Star of the Kanawha Valley. [volume] (Buffalo, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1856, 1856-01-16

vide not less absolutely that no per-
son shall, within the Territory or ,iur-
isdiction OF the United States, enlist
OF enter himself, or hire orretain an
other person to enlist or enter himself,
Or to go beyond the liniitsor jurlsdic-
tion ofthe United States with the in
| tent to be enlisted OF entered, in the
service Of any foreign State, either, as
d soldier, or asa marine or seaman
on, board ,ot(any vessel of.war, letter
d marque, or privateer. And these
enactnents are also in;strict conform
ity with the law OF nations, which de-
clares that no State has the right to
raise troops: for land OIL sea service in
another State without liz consent, and
that, whether f0rbiddenby the munich
pal law OF not, the very attempt to do
! il, without such consent, is all attack
upon the national sovereignty. =
|. Such being the public rights and
the municipal law Of the United
States, no solicitnde On tho subject
was entertained y this Government,
when, a year since, tho British Par
liment passed an act for the enlist
mient offoreigners in the military SER
vice of Great Britain Nothing on
tile face Of the act, or lin its public
history, indicated tiut the British
! government proposed TO attempt re.
cruitment in the Uuited States; nor
did it ever give intimation lofsuch in
tention to this goverpnint. 1t was
matter Of surprise, Therefore, to find
subsequently, tn at the engagement of
persons within the United States to
proceed to Halifax, in the British pro
vince ofNova Scotia, and there enlist
IN the service of Great. Britain, was
going on extensively, with little or
no disguise. Ordinary legal steps
W ere Immediately takeh to arrest and
punish parties CONCERNED, and SO put
IN end to acts infringing the munici,
pal law, and lerqgatorY to our sover-
eighty. Meanwhile suitable represen,
tations on the. sui jcct we're addressed
to tho British government, u =.
+. Thereupon it lrcamesknown. by the
admission ofthc British government
itself, that the attempt I'd draw recruits
from this country originated with it;
or at least had til approval and sang
tibn; butt is also appeared that the
ppblieagents engaged init had .'strin,
gent Instructions not 70 violate the
municipal law ofthe United States.
T. 1T is. difficult I'd understand how ii
should have been; supposed that the
troops could be raised here by Great
Britain without violation of.the mn.
ndcipal law. The unniistakable Oh,
ject ofthe law was TO prevent every
such act, which, II performed must
be either in violation ofthe law, or in
/ studied evasion oft; anA.i either d.
tentative, the act done would be alike
| injurious to the sovereignty Of tic
United States. s.~t kIIf ~.
ri In the meantime, the matter ac-
CURED, additional importance by the
recruitments In the United States not
bcing discontinued, andthe disclosure
ofthc ,fact that they we're prosecuted
upon a systematic plan devised BY Of
fdial authority; that Recruiting rem
devious had been opened in our prin-
cipal cities. aud depots for the recep-
ti6n ofrecruits established on our from
tier; and the whole business conduct
ed undert the supervision and. by the
regular cooperation ofl1ritish officers.
Eciyil and military, some i'm the North
American provinces and some In the
United States. The completely oil
those officersin an undertaking which
could only be accomplished By defy.
ling our laws, throwing suspicion over
our altitude ofneutrality and disregard
| ing our territorial rights, is. conclu-
tsiYely proved BY the evidences elicit
| ed on the trial Of such, Of their agents
as have been apprehended and con-
yicted. Someof the officers thus inn
plicated are of high official ipositions
and many of them beyond our iuris-
ldietion, 80 that legal proceeding,
could not reach the mischief e'i /,
I These considerations, and the fact
that the cause Of complaint was not a
more canal occurrence, but o deliber.
ate, design, entered upon with full
knowledge Of our national policy and
conducted irresponsible pnblicifunc-
tionaries, impelled me to present the
case tocthe British government. in or
der to secure, not only d cessation lof
| the wrong, bat itsE repaiatioIf ? i. The
subject is still under discussion, the
result Of which will be- communicated
Eto:yon in due time. t ,G9 /:
4 repeat the recommendation submit
tedto the last Congress, that provis
ion be made for the appointment Of q
commissioner, in connection with
Great Britain, to survey and estab-
|lish the boundary line which divides
the Territory of Washington from the
contigions british possessions. BY
reason oftheextent and importance
of the country in sdispnte, there has
been imminent danger Of collision be-
tween the subjects Of Great Britain
land the citizens Of the United States,