The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-03-06
BRITISH ENLISTMENT QUESTION.

BRITISH ENLISTMENT QUESTION.
The President, last week, laid before the SEN
ate copies of the correspondence that has taken
place between the Governments of England
and the United States, in relation to the enlist
ment question. 1t is entirely too voluminous
for our columns, consisting of score of letters,
with accompanying documents, extending from
April 81, 1854, to February l, 1859.
| at opens with letter from Mr.. Champion,
announcing the existence of war between Rus
STA and England and the determination of the
latter not to issue letters of marque, to which
Mr.. Marcy replied. Then follows a letter from
Marcy, written in mild tone, instructing Mr..
| Buchanan to call the attention of the British
| Government to the fact that enlistments, appa-
rently with its knowledge and approval, were
making in the United States for the English
service, although Mr.. Champion had previously
expressed his disapprobation of it. Mr.. Buchan-
an, upon the receipt of Mr.. Marcy's letter, laid
the subject before Lord Clarendon on the sixth
of July last, in letter of some length, giving
q full statement of what had transpired in the
| United States.
"On the 18th of July, Mr.. Marcy again writes
| to Mr.. Buchanan, telling him that the business
of recruiting in the United States for the Brit
ish army was not only continued, but prosecu-
ted with increased success. He therefore in
| structs Mr.. Buchanan to say to Her Majesty 8
| Government that the President expects it will
take prompt and effective measures to arrest
the proceedings of the recruiting officers, and to
discharge from service those persons now in it
who were enlisted within the United States, or
who left the United States under contracts made
here to enter and serve as soldiers in the Brit
ish army.
| son the Goth of July, Mr.. Buchanan trans
mitted to Mr. Marcy reply of Lord Clarendon
| to his letter of the 9Th Lord Clarendon ex-
presses the regret of his Government if the laws
of the United States have been violated as al
legged; states that, in opening recruiting offices
| in the British Provinces stringent instructions
were issued to the officers to guard against any
! violation of the neutrality laws of the United
| States; and admits that instances of undoubted
violations of our laws had taken place, but al
leges that the offenders were acting without au.
| thority from his Government or its agents. He
then quotes the opinion of Judge Kane, that the
payment of the passage from this country of a
man who desires to enlist in foreign port does
not violate the neutrality act of 1878; and con-
cludes by stating that, in view of the fact that
no precautionary means adopted by Great Brit
| ain would prevent a real or imaginary infringe
ment of our laws, it had been determined that
]. all proceedings for enlistment should be put an
end to.
"On the 9Th September Mr.. Marcy addressed
| Mr.. Champion, and, after review of what has
been done, expresses his regret that Mr.. Cramp-
ton is implicated, together with many other
British officers in the United States and the
British provinces. The object of the note is to
ascertain how far the acts of the known and
acknowledged agents ofthe British Government,
done within the United States, in carrying out
this scheme of recruiting for the British army,
have been authorized or sanctioned by her Ma
jestys Government.
"To this note Mr.. Champion declines replying
at length, until put in possession of the views
of her Majestys Government; but says, Il con-
| fdently trust that shall be enabled altogether
to remove the unfavorable impression which
has been created as to the motives and conduct
| of her Majestys Government and their officers,
including myself, in regard to this natter
|. "Coples OF these notes we're sent to Mr.. Blu
chanan, accompanied with the opinion that the
British Government must have been misinform-
ed in asserting that the persons who had viola.
| ted our neutrality laws were selfconstituted and
| unauthorized agents.
I Mr.. Buchanan responds on the 18th Sep
TENDER, with copy of Lord Clarendon's note
to him of the preceding day. Mr.. Buchanan
expresses doubt whether, under the possession
of the views of the British Government, Mr..
Champion will be able to exonerate himself"
From this date, the correspondence became
more earnest. Lord Clarendon, it is shown,
has been misinformed, in assuming that the
acts of the British agents were unauthorized.
Mr.. Marcy distinctly and earnestly exposes the
completely of Mr.. Champion, and other repre-
sentatives of the British Government, in the
illegal transaction, and insists that, in addition
| to violation of our municipal law, an offence
has been committed against the sovereignty of
| the United States. Lord Clarendon betrays
some temper; speaks of proceedings having
been resorted to by our tribunals, to obtain evil
dence, which are "disdained by all free and
| liberal Governments" and insinuates that the
| Government of the United States was indifferent
to violation ofits neutrality laws, when Britain
| was to be the loser. To this offensive language
Mr.. Marcy replies temperately and finely, vim
dicating, in our Judgment beyond all doubt,
| the good faith of our Government, and demand.
ing from Lord Clarendon specification of the
| extraordinary proceedings to which he referred.
The British Secretary of State finds it conve-
| nient to drop both points; and then withholding
all satisfaction for what Mr.. Marcy had denom-
| mated an offence against our national sover-
eighty, calls for distinct arraignment of all
the functionaries charged with violation of
| our laws, and specifications and details of evil
dence, promising that the British Government
| would then deal with the evidence. Mr. Marcy,
with dignity, replies, that the United States
cannot become litigant before British tribu-
nal; that, according to the usage which regu.
lates intercourse between independent nations,
he has indicated generally the offence done
against the law of the United States, and sub
mitted such evidence as should constrain the
British Government to take prompt measures
of reparation for a wrong done.
Lord Clarendon rejoins in letter, in which
he abandons positions taken in the beginning
| of the correspondence, involves himself in con-
tradictions, makes assumptions in regard to the
laws of nations, which would lay open the ter
ritory of neutral Power to the recruiting Off
GERS Of beIligerents, and puts such a construc-
ton on the neutrality laws of the United States
as, if accepted, would make them dead letter.
| We must confess we have never felt, until
now, much interest in the Enlistment Question.
Cur general impression was, that the British
Government, in her necessities, supposing it
might obtain recruits in the United States, un-
Intentionally violated our neutrality laws, but
that so soon as advised of this, desisted from
the undertaking, and expressed due regret; that
| the Administration was needlessly punctilious.