Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-03-28


ting on naughty. airs because it has pleas,
ed Providence to endow them with lib,
sral share Of this worlds goods, or when
We see the supercilious sneer of contempt
upon the face of aperson, Ia show his or
her estimation OF one. who g works. for. a
living" we feel a strong desire TO show
our estimation Of them, By exclaimihg in
their ears, Hdrtah for cod: fish r.
Am. Uaion, '' .,ia 'as'its''.''.
Conduct ofthe British Miuistry To- t
wards the United. states.
Editors OfHe Baltimore San IS iisAis
l felt as you did on readingthe docu-
ments relative TO British enlistments in
the United States. that every Ameaican
would or ut least ought toy approve the
a course Of our own Government in that af-
fair. Most grieved am to find the edi-
tors Of one newspaper Of extensive circu-
lation. published in Washington, and one
Hon. Senator promptly. presenting them
selves as exceptions. But most crafty
it is to see your Senator, Mr.. Pierce,
(honOred be his name. rise above party
prejudice, and utter the language of in
sulIed patriotism.
We may despair of any measure ofin-
dignity ever uniting the American PEG.
pie in support of their own government
against foreign aggression and insult If
this does not. Let us look at its leading
features.
By The laws of nations no beligerent
nation has right to enter neutral ma
ton for the purpose OF recruiting men for
its army or navy without the consent Of
that nation. The United States, Tor the
purpose of maintaining their own neutral>
ity in the wars of other nations, passed a
law imposing heavy fines on all who
should directly or indirectly attempt to
raise recruits for the armies or navies Of
beligerent powers in the United States.
When the war between Russia and the
allies broke out, the British Government
gave ours official notice Of the fact, cou-
pied with the insulting intimation OF a hope
that the United States would not depart
from their neutrality to aid Russia In
suling. because it implied that our Gov
eminent needed British prompting TO
teach us our duty.
Not choosing to treat This act as an in
suit, our Government assured the British
Minister Of their determination to maintain
strict neutrality, and punish any one
who should attempt to raise force for
either beligerent within the United States.
The war had been raging about year
when 1t was discovered that persons were
engaged in securing recruits for the army
OF Great Britain, in the United States, in
derogation OF our neutrality, and in direct
violation ofsour laws.
C0m0luinta Unra oHa tn tho Pr;,; u,
government, who disavowed the acts Of
those agents and declared they had au-
thorized no one to do any act violating
the laws Of the United States.
a rendezvous had been opened and
handbilIs inviting enlistments were pub
licly stuck up in New York, and the Bri-
fish Minister, Mr.. Champion, showed Mr..
Marcy. our Secretary of State. letter to
the British consul in New York, directing
him TO put stop to these proceedings be-
cause they were in violation of the laws
Of the United States.
Believing the British Government and
British Minister to be truthful and sincere
in these disavowals and explanations, our
Minister in England and Secretary of
State at home intimated their satisfaction.
But the enlistments still went on, and
in the criminal trials which grew out of
them, the whole scheme was traced TO Mr..
Champion, the British Minister, and it was
proved that he had acted under the in
structions Of the British Government,
The Government, which through its
Minister, undertook to remind our Govern
ment. lest Russia should obtain men and
ships from the United States, employs
that same minister to violate our neutral
ity and our laws for the purpose of get
ting men to fight against Russia.
Surely here was double iusult-an
indiGniLy which demanded an atonement.
Our Government asked only that the
obnoxious Minister and Cousuls who had
been engaged in these illegal practices,
should be Withdrawn from the United
States.
The British government refuses; they
Justify their Minister; deny established
facts; denOunce The course Of our govern
mentin most insulting terms call their
own detected falSehoods an apology :;
Trump up set.olfs for their own conduct
so false and inapposite as to be nothing
short Of ridiculous. and exhibit throuch>
out the petulence and shiflings Of detect
ed wrong which they are too proud or too
much afraid Of their own people to &C.
knowledge or atone for.
In beautiful contrast is the conduct Of
our own government in this whole affair.
1t has met assumption by fact and argu-
ment. and to insulting language has, ops
posed words OF studied politeness.
Their sole aim appears to have BEEN.
not to provoke or even rebuke the Gov
ernment Of Great Britain, but to obtain