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


eustoned pursuits, by land or by sea, a;
home or abroad, subject only to such re-
stfietions ia this relation, as the laws ol
war, the usage of nations, or special trea-
ties, may impose; and it is our sovereign
rlglit 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 fleets, the levy of troops
/ for their service, the fitting ont Of cruisers
/ by or against either, or any other act or To-
cident Of war And these undenlable rights
of neutrality, individual and national, the
/ United States Will under no circumstances
! surrender.
! In pursuance Of this policy, the laws of
/ the United States 10 not forbid thsr citi-
zens 70 sell 70 either of the belligsreut
I powers articles, contraband Of war, or to
take munitions Of war or soldiers on hoard
their private ships for transportation; AMI,
although, in 50 doing, the individual ci,i-
! zeu exposes his property or person to some
OF the lsazirds OF war, his aets do not IN
/ yolye any brepeh Of national ncusrlli,q,
nor Of themselves impiicats the gogernnlept
ihps, during the progress Of the prescott
! war in Europe, oar citizens have, without
national responsibility therefore, sold gun
powder and arals to all buyers, reearliess
Of the destination Of these articles. Oar
merchantmen have been, aud still continue
to bs, largely employed by Great Britain
and by France, in transporting troop, pro-
visions, and munitions Of war to the priaci-
pal seat Of military operations, and in bring
lng home their sick and wounded soldiers:
/ but such use Of our mercantile marine is
not interdictei either BY the international,
o: by our municipal law, and therefore doe,
not compromit our neatral relations with
Russia.
Bdt our municipal law, in accordance
with the law Of nations, perenptorily for
! bids, not only foreigners, but our own citi-
zans, to fit out, within the limits Of tha
United States, a vessel TO commit hostili-
ties against any state with which the United
States are al peace, or to increase the force
Of any foreign armed vessel intended fol
such hostiiities against friendly state
Whatever concern may have been fell
BY either Of the bclligarent powers lest pri-
vate armed erUisers, or other vessels, il he
services Of one, might be fitted out il the
pog's Of this country to depfedata On the
/ property of the other, ali such fears have
proved to be utterly grouadless. Oar citi-
zens have been withheld from any such act
o. purpose BY good faith, and b. respect for
The Etw.
AF'Ajle the laws Of the ORION are thus pc
remptory in their prohibition Of the equip
ment or armament of belligerent cruisers in
our ports, they provide not less absolutely
that no nersou shall, within the territory OF
jurisdiction Of the United States enlist or
enter himself, or hire or retain another per-
son to enlist o. enter himself, or to 90 be-
y1nd lhe limits or jurisdiction of the United
States with intent TO be enlisted CIR entered,
I in the service Of any foreign state, either as
soldier, or as marine or seaman on
board Of any vessel Of war, letter of mar
Gae or privateer- And these enactnents
are also in strict conformity with tie law Of
nations, which declares that no state has
the right to raise troops for land or. sea ser
vice IL another state without It's CONSENT
and that, whether forbidden by the munisi-
pal law or not, tie very attetRot to do II
without such consent, is 40 attack on tbs
national sovereignty.
Such being the pnblic rights and the mn
nicipal law Of the United States, no solicit
tade OH the subject was entertained by thi.
government, when, year since, the Brit
Ish Parliament passed an act to provide fol
the enlistment OF foreigners in the miiitary
service of Great Britain. Nothing on tht
face Of the act, or its public history, indi-
Gated that the British government proposed
to attempt recruiting in the United States
nor did il ever give inlimatOn Of such inten.
tion to this government. Ii was matter o
surprise, therefore, to Gad, subsequently,
/ that the eagagemeut Of persons within the
/ United States, to proceed 10 Haljfpx, in TIC
British province If Nova Scotia, and there
enlist II the service Of Great Britain, was
going Oh extensively, witt! li,t!e or no dis
guise. Ordinary Legal steps were immcli-
ately taken to arrest and punish parties
concerned, and soput an end to acts To-
fringing the muaicipal laN aud deroga;ory
to our sovereignty. Meanwhile saitahle
( representations on tac subject were address
Ell TO the BRITISH Governments
Thereap0n 1t became known, oy the al-
mission OF the Bgitisa Government itself,
that the attempt to draw recruits from thi,
country originated with it, or at least had
had its approval anl 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 it should
have been supposed that troops could be
raised here by Great Britain, without yio-
lation of the municipal law. The unms-
taxable object Of the law was TO prevent
every such act, which, if performed, mast
! be either IN violation OF the law, or in
studied evasion OF it; and in either aterna-
tive, The act done wonld be alike injurious
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 systenlatic plan de-
/ vlsel by official authority; that rccruiting
RENDEZVOUS bud been opened in our princi-
pal cities, and depots for the reception Of
recruits established on our frontier; and
the winnie Iusir,aSS ca,,d,sctod r,ntlar tia s,,-