Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1856-01-11


ly employed by Great Britain and France,
transporting troops, provisions, and muni-
tions of war to the principalseat of militia
nv operations, and in bringing home their
sick and wounded soldiers; but such use of
our mercantile marine IS not interdicted eli
ther by the international, or by our muni-
cipaI law, and therefore does not compromit
our neutral relations with Russia.
But our municipal law, in accordance
with the law of nations peremptorily for
bidden, not only foreigners, but our own
citizens, to fit out within the limits of the
United States a vessel to commit hostihties
against any State with which the United
States are at peace, or to increase the force
of any foreign-armed vessel intended fol-
any such hostilitics against friendly State.
Whatever concern may have been felt by
either the belligerent powers lest private
armed cruisers, or other vessels in the SER
vice of one, might be fitted out in the ports
of this country to depredate on the proper
ty of the other, all such fears have proved
to be utterly groundless. Our citizens have
Withheld from any such act or purpose by
good faith. and by respect for the law.
While the laws of the Union are thus
peremptory in their prohibition of the
equipment or armament of belligerent crui
sers in our ports, they provided not less ab-
solutoly that no person shall, within the
territory or jurisdiction of the United States
enlist or enter himself, or hire or retain
another person to enlist or to enter himself
or to 90 beyond the limits or jurisdiction o.
the United States with intent to be enlisted
or entered, in the service of any foreign
State, either as a soldier, or as marine OF
seaman on board of any vessel-of-war, lettel
of marque, or privateer. And these enact
ments are also in strict conformity with the
law of nations, which declares, that nc
State has the right to raise troops for lane
or sea service in another State without it
consent; and that, whether forbidden by
the municipal law, or, not, the very attemp!
to do it, without such consent is an attack
upon the national sovereignty. - s
Such being the public rights and mum
cipal laws of the Uuited States, no solici
tude on the subject was entertained by the
Government, when a year since, the British
Parliament passed an act to provide for thC
enlistment Of foreigners in the military ser
vice of Great Britain. Nothing on the face
of the act, or in the public history, indicated
that the British Government proposed to at
tempt recruitment in the United States; no
did it ever give intimation of such intention
to this Government. 1t was matter o
surprise, therefore, to find subsequently, tina
the engagement of persons within the Uni
ted States to proceed to Halifax, in the Brit
ish Province of Nova Scotia, and there enlis
in the service of Great Britain, was going
on extensively, with little or no Disguise
Ordinary legal steps were Immediately tax
en- to arrest and punish parties concerned
and so put an end to acts infringing the mu
nicipal law and derogatory to the sovereign
ty. Meanwhile suitable representations o
the subject were addressed to the Britisl
Government.
Thereupn it became known, by the ad
mission of the British Government itself
that the attempt to draw recruits from thi
country originated with it, or at least had it
approval and sanction; but it also appear
that the public agents engaged in it, haC
stringent instructions" not to violate thC
municipal laws of the United States.
1t is difficult to understand how it shoulc
have been supposed that troops could b
raised here by Great Britain without the Vi
olation of the municipal law. The unmis
taxable object of the law was to prevent ev
ery such act, which, if performed, must b
either in violation of the law, or in studie'
evasion oft; and, in either alternative, tn
act done would be alike injurious to the SOY
ereignty of the United States. @
Meantime, the matter acquired addition
al importance by the recruitments in tn
United States not being discontinued, an
the disclosure of the fact that they wer
prosecuted upon systematic plan devise
by official authority; that recruiting render
vous had been opened in the principal eli
les, and depots for the reception of recruit
established on our frontier; and the Who'll
business conducted under the supervisio
and bv the regular cooperation of Britis
officers, civil and military, some in the Mort
American provinces, and some in the Tn
ted States. The completely of those of
GERS in an undertaking which could only b
accomplished by defying our laws, thrown
suspicion over our attitude of neutrality, an
disregarding our territorial rights, is col
clusively proved by the evidence elected o
the trial by such of their agents as hay
been apprehended and convicted. Some
the officers thus implicated are of high of
cial position, and many of them beyond oil
jurisdiction, so that legal proceedings coul
not reach the source of the mischief.
These considerations, and the fact thi
the cause of complaint was not mere ca
ual occurrence, but deliberate design, el
tered upon with a full knowledge of ol
laws and national policy, and conducted
responsible public funtionaries, impelled n
to present the case to the British Cover
E ment, in order to secure not only the cess
ton Of the wrong, but its reparation. II
subject is still under discussion, the result
which will be communicated to you in dl
time.
BRITISH RELATIoNs-CoNTINUED
repeat the recommendation submittt
to the last Congress, that provision be MAJ
for the appointment of a Commissioner,
, connection with Great Britain, to survc
and establish the boundary line which {
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