The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-12-16
THE WAR ON THE SEACOAST.
THE QUESTION OF CONSULAR EXEMPTION FROM MILL
Correspondence Of the Richmond Examiner.


Correspondence Of the Richmond Examiner
CHARLESTON, S. g., Doc. 8, 1851.
All is very quiet here. Tho prompt and universal ODE
dience to the military order calling out the volunteers
and militia OF the city, has quite srip the business por
ton Of Charleston OF its wonted life. Very many Of the
wholesale and reta Closed and those which
arc no, are managed either by who have claimed
exemption from militia service, under tho certificate Of
some foreign citizenship, atested by some one of the
consuls resident here, by those who too old too
young to within the provisions OF the militia law
are enrolled in the regiment of reserves" This reg
msn by the way s quite feature IN the military es
MES, averaging, perhaps, ninety each all admirably
armed, equipped and drilled The whole regiment
excepting the flank companies, which made up Of
youths), is composed of what may BIO termed
the the, "sod men men, OF our city, many OF them
frames, and all imb1ed with that spirit Of and
fixed resolution, which, in mature years. takes the
place Of the impnlsive arder OF the young volun.
of black SLOUGH hat, bearing on the side cockade
of palmetto leaf, and citizens dress Of black
other dark color to which the cross belts aud metal
equipments give a sufficiently military air. II Is really
an imposing sight to see this tine body OF men, generally
OF large and well developed physique, drawn up upon the
Citadel green which the Place dArmes OF Charleston
The Reserves organization intended chiefly for the
defence Of tho city proper and to maintain order the
absence Of the younger volunteer regiments. They drill
high degree OF efficiency All the other city troops are in
camp and ready to do their duty.
! have alluded 70 the fact that many persons have
claimed and obtained consular exemption from military
duty This brings up delicate queston-ons which has
Of late been matter OF considerable comment anddis
hereto tho right of the foreign consuls to
exercise their official functions in port of the Conrede
rate States under the exequadr of the United States
government. day or two ago resolution Of inquiry
this very subject was introduced into the state Legs
lature, now in session at Columbia.
IN two cases--hose by the French and Spanish con.
suihe circumstances under which the consular duties
fulfilled are rather peculiar During the short period
in which South Carolina, by her secession, stood
separated from all her late sister States-South a. we'll as
North-of the federal Union render.
certain communications between the
authorities and the Spanish consulate Senior Moncada
who fills that position accordingly received from the
government official letter incidentally recognizing his
consular authority. Although this letter for
nal oxequatur yet in its effect, II nay be said to be
equivalent to one The position OF the French Consul NJ.
de ST. Andre, is oven more singular He appointed
late in the spring to succeed NJ. Bellgny, who
withdrawn from this country at his request
count, believe OF bad health. When the appontee
reached Now York communication between the North and
the South through Vrgina had already been broken Off
He lost no time however reaching Charleston bythe
way of louisville and has never paid any Official visit
either to Washington or Richmond. He assumes
and exercises all the functions and privileges Of the
sui Of France absolutely without any exequatur either
from the Confederate or United States government. No
doubt his policy in this regard Ia strictly in accordance
with instructions Of the french Emperor is it easy
how he could have acted otherwise; since France
yet has official cognizance OF the existence of the
Southern confederacy while to have come to reside in
Charleston with exequatur under the signature the
" baboon, and that obtained after the had actually
begun, would have been, to say the least, step OF
doubtful policy.
foreign consus here claim their solely under
their old cxequaturs from the Executive Of the United
States. understand that they consider this course war;
raned by number OF good presidents, among which s
prominently cited the case OF the conss at Naples dur
der the authority OF exequatur which they had received
from the government which de fdcto government had
completely overhrown and succeeded AS sign Of the
tines it may be worth mentioning that several Of the
consn6s here, including the French and Spanish have
lately erected large agstafs over their resdences-a
mark Of ve5e alton for their respective governments,
which until now Inv had forgotten TO show.
General Psmberiop ed here yesterday. hear
that he thinks Charleston the eass place W defend VI
all the cities on our Atlantic seaboard