The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-01-09

undeniable rights of neutrality, individ.
ual aud national, the United States will
under no circumstances surrender In
pursuance of this policy the laws of the
United States do not forbid their citizens
to sell to either of the belligerent powers
articles contrabapd of war. or to take
munitions of war, or soldiers on board
their private ships for transport. and al
though in so doing the individual citizen
exposes his property or person to some
of the hazords of war, his acts do not in.
volvo any breach of neutrality. nor Of
themselves impicate the government
Thus during the progress of the present
war in Europe our citizens have without
national responsibility therefore sold
gunpowder and arms to all buyers. re-
gar9less of the destination of those arti.
clcs Onr merchants have been. and
still continue, to be largely employed by
Great Britain and bv France in tran
sporting troops, provisions and muni-
tions Of war to the principal seat Of mil
itary operations, aud in bringing home
their sick and wounded soldiers. But
such use our mercantile marine is not in.
ter1ictcd either by The international. or
by our municipal law. and therefore does
not compromise our neutral relations
with, Russia Bot onr municipal law, in
accordance with the law of netions. per-
omptorily fnrbids. not only foreigners hut
onr own ciii2"ns. to fit our within the
limits of the United States vessel to
commit hosiilities against any state with
which the United States nrd at peace or
to Increase the force of any foreign arm
cd vessels intended for such hostilities
against Il friendly State.
Whatever concern may have been 1t
by either of the heligcrrnt powers. lest
private armed cruisers or other vessels
iE the service of one might he fitted ont
in the ports of this country to depredate
on the property of the other, all such
fears have proved to be utterly ground
less Oar citizens have been withheld
from any such act or purpose, but By
good faith and by respect for the law
While the laws Of tho Union are thus
pcrcmptorily i'll their prohibition of the
equipment or armament of belligerent
cruisers in our ports. they provide not
less absolut' IL that no person shall within
the territory or jurisdiction of the Unit.
ed States, eni,t or enter. or to 90 be.
vond the limits or jurisdiction of the
United States. with intent to be enlisted
or entered in the service Of any foreign
state. either ms n marine or seaman on
board of any vessel Of war. letter of
narquc, or privateer. and these enact
mants are also in strict conformity with
the Laws Of Nations, which declares hat
no state has the right to raise troops for
land or sea service in another state with
out its consent. and that, whether forbid
den by the municipal laws or not, the
very attempt to do it with such consent
is an attack on the national sovereignty.
Such being the public rights and tho mu.
ncipnl law of the United States. no soil.
ci'udc on the subject was entertained by
this government when. year since, the
British Parliament passed an " act to
prNvide for the enlistment of foreigners
in the military service of Great Britain
Nothing on the face of the act or IN the
public history, indicated that the Brit
ish government proposed to attempt re.
crnitmentan the United States. nor did
it ever give intimation of such Intention
to this government 1t was n matter Of
surprise, therefore, to find, subsequently,
that the engagement Of PERSONS within
the United States, to proceed to Halifax,
in the British province of Nova Scotia,
and there enlist in the service If Great
Britain, was going on extensively, with
little or no disguise. Ordinary legal
steps were Immediately taken to arrest
and publish parties concerned, and so put
an end to acts infringing the municipal
law, and dcrogatory to our sovereignty.
Mcanwhilc, suitable representations on
the subject were addressed to the Brit.
lNh government. Thoreupon, it became
known by the admission Of the British
government itself that the attempt to
draT recruits from this country origin.
atcd with it; or,at least, had its approval
or sanction but it also appeared that
the public agents engaged in it had
stringent instructions not to violate the
municipal law Of the United States 1t
is difficult to understand how it should
have been supposed that troops could be
raised here by Great Britain without vi
olation Of the municipal law.
The unmstakable object of the law
was to prevent every such act, which, if
performed, must be either iu violation Of
the law or in studied evasion Of It, and
in either alternative the act. done would
be alike injurious to the sovereignty Of
the United States In the meantime the
matter acquired additional importance
by the recruitment in tue United States
not being discontinued, and the lisclos
urG of the fact that they were prosecuted
upon a systematic plan, devised by oiiici.
a! authority that recruiting rendezvous
bad been opened in our principle cities
and depotS for the reception of recruits
established on our frontier and the whole
business conducted under the regular co.
operation Of British officers civil and
some in the North American
provinces aud some 10 the United States.
The completely of these officers in AL un.
dertaking which could only bo accom-,
plished by defying our laws aud dIsre.
garding our territorial rights is conclu-