The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-03-11
THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER ON BRITISH RE
CRuITING IN THE UNITED STATES.


The bteuisenesr in presenting the English view of the
recruitment controversy has not scruped to arrange
from the correspondence in such manner that the
conclusion necessarily drawn from them is false This is
not an extraordinary sample of its fairness at all times
when advocating British pretensions 1t is the character
istic of that paper display in the of England
ingenuity than morality. In the editorial Of Thurs
day last it garbed words and phrases from Mr.. Marcys
last despatch and pretended 10 make him say that his OBJ
ec was to ascertain the debatabe ground if that had
already been done and every conceivable subteruge
of the British government utterly demolished
The purpose of that journal is to gain time for its
friends in order that last resort they may say the
insult has grown old it was committed long time ago.
and is late to insist on reparaton. This has
been the cry already although have been unceasng n
demands for redress. The Iatsigencer may take all
the time 1t wishes to propagate lis false statements but the
President will acknowledge statute limitations to bar
this country from redress for the outrage committed upon
its soUsregn rights well for the violation of its mun
cpa law The voice of the people has gone forth In favor
of the vigorous and high-toned policy which has been
adopted and we can the Iaegsnesr that with the
aid Of all It's abolition allies II will not be able to sacrifice
the honor of the country the guilty agents of
rogant and nsoent from the punishment whch
they deserve.
After a jesutcal implication that it viii its
opinion till the further reply of the British government is
made the Lasgeneer says "that plain understanding
of the question last raised by government respecting
what is called the international aspect of the
at first view rather metaphysical than real"
These misrepresen not made for the first
time They have been repeatedly put forth in that jour
nal and by its coad tutors in this business this and the
other side Of the Atlantic 1t well knows that this very
quepou raised in the second Of Mr. Marcy
first despatch communicating the instructions Of the Pres
dent Mr. Buchanan, and the point presented
by him in his Lord Clarendon upon the subject and
1t has been insisted with undiminished emphasis in
every subsequent demand for redress yet with ksowl-
edge Of tits the bgsnc not ashamed TO intimate that
this question Aferthought of our government The
usual ability displayed in its columns orbds to
cude that this oversight the result of any mental
obtusones in its editors II might rather be attributed
the desperate necessity to which they reduced in order
to sustain the they have espoused.
The law of nations imposes upon every independent peu
trail power certain dates towards beigerens and among
them is that of preventing either party the war from
procuring soldiers Ia the neutral country. This require
ment Of the international code has been deemed so import
ant that individual nations have added new sanctions It
by enactug laws to punish the papnbe but less
offensive modes Of obtaining recruits from the neutral
ritory. But nation preends to embrace in it's NUM-
cpal laws all the in which its sovereign rights might
be injured they are nevertheless not surrendered but
main in fall force They comprehendOd in the law Of
nations and 1t for the injured country say what shall
be the satisfaction for their violation.
This question may be better understood by its analogy
to case arising under the law The legislature
has sometimes added puushments to offences under
the common law while the penalty in the larger number
Of is left mainly to the discretion OF the court but
imagined that by this proceeding the State over
looked all the offences enumerated in the statute and
punishable by the common law.
The United States, by their neutrality laws specified
certain acts which would be regarded In contraventon Of
neutrality prescribed punishment therefor and gave
the court Jurisdiction 10 tbose cAtes There was no de-
sign however TO declare admit that beligerent nations
could any mode not forbidden in the municipal law
procure recruits from the United States The law left
the to deal with The other cases in lis dscre
ton according to the law Of nations. This was undoubt
eddy The view taken OF II by Judge Kane In his decision
which has been 30 much perverted by Lord Clarendon
The judge confined himself very properly TO the enforce