New-York daily tribune., 1856-02-29
should have 20 distinctly committed themselves. Mr.
CHAMPION is no wiser than to be caught indulging

should have 20 distinctly committed themselves hr.
Champion 10 no wiser than to be caught indulging
in correspondence with the most prominent of these
recruiting sergeants. He thus fails to skliuny
disguise his own completely in the overt acts of
which they were proved guilty. He wrote letters
both TO Hertz and Rowecrcft. Taleyrand used
to say, " give me but two lines of any mans writ
" ing and will hang him." Mr.. Champion was
guilty Of such epist"lsry indiscretion and must now
pay the penalty therefor.
The correspondence demonstrates that the night
is with the American side in this controversy
Indeed the other party has not a leg to stand on
Lord Clarendon bas done the beet he could; but II
is question whether on the whole he would not
to-day he better pleased with his own position H.
in,tead of debating the subject in the descending
and oujbblng manner he has be had simply backed
cut at the beginning, confessed the error OF his
wavs and given signs Of heartfelt repentance.
Mr. Secretary Marcy makes his points; First, that,
in attempting to obtain men on our territory Tor
military purposes, by agents specially employed,
and trayersing the country for that object, England
violated the law of nations and nfringed upon our
sovereignty as an independent power; secondly,
that. in this attempt at enlistment, her agents
also violated the express provisions OF our statutes
relating to that subject. In meeting these two
points Lord Clarendon argues, with all the disln-
genuousness, ambiguity and diplomatic vile OF
which the case is susceptible Indeed, he does
not slick at downright Misrepresentation. Mr.
Marcy fully meets and confutes him on the legal
questions. as every reader will see on perusing the
correspondence That what the British agents did
WAS in coptravention of our local statutes and in
violation of the law of nations admits of no doubt,
ard Lord Clarendon stultifes himself in pretending
the contrary In truth, he only excites derision
by bis various lodges from pillar to post in the
course of the discussion Driven from one shelter,
he only flies to another to be as surely driven from
that. He makes firm stand nowhere.
To the question of the practice of nations in this
matter of enlistmehts for foreign service, with
which Lord Palmerston alleges the British expert
ment to have been in harmony, Mr.. Marcy does
not address himself. Yet he might have fOored
his antagonist on this point as completely as he
has on the others. To 60 no further back than
the present war, we find the judicial decisions by
lations Of Prussia, Hanover and other Continental
Governments 1atly contradctng Lord Clarendons
position. The practice of enlisting men, either
directly or indirectly, has not been permitted
Tie British Consul at Cologne was not long since
condemned to Imprisonment by the Court OF Police
for bis efforts to procure recruits to go to the
Island of Helgoland there to enlist in the British
army. Heligoand was used as depot for enlist
ments in Germany, Us Halifax was here. The
Hanseatc Towns put stop to like proceedings
by similar means. Even the HanOverian Govern
IN, Mt. whose King is relative of Queen Victoria,
prohibited all such action in the way of recruiting
as is defended by Lord Clarendon. Mr.. Marcy's
doctrine is thus fully sustained by the usage of
European Courts and Governments upon the point
in question.
In fne Lord Clarendon's dispatches are lame
eyery way, and he makes out no case sgalnst the
American positions. Nothing can be clearer than
that these positions wholly incon'rovertioe.
The matter standing thus, as against the English
Cabinet, the ground is properly taken that an
atonement is due. 1t is not sufficient that the
illegal proceedings are suspended after repeated
ptOItsts on our part, NOluuluOuS correspondence
and legal proceedings against parties implicated
have compelled it. ReparatiOn is demanded The
British Government is asked to withdraw the Of
Tending parties az homage TO violated law and
national sovereignty. This concession is declined
en- the ground that the cessation of the Odense
should be deemed sufficient. Our Government
SAYS No, and adds that if the delinquents are not
recalled they must be dismissed. This viii
be the upsbot of the matter. All the talk OF
The London Times about England having
apoogized. and that she cannot and will not do
more, and that this ought to be satisfactory aud
that il it is not she will go to before she will
descend to humiliation at our bidding, is mere
moonshne. England has done nothing except to
desist from palpable violations of our sovereignty
and our laws 1t is this which The London Times
sets up as an acknowledgment, reparation, au
apology. This is simply absurd. 1t is, perhaps,
natural that The Times should consider it a vast
condescension on the part of the English Govern
ment TO cease expressions upon another Power
simply because they are objected to. We confess
it is something of a stretch toward decent be-
hsyiOr, but we cannot altogether regard it as The
T,mtS would have us, as most honorable aud
complete repsratiOn of gross wrong and fla
Grant insult