Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1856-06-19

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Of entering into the British army, anG
by keeping these agents in this EN-
ployment after it was well known thai
they were constantly infringing oul
laws.
The denial Of the implicated off.
GERS only covers part Of the delin.
quencies imputed to them; but, con6n.
ing the exculpatory declaration to the
simple charge of having violated the
provisions of our neutrality act, il
does not merit the consideration which
Lord Clarendon has ascribed to it
By adopting Lord Clarendon's con.
struction of our neutrality law contain
edin hisnote 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 oi
Mr.. Champion and the consuls all the
consideration which can be fairly
claimed for it under the circumstances
of the case, it cannot counterbalance
the unimpeached and we'll sustained
evidence which establishes the char
ges against these officers Of having
infringed the laws and sovereign
rights of the United States.
Lord Clarendon's note to you of the
S0th Of April conveys the impression
that the evidence by which these Off
GERS are implicated is derived from
one or two witnesses whose credibility
has been assailed. This, however,
is not correct view of the facts. .
By the examination Of my despatch
of the 2Sth Of December, it will be
perceived that these witnesses were
strongly corroborated, and that there
are proofs, wholly indie pendent Of
their testimony, abundantly sufficient
to establish the com plicity of Mr..
Champion and the consuls in the In
fringement of the laws and sovereign
rights of the United States. I trust
it will not be questioned that it be-
longs exclusively to this government
and its judicial tribunals to give a
construction to its municipal laws, and
to determine what acts done within
its jurisdiction are infringements of
those laws. This is a matter which
concerns it's internal administration,
and it can not allow the agents of any
foreign power to controvert that con-
struction, and justify their conduct
by different Interpretation Of our
laws, which virtually renders them in
effective for the purposes intended.
The Earl Of Clarendon informs
you, in his note of the Both of April,
that Mr.. Champion positively denies
the charge Of completely in any of
the acts of illegal enlistment in the
United States, and that the three
consuls inculpated do the same. He
assumes that the charge against them
is sustained mainly by the evidence
of two persons, Strobel and Hertz
whom he conceives to be unworthy of
c1edit;and he appeals to the American
government to accept as conclusive
the declar atoms of the minister and
consuls. l am instructed to say
that these considerations do not re-
lieve the Presidents mind of the un-
favorable impression produced by the
conduct of those gentlemen in relation
to foreign recruitment in the United
States.
It will be seen by referring to my
despatch of the 28th Of December,
in which the grounds Of charge
against Mr.. Champion were fully stat
ed, that the testimony of Strobel and
Hertz was quite secondary, and
an unimportant, part of the evidence
adduced; the charge being supported
independently Of their testimony, by
other witnesses, by original letters Of
Mr.. Champion and others, and by un-
denied and undeniable acts of Mr..
Champion.
AS to Strobel and Hertz, however,
itmay be observed that the documents
transmitted by Lord Clarendon, as
proving those persons unworthy Of
credit, are entitled to but little weight
consisting, as they do chiefly Of en-
parte afidavits, detailing matters
mostly Of mere hearsay. And what
ever may have been the character Of
those persons, it by no means follows
that they did not testify to the truth
They were agents selected and trusted