints Of wives whose
husbands had been enticed away by the false lure
of immediate and secure employment at good
wages, and their families left helpless and desti
tute upon their friends or the public charities.
About this time an United States Mar
shal's officer dispersed number of recruits
from on board the brig Tweezer, at the
Atlantic Docks, Brooklyn. The persons ar
rested were generally bailed by parties TO
| whom they we're perfect strangers, upon
what was understood to be promises of in
demnity from British officials or their agents.
a number Of indictments were found here but,
as shown by the trial Of Wagner, in spite Of
all these efforts the enlistments were not stop
ped. The brig Buffalo had recruits who were
| put on board here, under the command Of
party having the written instructions, it is as
serted, Of British employee in this city. The
payments were made at Boston, by mercantile
house, on the report of the same employs from
New York. All this was done in the very teeth
of the administration and in some instances
with personal and official insults to the Ameri.
can officers superadded. And this, too, let II net
be forgotten, in defiance of the alleged instruc-
tions Of the British government to the contrary
This completes the history Of the British re-
cruiting opertions in this country, which may
yet involve England and the United States in
1 serinns difficnlties Althnnrh tho Che n,har of