The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-08-18

that the Dritish government mad ceased 10
maintain recruiting depot at Halifax, in con
sequence of the sensitiveness displayed by the
United States government on the subject. At
the same moment we learn that the United
States Attorney General has rendered to the
President an opinion on the illegality of the
British recruiting operations in this country
and that representations based thereon are
about to be presented to the Court of st. James
The business, in short, appears to be reaching
a head on both sides of the Atlantic. What
are the past facts?
When the war with Russia broke out this
country contained a vast number of persons
who, British subjects by birth, still retained
sufficient love for England to be ready to fight
for her. 1t likewise served as refuge tor
numbers of other foreigners, Germans, Ital-
ans, Poles, DC, who, having come here in
search Of livelihood, and having found none
were ready for any business with which they
were familiar like soldering When the losses
of the British armies in the Crimea reduced
he effective number of fighting men below the
requisite standard, and the recruiting officers
employed in the British Isles reported that
they were unable to supply the deficiency GER
tain British officials cast longing eyes on this
side of the water. Recruiting offices were
opened in this and in most of the other large
cities of the continent. British consuls were
appointed at places where there had
never been a British consul before. Money
was freely spent, and there is no reason to
doubt but that shiploads of men-chiehy Irish
men and Germans-were sent to Halifax to be
enrolled in the legion raised there, while other
small parties crossed the line into Canada and
joined recruiting depots stationed there. Alto
gether it is said that q thousand men were
raised in this way. But the moment the estab-
lishment of the recruiting Offices in New York
and Boston reached the ears of the United
officials were Of the same opinion as Mr.. Prior
who, having been dismissed from the editorial
staff Of the Union for writing violent pro-
Russian article in 1858, was appointed foreign
Minister in consequence of the same article in
1855 They pounced upon the recruiting offices
and the British consuls, like hawks on spar
rows The official journal declared that history
contained no parallel to the impudence and
atrocity of the proceeding. District Attorneys
East, West and North brought the whole ter
rors of the law to bear upon parties whom they
contrived to connect with the attempt. Arrest
followed arrest, and British consuls wild
Irishmen, tipsy Germans and anonymous Poles
were thrust into durance vile on charges of
violating the neutrality laws. When they were
brought up for trial, unhappily, nothing could
be proved though everybody seemed to have
turned States evidence against everybody else,
and there was frightful crush to make start
ling disclosures, the upshot of the whole
was that no one appeared to be proven guilty.
The prisoners were accordingly acquitted, and
they each Of them, as in duty bound, proceeded
to institute actions for damages, claiming sums
varying from ten to forty thousand dollars,
! against their captors and prosecutors.
! Such are the facts of the British recruiting
| operations in the United States. From these
! it followed as matter Of course that when the
expenses Of law proceedings had to be added
to the ordinary cost bill Of recruiting Office,
and the United States police had to be guarded
against Us well as the Russian spies, the bust
ness did not pay. Accordingly some weeks
ago, orders came from Europe to suspend
operations. No more men were to be enlisted
Those who had been mustered at Halifax and
Niagara had cost the British government rather
more than they would have paid to bring
troops from India They were a dear bargain,
and economy dictated that they should be the
last of their kind.
About the same time, Lord Palmerston re-
| ccved the news of the excitement peryadinp
| this country on the subject Of the violation of
the neutrality laws by the British government
agents. Coupling it with the rumors Of the
Russian sympathy which was understood to
exist here, he conceived that the case required
| prompt action. The first opportunity which
| offered he seized to declare that the British
| government had abolished the recruiting depot
at Halifax in order not to give offence to this
| country. moments thought gives to this
statement world of Importance. In the first
place, is it at all to be believed that the British
| government would forego recruiting soldiers
| within her own d0minions, when she needed
| them, because foreign Power chose to object?
If the removal OF the depot from Halifax had
| taken place at any other time, one might have
attached some weight to it; but after il has
been clearly shown thatrecruiting in this coua-
try does not pay, it is little too impudent to
pretend that its abolition arose from regard for
this country. On the whole we have read
nothing in the whole series Of weak and fool.
ish acts which have marked Lord Palmerston's
l n1 mir icfw n.
| last statement of his.
The NEXT CONGRESS AND THE SLAVERY CUES
| TIoN-VEws OF THE CENTRAL ABOLITION FREE
| Soil ORGAN.-For the information Of all par
ties concerned, we give in another portion of
| this paper an article from the National Era. the