The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-05-31

seongs exclusively to this Government and ts In
tribunals TO give construction 10 its mn n
~ s. avs, , ana TO determine what acts done with
IN, us jurisdiction are infringement OF those la,vs
ms is matter which concerns its internal aim;
.Ianon and 1t cannot allow the agents of an,
,,oiesh rover TO centroyert that construction aus
,neir conduct by different interprets stior
OF our laws. which virtually renders them ir,tFar
i've ior the purposes intended
/ me Eail OF Clarendon informs you In his nots
oi tne Joth OF April, that Mr. Crampton positiyeI,
oenies the charge of completely In any OF the act
~ hegsI enlistment In the United States, and tha
sne .h'se Consuls inculpated do the same He as
snmes that the charge against them il gustainel
| NANNY oy the evidence of two persona Strobe
ana hertz. whom he conceives to be unworthy O.
eieo,t ana no appeals to the American Govern
ineht 10 accept, as conclusive, the declarations o.
.ae minister and Consuls. l am instructed to say
| thst tnese considerations do not relieve the Presi
GENTS m.nd OF the unfavorable impressions pro
uuced by the conduct of those gentlemen in rela
tion to foreign recruitment in the U. States.
Ii VIII be seen, by referring TO my dispatef, O,
tne 2oth OF December, in which the grounds OF
charge against Mr. Champion were fully stated
that the testimony of Strobel and Hertz was quite
secondary and an unimportant part of the evi
dence acduced, the charge being supported ;nde
pendenty Of their testimony by other witnesses
by original letters of Mr.. Champion and others
and by undenied and undeniable acts of Mr. Cramu.
ton.
As TO Strobei and Hertz however. il NAV be OBJ
Clarendon. as proving those persons unworthy OF
credit are entitled to but little weight. consisting
as they do chiefly of -parte affidayits detailing
matters mostly OF mere hearsay And whatever
may nave been the character of those persons 1t
oy no means follows that they did not testify 10 the
truth Ihey were agents selected and trusted by
Mr.. Champion himself and to them he committed
most important concerns Such an endorsement
should countervail the impeachment of their ve-
raeity, founded en- loose hcarsay reports Nor does
II seem to be thing of much moment in relation
10 the present question that Strobel in conse-
quence OF imputed misconduct, was dismissed
from employment by the Lieutenant Governor of
nova Scotla, ana afterwards .endeaYored to obtain
money from mr Champion. Tho fact remains that
he held commission in the British Foreign Le-
gion, and that, as it is clearly proved, and not de-
hled, he maintained, as recruiting officer, and for
a considerable period of time association, person
ally or by correspondence with Mr Champion.
The employment of Strobel by Mr. Crampton,
their long association in the joint work of recruit
ing IN the United States for the Foreign Legion,
the distinction of her Maesty's commission of cap
tain in that corps conferred Strobel would seem
at least to deprive Mr. Champion the right to deny
his credibiity witness.
Bat there is larger and more comprehensive
class of considerations applicable to this particular
question. For q period of nearly five months
that is, from about the middle of March, 1855, to
the 9th of August, l855--the peace and order of
this country were disturbed especially in the cities
of Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Cincin-
ny tue UNLAWFUL actS numerous persons en-
gagged in raising recruits in being recruited for
the British Foreign Legion. They were supplied
with ample funds by British agents. They obst
natcy resisted and set at naught all the efforts of
the local authorities of the United States to put
stop TO their proceedings, nor did they desist until
they received orders to that effect from the British
Government in the month of August The re-
cruits thus unlawfuy raised in the United States
during all that time were conveyed by British
agents to Halifax, and there enrolled in the Foreign
Legion.
All these acts, as well as their iliegaty, were
notorious. Long before the trial Of Hertz in Sep
tember, and of Wagner in October they must
have been brought to the particular notice of Mr.
Champion, the British Consus, and other agents,
by preliminary judicial inquiries which took place
both at New York and Philadelphia.
In consequence of the steps to that effect taken
by me the 22d of March, the proper instructions
were issued on the 23d, and prosecutions com
menced in Philadelphia the Both of March, and
in New York on the 5th of April
AS example of the character of these proceed
ings their notoriety, and their conclusive legal ef
feet what occurred in May deserves particular
tiee.
At New York, ON the 18th of May, number of
persons, namely, Godfried Watcher, Wilhelm
Julius Parkus, Oscar Cromey, and
Andrew LutZ were examined before Commission
er Belts on the charge of recruiting for the SER
vice of Great Britain. Eminent counsel Were en-
ployed by the parties accused who argued that no
offence had been committed, because it did not ap-
pear that any valid contract of enlistment had
been consummated. But this ground of defence
was overruIed by the Commissioner, who. though
he discharged Watcher for defective evidence,
Lutz, Schumacher, Cromey, and Par
kus.
At Philadelphia. on the Goth of May, three per-
sons Hertz Perkins, and Bucknall having been
arrested the charge of illegal recruiting in the
service of Great Britain, applied to the Circuit
Court of the United States, by habeas corpus, to
be discharged from custody. The presiding judge,
<h.,I IIoyn rat nTa nartn fRnffh No
evidence taken in the case before commissioner,
found that the proofs We're sufficient to bring the
acts of Hertz and Perkins within the conditions OF
the law, but not so as to Bucknall. Accordingly
the latter wss discharged but the TWO former were
for trial.
Thus, so early as May, it was iudieiously shown
that what doing in this respect was unlawful.
Mr. Champion acquainted with these proceed
ngs, and was thus sufficiently admonished that the
acts of recruitment carried on under his authority
did in fact, whatever may have been his intention,
con stitute violation of the municipal law of the
United States. This had been decided by the
courts of the United States, and vas publicly and
extensively made known. 1t is not controverted,
indeed it is admitted that he had the recruiting
business in his charge and under his control; yet
le permitted it to be continued although judicial
" determined to be unlawful through the months
If May, June, and July, into August.
Now this long series of acts, unlawful and other
wise prejudeial to the good name and the tran
Iuilty OF IulS WcTe pSiIOiucu oy pei
ions who were literally paid by British officers,
lnd many of whom actually entered the military
erviee of Great Britain. That was incontestabiy
proved on the trial of Hertz and Wagner, by svi-
ience which has not been and cannot be impeach-
ID and although the evidence adduced on those
rals DOES not need confederation, still it may not
,e amiss to add that much other evidence to the
anne effect is in the possession of this Govern
nent some of which is annexed to this dispatch IN
he form of documents responsive to those accom-
,anying the letter of the Earl of Clarendon.
Who is to be held accountable for these unlAw-
ul ac!s2 Were they all performed by volunteer
md irresponsible persons, as argued in the Earl OF
Jarendon's dispatch CT the 10Th of July That
annot be admitted, for the conclusive reason that
hey received pay from British officers, and OF
course were employed by some responsible agents
If the British Government.
The Earl of Clarendon, in behalf of her Males
US Government, disclaims all intention to violate
he laws, compromise the neutrality, or dsrespect
he sovereignty of the United States, by enlisting
troops within their territory The President un-
accepts and is fully satisfied with this
disclaimer. OF course the unlawful acts in ques-
ion were not authorized by the British Govern
nent but the fact Is. nevertheless, well estab-
ished that they were done, and done In the name
md at the expense of the British Government
Who, then, is responsible for those actsf Were
here no direct proof-though there is much Of
bat cba Inference would he irresistihie