Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-01-04

ripai seat o! military "lcr"ii".i-. "ni ~ T'"sns
hninc their sick and wounded S".Iof:' pnl :"tl Isu
the international! or by municipal law, ana the!u-
fore does not conpron. our neutral relations VIII"
| Russia. =,
of nations per,mulurly forbids, mi only Foreigners
but our own citizens, to 1T out, within tho nlls VI
| the United States, vessel Ia commit hos'hleS
against any State with which the United States NJ {
at peace or To Increase the force OF my orriSh aTu
yes.I intended iur such hOsliltics aghinat irtly
| State. III,
| Whatever concern may have been felt by eithei
Of the bell.ercnt powers lest private armed cruisers
or other vessrls in the service {" one might DC h'eu
ont in the pJrts Of this country to depredate on inc
nr,nertv OF the other all such fears have proved 10
Inc utterly rrountiss. Our citizens nr" been WIN
held from any such act of purpose by good i"'th' ana
| by rrspec: for the law.
| While the laws OF the Union are thus peremptory
in their prohibition ot the equipment or armament I"
beligcrnt cruisers in ports, they provide 10! ies'
absolutely that 10 pers"n shall, within Tue icrrii
ar jurisdiction Of the United Stars enlist or enter
himself, or hire or retain another Prrso" ~ ,n.
enter himself or 10 yn beyond the limits or lursac'
un of the United States with intent 10 DC rhsiou VI
entered in the service fuzzy foreign stare elmer u"
| a soldier, or rs marine seaman on u"rd vi auS
vesrcl-ui-war, letter u! marquee, or PIcaee,. o.
these enRctlnents also IN strict coili"r'ny
the law oc nations which declares, that no stae has
the right to raise troops for land or sea service ~
another state without its consent, anu tial' "hc''
| forbidden by the municipal! law or nor lhe very ~,
tempt TO do it, without such consent, Is Ill a'"eh VII
| the national sovereignty.
| Such being the public rights and the municipai Ia"
of the United States, no solicitudc OH Inc suoleeI
entertained by this government, whei year s'ice'
the British Parliament passed an Act I'd Pro'iue 'oi
rho enlistment OF foreigners III the military service OF
(rcut Britain Nothing the taco Oh tfie aci' vi III
its publjc history indicated that the Brltlsl govern
m.ut proposed 10 attempt recruitment III lle c"ou
States nor did it ever give lnt'matl'n oi Secll .e'
| IL A,f
therefore 10 find, subsequently, that the engagement
of persons within the United States 10 proceed ~
Halifax in the British province OF Nova sc"li", anu
there enlist in the "t Great Brltan was gong
ON extensively, with little ar no disguise orG''"y
legal steps were Immediately taken to arrest ana pun
ish parties concerned and put an END 10 acts n
friuyiny the municipal law aud der"catory 20 ou
sovereignty. Meanwhile suitable representations va
thc subject wer. addressed tn the British government.
Thcrrupon it became known, by the ADMISSION OF
,b British government ITSELF that the attempt 10 ara"
recruits from this country originated Win IT, vi ~
least had its approval and sanction but II also appe
ed that the public agents Engaged III had striSei'
Instructions not to violate the municipal law oil Tile
United States.
II, is difficult to understand how it should have
been supposed that troops could be raised mere ny
Great B;itain without violation of the municipal law.
The unmistakablc object of The law was to prevent
every such act which, if performed, must uc either
in violation Of the law, or in studied evasion OF III
and in either alternative the act done wnrii! DE ake
Injurious To the sovereignty ol Tue
In the meantime, the matter acquired add,il"hhi
imporlnncr b. the recrnments in The United States
NOT Eeg discontinued upon the disclosure ot the thc
that they We're prosecuted npun Systematic pun uc
v!sed by official authority that recruiting rendezvous
had been opened in our principal cities, and depots
for the reception of recruits established on our from
tier; and the whole business conducted Under me SUI
pervisiou and by the regular cooperation "i Birisn
officers civil aud military, some in the Norm Ah
can PROVINCES, and some III the ohiteo S'a'cS nc
81, ,,,,tlt.
could only be ace" Np,ishcd by detying our laws'
throwing Suspicion ovur our attitude OF nruiraiiiy'
aud sregarding our territorial Rights Is conclusive
y proved by the evidence ELECTED on the trla OF SUCH
of their agents rs have been unprecedented an' con-
v;cted. Some Of the officers thus implicated are ol
high official position, and many of them beyond ou'
jurisdctinn 80 that legal proceedings could mol ieach
the source of the mischief.
