Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1856-01-18


eustoned pursuits, By land OF by sea, al
home or abroad, subject only to such re-
/ stF'ctlens in this relation, as the laws Of
4 war, the usage Of nations, or special trea-
ties, alay impose; and it IS our sovereign
right that our territory and Jurisdiction shall
not be Invaded by either of the belliaerent
parties, for the transit Of their. armies, the
/ operations Of their Asets, the levy Of trloDs
/ for their service, the fitting out Of cruisers
/ By or against either, or any othsr act OF Ia
eident Of war. And these undelnable rights
Of neutrality, individual aud national, the
United States viii under no circumstances
surrender.
In pursuance OF this policy, the laws Of
the United States 10 not forbji thsir clti-
/ zens to sell to either Of the beilige7eut
/ powers articles, eontraband Of war, or 70
I take munitions Of war OF soldiers on hoard
their private ships for transportation; anl,
although, III 50 doing, the individual eiti-
Ecu exposes his property or person to some
\ OF the hazaras of war, his ats do mt IN
Tolye any breneh Of national noufFalitr.
nor Of themselves implieats the goyernmeuf.
Thus during the progress of The pg5sea;
war IN Europe, our citizens haye, without
national responsibility therefore, sola gun
I powder aud arms TO all buyers, regu 5iess
Of the destination of these arli.les. Oar
merchantmen have been, aud still eontinne
! to be, largely employed by Great Britain
ana by France, in transporting troops, pro-
visions, and munitions of war to the princ-
! pal seat of military operations, and in bring
iag home their sick and wounded soldiers;
| but such use OF oar mercantile marine is
not interdicted either By the international,
! o: by our municipal law, and therefore does
not compromit our ReGtral relations with
Russia
I But eur municipal law, in accordance
] With the law Of nations, perenlptorily for
bids, not only foreigners, but our own citi-
zsns, to fit out, within the limits Of the
United States, vessel to commit hostii-
ties against any state with which the United
States are at peace, Of 10 increase the force
/ of any foreign armed vessel intended for
such hostiiities against friendly state.
Whatever concern may have been felt
/ by either Of the bclligareat powers lest pri-
vate armed cruisers, or other vessels, in the
service Of one, might be fitted out ia the
/ por's of this country to depfedase On the
/ property Of the other, all such fears have
proved TO be utterly groandless. Oar citi-
zsns have been withheld from any such act
Or pnrp2ss " good faith, and BY respectfor
tie t;tw.
I NFSile the laws Of the Tnfon are thus pc
remptory IN their prohibition Of the equip
lnent or armament Of beliigerent cruisers IN
our ports, they provide not less absolutely
+ that no person shall, within the territory OF
Jurisdiction Of the Udilel States enlist or
enter himself, or hire or retain another per-
! son TO enlist o. enter himself, or to % be-
i yand lhe limits or Jurisdiction Of the United
States with intent TO be enlisted or entered,
! IN the service of any foreign state, either as
a soldier, or Us 4 marine or saaman on
board Of any vessel Of war, letter Of mar
qaa or privateer. And these euactmants
are also 10 strict conformity with the law Of
nations, which declares that no state has
( the right TO raise troops for land or sen SER
vice III another state without its consent
aud that, whether forbidden by the munich
4 pal law OF not, the very attempt TO do IT.,
without such consent, is al attack Oh the
n4tional soyereign,y.
Such being the public rights aud the nlp-
nicipal law Of the United States, no solici-
tade on the subject was entertaiued by this
government, when, year since, the Brit
lsll Parliament passed an act to provide for
the enlistment OF foreigners in the military
+ service OF Great Britain. Nothing on the
face of the act, or its public history, indi-
Gated that the British government proposed
+ to attempt recruiting in The United States,
I nor did il ever give intimation OF such nten-
( ton to this government. 1t vas matter Of
surprise, therefore, to fad, subsequently,,
that the eagagemeat Of persons within the
United States, 10 proceed 10 Halitax, in the
British province of Nova Scotia, and there
enlist il the service of Great Britain, was
+ going Oh extensively, with little or no dis
gaise. Ordinary legal steps were i,nincli-
ately taken to arrest and punish parties
concerned, aal soput an end to acts To-
/ fringing the municipal laa and der0ga.ory
/ To our sovereignty. Meanwhile suitable
representations on thc Sabjecs were address
Ell to the British Government
ThereaFon It became known, OF the al-
mission OF the Bgitisa Government itself,
that the attempt to draw recruits from this
country originated with it, or at least had
had its approval and sanction; butit also
appeared that the public agents engaged in
it had stringent instructions not to violate
the municipal law of the United States.
Il is difficult to understand how il should
have been supposed that troops could be
raised here by Great Britain, without yio-
lation Of the municipal law. Tho unms-
taxable object OF the law was to prevent
every such act, which, if performed, must
be either IN violation of the law, or in
studied evasion OF it; and in either alterna-
tive, the act done would be alike iniuIions
to the sovereignty of the United States.
La the meantime the matter acquired ad-
ditional Importance, by the Recruitment IN
tue United States not being discontinued, !,
and the disclosure Of the fact that they
were prosecuted on systematic plan de-
vlsal by Official authority; that recruiting
RENDEZVOUS had been opened in our princi-
pal cities, and depo,s for the reception of
recruits established on our frontier; and
tho ,rag,ia l.pSinaSe c,,.,l,a,o ,xc L. .l.a s,