New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-05-30

are implicated is "tii'ec Hom one two Wit
DtSses, whose credbli'y uas '"sn s'ssiied, This,
fscis. By eIamiustion of my I'd dispatch of Of
the 2stE of December, 1t wi be perceived that
these Witnesses were strongly confirmed, aud that there
are proofs wholly Independent. OF t3eir testimony
abundantly sufficient TO establish the completely Of
mr. CHAMPION and the COnsuls in ter Infringement
81 the law and sovereign nghs Of the nited States
trust that It viii not be questioned tba, 4 belongs
exclusively to this Government and Ia iuacis tribi
hsls 10 give construction to its municipal laws acd
10 determine what acts done within its jurisdiction are
an infringement of these laws This il matter which
concerns its internal administration, and il cannot
allow the agents Of any foreign power to
coTr0vet that construction and Justify their
conduct by different Interpretation Of our
aws which virtually renders them ineffective for the
purposes intended. TIE Earl Of Clarendon informs
you IN bis DOte Of the 3Oth Of April that Mr. Cramp
ton positively denies the charge Of completely in any
OF the acts of illegal enlistment in the United States
end that the three Copsuls inculpsted do the same
lie assumes that the charge against Il EN- is sustained
mainly by the evidence Of two persons Strobel and
Hertz, whom he conceives TO be unworthy of credit
and be appeals to the American Government to accept
as conclusive declarations of the Minister and Consu
am instructed TO that these considerations do not
relieve the Presidents mind Of the unfavorable i'm
pressons produced by the conduct Of these gentlemen
in relation TO foreign recruitment il the 0ited States
II will be seen, by referring 10 my dispatch OF the
2sth Of December, in which the grounds Of charge
against Mr. Champion fully stated, that the test
mODy Of Stfobel and Hertz quite a secondary and
uDnpOrtaDt OF the eYldenc adduced the charge
being supported independently of their testimony BY
other WITNESSES, by original letters Of Mr. Champion
ard Others, and by the uDdenied and undenable acts
of Mr.. Champion. As TO Strobel and Hertz however
1t may be observed the documents transmitted by
Lord Clarendon proving these persons unworthy Of
credit entitled to but little weight consisting a.
they do chiefly Of ez pdrte affidavs detailing matters
mostly Of hears8y; and whatever may have been the
character of these persons it by no means follows that
they did not testify to the truth.
They were agents selected and trusted by Mr..
CHAMPION himself, and to them'he committed most im
pOrtant concerns. Such indo, sement should couu
terva the Impeachment Of their veracity, founded
loose hearsay reports Nor does it seem to be thing
Of much moment in relation to the present question,
that Strobe, In consequence of imputed misc nduct,
was dismissed from employment by the Lieutenant
Governor OF Nova Scotia and afterward epdeavored to
obtain money from Mr.. Champion The fact re-
mains that be held commission in the British
Foreign Legion, and that, as it is clearly proved
and not denied, he maintained, recruiting officer,
and for considerable period of tme association,
personally or by correspondence, with Mr.. Champion.
The employ of Strobel by Mr. CHAMPION their
long association in the joint work of recruiting In the
United States for the Foreign Legion the distinction Of
her Maiesty's commission Of Captain in the Corps
ferred Strobel would at least to deprive Mr.
CHAMPION Of the right to deny his credbility a wit
ntss. But there Is large and more comprehensive
class OF considerations applicable to this particular
question. For period Of nearly five months, that is
August 1885, the peace and order Of this country
disturbed, especially the cities of Boston. New York.
Philadelphia and Cincinnati, by the unla wfu acts of
numerous persons engaged in raising recruits or 10
being recruited for the British Foreign Legion.
They were supplied with ample funds by British
ageLts and they obstinatey resisted and set at naught
all the Efforts of the local authorities of the United
States to put stop to their proceedings; nor did
they desst until they received orders to that effect
from the British Government in the month of August.
The recruits thus unlawfuly raised in the United
States during all that time conveyed by British
agents to Halifax, and there enrolled in the foreign
legion. All these acts, as well as their llegaty
notorious. Long before the trial Of Hertz in
September, and of Wagner in October, they must
have been brought to the particular notice of Mr..
CHAMPION, the British Consuls and other agents
by the preliminary judicial inquiries whch took place |
both at New York and Philadelphia. In consequence
of steps TO that effect taken by the 22d of |
March the proper instructions issued the 23d,
and prosecutions commenced in Philadelphia on the |
3Oth of March, and in NewYork the 9Th of April.
As an example of the of these proceedings
their notoriety and their comprehensive legal effect
what occurred in May deserves particular notice. AT
the 18th of May, number of persons
Godfied Wachier, Wilhelm Schumacher,
julius Parkus Oscar Cremey and Andrew Lutz, were
examined before Commissioner Belts, on charge OF
recruitment for the service of Great Britain. Eminent
counsel were employed by the accused, who argued
that no offense had been committed, because II |
did not appear that any valid contract OF enhstment
had been cousummated, but this ground of defense
was overruled by the Commissioner who though he
discharged Watcher for defective evidence committed
Lutz, Schumacher, Cremey, and Pdrkus. AT Phl'a-
depha on the 25h of May three persons, Her Per-
kins and Buckpa having been arrested on the charge
of illegal recruiting in the service Of Great Britain
applied TO the Circuit Court OF the United States ny
babeas corpus TO be discharged from custody. The
presiding Judge, the Hon. John X. Kane, on the ex-
animation of the evidence taken in the case be-
fore Commissioner, found the proofs were
sufficient to bring the acts OF Hertz ana Perkins
within the conditions of the law, but not so to Buck
nail-accorimgly, the latter was discharged but the
two former were committed for trial Thus 80 early
ss Nav il was iudically shown that what was dong
in this respect unlawful. MIR. Champion was ac-
ouainted with these proceedings aud was thus suiii
GENTLY admonished that the acts Of recruitment carried
ON under his authority, did in fact, whatever may
have been his Intention constitute violation oi tue
municipal law Of the United States. Thus had been
decided by the Courts of the United States aud was
puhlicly and extensively made known. IL Is not
cont, oyerted indeed it is admitted, that he had
tbe recruiting business in his charge and under
his control vet he permitted 1t to be con
timed although iudiciously determined to be
unlawful through the months of May june July, and
August. Now this long series OF acts, unlawful anu
otherwise preiudcia to the good name and tranquil
Ity of this country performed by persons VINO
were literally paid by the British officers and many OF
whom actually entered the military service OF Great
Britain That was incontestaby proved on the triaof
Hertz and Wagner. by evidence which has not
the evidence adduced on these TRIALS does
not need coroboraton, still 1t may not be
amiss TO add that much other evidence
10 the same effect is in possession OF tins
Government some of which is annexed to
this dispatch in the form of documents responsive TO
those accompanying the letter of the Earl OF Caren
DON Who is to be held accountable for these unlawful
acts Were they all performed by volunteer and IT.
responsible persons argued in the Earl of Claren
cons dspatch Of the 10th of July That cannot be
admitted for the conclusive reason that they received
paw from British officers and of course were employed