Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1856-01-09
EBENsBURG, JANUARY 9, 1856.

cial treaties, may impose and it Is our SOW
ercign right that our territory and jurisdiction
shall not be invaded by either of the belliger-
ent parties. for the transit of their armies,
the operation of their fleets, the levy of troops
for their service. the fitting out of cruisers by
or against either, or any other act or incident
of war. And these undeniable rights of men,
tralty, individual or national, the United
States will under no circumstances surrender.
In pursuance of this policy, the laws of the
United States do not forbid their citizens to
sell to either of the belligerent powers articles
contraband of war, or to take munitions of
war or soldiers on board their private ships
fol transportation and although, in so doing
the individual citizen exposes his property or
person to some of the hazards of war, his acts
do not involve any breach Of national neutral
ity, nor of themselves. inlplicate the govern
ment. Thus, during the progress Of the
present war in Europe, our citizens have,
without national responsibility therefor, sold
gunpowder and arms TO all buyers, regardless
of the destination of those articles. Our mer-
chantmen have been, and still continue to be,
largely employed by Great Britain and by
France, in transporting troops. provisions,
and munitions of war to the principal seat of
military operations, and in bringing home
their sick and wounded soldiers; by such use
of our mercantile marine il not interdicted
either by the international. or by our munich
pal law, and therefore does not compromit our
neutral relations with Russia.
But our municipal law, in accordance with
the law of nations. peremptorily forblds, not
only foreigners, but our own citizens, to fit
out, within the limits of the United States, a
vessel to commit hostiities against any state
with which the United States are at peace, or
to increase the force of any foreign armed
vessel intended for such hostilities against a
friendly state.
Whatever concern may have been felt by
either of the belligerept powers lest private
armed cruisers, or othef vessels, in the service
of one, might be fitted out in the ports OF
this country to depredate on the property OF
the other. all such fears have proved 70 be
utterly groundIess. Our citizens have been
withheld from any such act or purpose by
good faith and by respect for the law.
While the laws of the Union are thus per-
emptory in their prohibition of the equipment
or armament of belligerent cruisers in our
ports, they provide not less absolutely that no
person shall. within the territory or jurisdic-
ton of the United States, enlist or enter him
self, or hire or retain another person to enlist
or enter himself, or to go beyond the limits
or jurisdiction of the United States with in
tent to be enlisted or entered, in the service
of any foreign state, either as soldier, or as
a marine or seaman on board of any vessel
ef-waFr- lettsr- of -uaaEque, privateGr---And
these enactments are also in strict conformity
with the law of nations. which declares. that
no state has the right to raise troops for land
or sea service in another state without its con-
sent, and that. whether forbidden by the mu-
nicipal law or not, the very attempt to do it,
without such consent, is an attack on the ma
tional sovereignty
Such being the public rights and the muni-
cipal law of the United States, no solicitude
on the SUBJECT was entertained by this gov
ernment. when, year since. the British Par
lament passed an act to provide for the enlist
ment of foreigners in the military service oi
Great Britain. Nothing on the face of the
act. or In its public history, indicated that the
British government proposed to attempt re-
cruitment in the United States nor did it
ever give intimation of such intention to this
government. 1t was matter of surprise, there
fore, to find, subsequently,, that the engage
ment of persons within the United States TO
proceed to Halifax, in the British province oi
Nova Scotia, and there enlist in the service Of
Great Britain. was going on extensively
with little or no disguise. Ordinary legal
steps were immediately taken to arrest and
punish parties concerned, and so put an end
to acts infringing the Municipal law and dero-
gatory to our sovereignty. Meanwhile suita-
Bile representations on the subject were ad-
dressed to the British government.
Thereupon it became known, by the admis-
sion of the British government itself. that the
attempt TO draw recruits from this country
originated with it, or at least had its approval
and sanction; but it also appeared that the
public agents engaged in it had stringent
instruction" not to violate the municipal Law
of the United States.
1t is difficult to understand how it should
have been supposed that troops could be raised
here by Great Britain, without violation o.
the municipal law. The unmistakable objec
of the law was to prevent every such ac.
which, if performed, must be either in viola
tion of tho law, or in studied evasion of it
and, in either alternative, the act done would
be alike injurious to the sovereignty of the
United States.
In the meantime, the matter acquired addi
tional Importance by the reeruitments in th'
United States not being discontinued, and th'
disclosure of the fact that they were prosecu
ted upon a systematic plan devised by offfcia
authority; that recruiting rendezvous hat
been opened in our principal cities, and de
pots for the reception of recruits established
on our frontier; and the whole business con
Quoted under the supervision and by the reg
ular cooperation of British officers. civil ant
military, some in the North American provin
ces, and some in the United States. Th'
completely of those officers in an un iertaking
which could only be accomplished by defyins
our laws, throwing suspicion over our attitud
| of neutrality. and disregarding our terfitoria