The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-05-31
Hr. Marcy 10 Mr.. DaRas.
DEPARTMENT or STATE

Mr. Marcy 10 Mr.. Dalas
DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
Washington, May 81 1856.
SIR: The President has carefully considerc,
the note of the Both ultimo addressed 10 yo. h,
The Earl of Clarendon, her Najesty's princfn.I =,
c-atary of State for Foreign Affairs rels,ina :.
the questions which have arisen between this q M,
ernment and that of Great Britain on tho snhiec
OF recruiting within the United States for the Brit
ish army. aud has directed nae to present 10 ,-o,
bis views thereon for the purpose of having tieu
made known 10 her Msjesty's Government
He has been much gratiied by the conciliatory
spirit OF that note, and by the desire manifested by
fne bari OF Clarendon TO adjust the existing din
cuites and 10 preserve and strengthen the friend
ly relations between the United States and Great
Britain The vast interest which the Governm enI
ana people OF both countries have in UphcIiur and
cherishng such relations cannot be more solernnly
impressed upon her Majesty's Government than i;
Is upon that of the United States
The unequivocal disclaimer by her Maiesty,s
Government of "any intention either to infringe
the law, or to disregard the policy or not to re-
speet the sovereign rights of the United States ~
ana their expression OF regret If contrary to their
intentions and to their reiterated direetions
there has been any Infringement of the laws
OF the United States, are satisfactory TO the
President. The ground of complaint so far
as respects her Majesty Government is thus re
moved
But the President extrem ely regrets that he can.
not concur in Lord Clarendon's favorable opinion
OF the conduct of some of her Msjesty's officers
believed
que consideration Of all which has been offered in
their defence still believes, implicated in proceed.
inss which were SO clearly au infringement of the
laws aud sovereign rights of this country In re-
sPect TO such of these officers and agents as have
no connexion with this Government il has moth.
ing 10 ask from that of her Majesty but the case
Is different IN relation to Mr. Champion, her Ma.
jestys Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipo-
tentary 10 this Government, and the Consus of
New York, Philadelphia and Cincinnati The Pre-
sident is gratifed to perceive that her Ma
lesiys Government would not have hesitated to
comply with the request to withdraw these off.
GERS from their official positions if it had enter
tanned the views here taken of their conduct In
res ard to recruiting contrary to thelaws and sove
roi n rights of the United States.
| scarcely need say that in making this reuuest
interruption of the diplomatic relations be-
tween this government and that of Great Britain
was anticipated; but, on the contrary the presi
dent and is sincerely desirous to keep them
upon most friendly footing. Mr. Cranpton's
withdrawal was asked for expressly upon the
ground that 'his connection with that affair rails
ing recruits in this country for the British service
has rendered him an unacceptionable representa-
tive of her Britannia Majesty near the Govern
IHent." For the same reason this withdrawal of
the three British Consuls also requested
These officers were. as this Government confident
iy believes deeply implicated in proceedings con-
trary TO the law and sovereign rights of the Uni
ted States, and contrary, as it now appears to the
Intentions and reiterated instructions of their
Government. 1t was their personal acts, certain
iy not the less Objectionable for having been done
contrary to the direction other Maesty's Minister'S
which rendered them, in their official characters
and positions, unacceptable to this Government,
and induced the President, for that cause solicit
their recall. believing that by this course he was
contributing to the common interest and harmony
of the two Governments. He has not, after the
mature deliberation, been able to change his
view of their conduct and cannot therefore change
his purpose in relation TO them. Though their
conduct related to and in fact originated difficult
ty which disturbed the cordial harmony and good
stituted decided objection to them of personal
character which loses of its force by the sat
isfactory adjustment OF that difficulty.
The only embarrassment which attends the
is the difference of opinion between the two Gov
ernments as to the completely of these officers in
illegal proceedings within the United States.
In reviewing Ibis subject, the President was dis.
posed to avail himself OF any reasonable doubts
which could be raised in his mind in order to bring
his opinion in this respect into conformity with
that of her Majesty Government but, after care
fui reconsideration of the case, he has been unable
TO change the conclusion to which he had previous
ly arrived.
This difference of opinion may be, in some de-
gree ascrbed to the difference in the views of the
two Governments in respect to the neutrality law
and the sovereign rights of this country.
ltis not proposed, however, to continue the dis
custom upon that subject The conclusions of the
President, stated in my dispatch of the 2eth of De-
cenber, 10 your predecessor, in regard to the con-
struction Of that law and the character and extent
OF those rights, remain unchanged, and he cannot
torego the duty Of using all proper means to sus'
tain and yindicate them.
The main cause of this difference of opinion is
the different appreciation of the proof by which
the charges against her Maestys diplomatic rep
resenta'ive and consuls sustained.
Lord Clarendon asks this Government to regard
the bare declarations of these officers as of suft-
Gent weight TO counteryail the evidence against
them. Their deniais presented in his dispatch
OF the Both of April-and that is all which has
been communicated to this Government on the
tn has al do traU q
all the allegations against them. They deny that
they have infrnged our neutrality law, by enlist
ing persons in the United States for the British
service, or hiring retaining persons to leave the
hied States for the purpose of being enlisted in
liat service. The charges against them are
lauch broader, and embrace the offence of vioiat
Ing the laws and sovereign rights of the United
States by setting in operation, within our terri
Iory, and conducting an extensive system OF re-
crulung, which not and could not be carried
mo elect without infringing our laws and rights;
ny employing numerous agents to engage persons
icf pecunlary or other considerations 10 leave the
ped States for the express purpose OF entering
lnto tue British army, and by keeping these
agents IN this employment after 1t was wen
hLo"h that they were constantly infringing our
The denial of the implicated officers only COW
ersa part Of The delinqGencies imputed to them;
Dat eonhning the exeulpatory declaration TO the
simple charge of having violated the provisions
o our neutrality aei it does not merit the eonsid
Grafton which Lord Clarendon has ascribed to It.
by adopting Lord Clarendon's construction of our
neutrality law contained in his note of the 10th OF
November, which renders it almost nugatory, and
Is contrary TO that of this Government and of its
judicial tribunals these officers have not probably
found much embarrassment in meeting the char
ges with general denial
But, giving TO the declaration of Mr. CHAMPION
and the Copsuls all the consideration which can be
fairly claimed for it under the circumstances of the
case, Ii cannot counterbaance the unimpeached
and well sustained evidence which establishes the
charges against these officers OF having infringed
the laws and sovereign rights OF tie United
States.
Il Lord Ciarendons note to you of the 30th of
April conveys the impression that the evidence by
which these officers are implicated Is derived
from one or two witnesses whose credibiiity has
81 been assaiied This, however, is not correct
view OF The facts.
By the examination OF my dispatch of the 2sth
of December, 1t win be perceived that these wit
nesses were strongly corroborated, and that there
are proofs, wholly independent of their testimony,
abundantiy sufficient TO establish the completely Of
Ar. Champion and the Consuls In the infringe.