These considerations, and the ta"t, TINT The cause
Of complaint was not mere casual occurrence, Dut
u deliberate design entered upon with iu! knnwi"dse
of our laws aud national policy, and conducted py
responsible public funciouarIcs, iInrilcd III" Ia pre-
sent the case the British government, III Greer |"
secure 10, only cessation OF the wrong. but It's re-
marathon. The subject is still under discussion, tbe
rcsui; of which will be communicated 10 you III que
time. ,
Ir,peat tho recommendation submitted 10 the last
Congress, that provision be made tor the appointment
%: u commissioner, in connrSiun with Crent Drlhiii'
70 survey aud establish the boundary line, which d.
vides the Territory Of Washington from the contlgu
Gus British possessions. By renson Of the extern ana
importance of the country in dispute. there hha been
imminent danger of collision between the SUBJECTS ci
Great Britain and the citizens of the United StaIes,
intending their respective authorities Ia that quarter
The pro. pect Of speedy arrangement has c"ntrlou
ted hitherto to induce OF both sides torbrarance 10
assert BY force what each claims as right Con-
tiuuance of delay the part fthe two governments
70 aC. in the matter will increase the dangers and
dill cultes Of the controversy
Misunders nndiGg exists rs To the extent, character
aud value OF the posressory rights OF the Hudson
Bay Company and the property OF the Puget S"dnd
Agricultural Company, reserved in our treaty VIII
Grrut Britain relative 10 the Territory OF oregon.
have reason to believe TINT ccssDn vi me rShtS :"
both companies 10 the United States, which ~ou'u
be the readest means of terminating all questions
can be obtained ON reasonable terms; and, WIN
view othis end, present the suh)ectt To inc a''e''o
Of Congress. ,,o
The Colony of Newfoundland having enacted .ne
lava required by the treaty Of the ON "l ou'e %n
is now placed Oh the footing, III re!p-cl W s
,ntrcial intercourse with the Cni'ed ota'e'' "a VIC
other British North American provinces.
The commission, which that treaty coh'tlPi".rui,
for determining the rights OF fishery III J S, ~
,nou,bc f rivers on the coasts ut the Chittu S"''"
and tb. British North American provinces nv oren
orrsniz.I and has commenced It's iaoor!' 10 con-.
nl which there il needed further appropriations ioF
the services of another srnson.
In nursuance Of the authority cohi'rreu ny rs"
i,t;nu of the Senate of the United States pasHcu m
th, Sd Of March last, notice was given ~
M ,b i..h day Of April of the intention OF tins gov
rnment 70 avail itself of lie stipulation OF the sub
ss,irr convention Of friendship, commerce. ana nail
cation between that Kingdom ana the United STATES
Whereby either party might, after ten years. trri,
mite the same at the expiration "i one year o 'ne
date of notice for that purpose. 49,
the considerations, which led inc tn call The attth-
tion of Congress to that cunv"niu ana lhuuce'l 'he
Srna, to adopt the resolution referred TO- SIN con-
go. IN foil force Til. convention contains M arii
ln which although, il does not directly engage the
United States to submit to the imposition OF toll. on
the vessels and cargoes OF Americans passing mo
nr from tho Baltic sea- during the continuance Oh me
tr,uty. vet may, by possibility, be construed n I'M
nlyinr such submission. tbs rEacti"n OF those to!lt
not b.nr justified 10y any principle u INTERNATIONAL
law it became the right and tho duty ct me ch'eu
States to relieve themselves from TIE implication o
engagement the subject so rs to DC perfectly Tree
IN net in the premises in suc way ~ their pubic H.
tarests and honor shall dcinhIu -
I remain of the opinion thai tie United States
ought not to submit to the payment OF me Snuhd
dues not 20 much because their amount. which Is u
secondary matter but because it is in effect the re-
corntion of the right of Denmark 70 treat one of the
great maritime highways of nations as close seu'
and the navigation of il a. Il privilege Tor when
tribute may be imposed upon 'ios" WIZ nafc ocea'
sion to usc II. -,
Thi, Government, on a former occasion not unlike
the present s.nalized ts determination to MAINTAIN
the freedom OF the seas aud OF the great Iatnra
channels Of navigation. The Barbary states had, i"r
long time cuerred the payment OF trlhut" from all
nations whose ships lrcquric'l the Mediterranean
TO the last demand of such payment made hy fhen'
the United States although suffering less by thrlr
dpur,la,ious than many other nations returned the
explicit answer that we preferred war to tribute and
thus opened The way 10 the rei,ei Vi the commerce
of the world from an gnnnn"I> tax, so long submit
ted to by the more powerful nations at Europe.
If the manner of payment nt the Sound dues diner
from that OF the tribute formerly conceded 10 the
DarLory States, still their cNartion by Denmark has
no better foundation IN right Each was lnts origin
nothing but n tax On common ha'ura! rIEht cAlorI
oil Lv th,se who were at that time able Ia Obstruct
the free and secure enjoyment fit, but VIII" II" long
er possesses that power.
Denmark while resisting our assertion ct the Tree
dom of the Entc Sound and lirll-, In. Indlcated