The true Democrat., 1856-04-01

1
 nonuced and resisted any attempt on the part of their enemy to send its agents into the ports of the United States to fit out privatcers, and engage sailors to man them. But would the government of the United States be less cen- suraby neglectful of the duties of neutrality were 1t now to suffer one of the allies to recruit armies within its borders than it would have been, had it permitted the other belligerent to resort to American seaportS for the purpose of organizing privateer force to take part in the present war!
 In view of all these considerations, the Presi- dent has instructed the undersigned to ascertain
 from the earl Of Clarendon how far persons in oflclal station under the British government nave acted, whether with or without its ap- Prooation, either in enlsting persons within the ohited States, or engaging them to proceed from thence to the British provinces for the purpose oi oelhg there enlisted and what measures, II any, have been taken to restrain their un- Justlhabe conduct"
 The next letter is from Mir. Marcy to Mr. Buchanan, dated July l5, 1855, Tn which he states that enlistments continued to go on.-- Mir. Marcy wrtes:-
 "The notification of the governor of Nova Scotia Ca cory of which accompaed my dis patch of the 9th ultimo) is unrevoked; agents in our principal cities are now busily engaged in making contracts with persons to go into the British provinces, and there to complete their enrolment in the British army; liberal advances still continue to be made as an nducement for entering into such engagements, and free pas sage to the British provinces is provided for them. The facts that these persons receive compensation for their engagements, are taken to the provinces free of charge, and there treat ed as under obligation to perfect their enlist ment in the British army, show that what has been done in the United States was set on foot by the British officers in the provinces, and that this scheme was not abandoned after the presentation of Lord Clarendons note of the l2th of April, 1855, but is continued down to the present time, and is prosecuted with more vlgor and effect than at any previous period
 If an apology grounded upon an alleged ig- norance of our laws, could be offered for intro duclng this scheme for recruiting the British army by men drawn from the United States, that excuse could not be available after the provisions of these laws were first made known to those engaged in the scheme.
 Since that time many months have elapsed, and the British officers, with a full knowledge of the illegality of the procedure and of its of fensive character to the government and people of the United States as an open contempt of their sovereign rights, persist in carrying on this obnoxious scheme without any open disappro- val by the home government, or any attempt to arrest it.
 This persistence If British officers, residents here or in the provinces, in countenanc;ng and aiding, unrestraned by their government, and apparently with its approval, is to carry out this device of drawing recruits for the British army from the United States, gives grave inn portance to the subject, and calls, as the Presi- dent believes for some decisive reparation."
 And Mr. Marcy writes that
 The President instructs you to say to her majeSty's government that he expects it will take prompt and effective measures to arrest their proceedings, and to discharge from service those persons now in it who were enlisted with in the United States, or who left the United States under contracts made here to enter and serve as soldiers in the British army'
 This note was read, with the exception of one paragraph, to the earl of Clarendon, and copy left with him. The reply to it is dated July 16 1855. It commences bv expressing the "regret of her majesty's government IF the law of the United States has been in any way infringed by persons acting with or without any authority from them;" it then proceeds to state the measures taken by the British govern ment to make known the fact that 1t was ready to accept of volunteers for the army; and then 1t has the following:-
 It can scarcely be matter of surprise that, when 1t became known that her maiestv's go- vernment was prepared to accept these volun- tary offers, many persons in Uarious quarters shOuH give Menselves out as agents emptOyed by the British goUernnaenh, in Me hope ot earning re- acard by promoting, tt0ugh on their o0n responsi bilty, an object achch btey a10aye toas taU0ra bly looked upon by the British governmenH Her majesty's government do not deny that the acts and advertisements of these self-constitut- ed and unauthorized agents ocere in na1Iy ia- stances undo,Nted volatiOns oT tue laaC of Me Uni- ted States; but sch persons had no authority aohat ever for their proceeHings from any British agents Jy aH cf aolSona they 0ere promptly and unequirO caNy disaUoped"
 Lord Clarendon states that Mir. Champion was directed to issue strict orders to the British consuls in the United States to be careful not to violate the law, and Mr. Champion was en- joined above all, to have no conceal,uent J'ohe hegorenme'H of the U1aited States"
 When this reply was written, Mir. Buchanan was not aware ofthe complictyof Mir. Crampton and of the British consuls with the enlistment scheme; and in acknow lodging its reception, he (Mr. Buchanan( writes to Lord Clarendon that " he will have much satisfaction i'll transmitting copy'' of the note by the next steamer to the secretary of state; and Mr. Marcy subsequently, (Oct. l, 1853 states that had the facts been as he (Lord Clarendon) assumed them to be and this government had no reason to believe that the measure (plan of recruitng) was not designed to draw recruits from the United States his lordship's reply would have been satisfactory" But the developments in the trial of Hurtz, which occurred in August, prov ed that Lord Clarendon was misinformed; and Mir. Buchanan, in an explanatory note, Oct 3, writes" need scarcely say that, had been informed that her Britanuic majesty's repre- sentative at Washington had placed himself in the position attributed to him by Capt. Strobel, should not have expressed to Lord Claren- don my satisfaction in transmitting to you his note of the 16th of July"
 At this time the documents show an eXtra- ordinary state of things as to this enlistment scheme. Lord Clarendon had enjoined Mir. Champion to have "no conceament from the government of the United States;" and he to this government appears Tn the light ot discoun- tenancng this scheme; yet at the trial of Hurtz 1t came out, in the evidence, that this very Mir. Crampton was at the head of this scheme; and the fact was established by his own letters- And that under him were acting several of the British consuls in this country. It is with the vital fact in view of the complicity of these re- presentatives of Great Britain, with papabe violations of oar municipal laws and positive invasions of our sovereign rights, that the sub- sequent correspondence should be judged.
 At this time President Pierce, August 6, 1855, submitted to Attorney General Gushing 1. <c British levy of troops in our cities; and request ed his opinion, whether the acts as reported were in violation of our municipal laws or na- tional sovereignty. This ecited from this officer an opinion characterized by his large learning and admirable clearness of reasoning; and it exclusively established the polnts-on the branch of the subject we are reviewing that
 1. The acts of enlistment in question are contrary to the municipal law of this country, and indctable as a high misdemeanor.