Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-07-15
The ImpressmentO of British Subject s
Mt New Orleans.
RussELL's STATEMENT DEPENDED BY THE
BRITISH CONSUL.

RussELL's STATEMENT DEFENDED BY THE
BRITISH CONSUL.
[From the New Orleans Picayune July Gth.1
New ORLEANS, July :, 1861.
To the Editors of the Daily PicGyune:
Gentlemen: My attention has been called
to an article in yesterday mornings Plea
vune. commenting upon Mr.. Rnsscl's tenth
letter, written from this city, on the 25th
of May, in which my name is made use Of
for the purpose of Impending Mr.. Russell's
veracity. ! have not seen his letter, but
that is of little consequence, as am not
called upon either to coincide in his opin-
ions. or defend his views. | take it for
granted, however, that the extract from
the New York paper, relative to the i'm
pressment of British subjects, is correct,
and as the statement made by Mr. Russell
involves, a question or tact in which am
interested, think it due myself not to pre-
serve silence which might be miscon-
strued.
Mr.. Russcll's statement, you have, ap-
parently without any inquiry, character
lied, hot with your usual courtesy, rs ''an
outrageous f,lsehood of his own coinage"
&C., &c Let US see with what justice you
have used these severesexpressions.
1t is not the fact, as you suppose, that
ccts who enlisted in the army, and ebay
ing thought better of it," then invoked my
protection, made the basis of Mr.. Russelfs
statement, or, as you call it, "monstrous
invention" But IL is a fact that since the
2Sth of April to this present day, with very
slight intermissiou, many British subjects
some of whom were only a few weeks in
the country, were seized aud forcibly car
ried off from the levee, steamboat landing,
boarding houses. &c. to the different pla-
ces of rendezvous of military companies.
When the men resisted they were frequent
Iy assaulted, knocked down, and being
overpowered, carried off in furniture wIg-
ons to the headquarters of these embryo
companies, where the most violent threats
were used to compel them ''to sign the
papers,"
When these outrages commenced, adj
dressed, in the end of April anil beginning
of May, communications to His ExcellcnCy,
Gov. Moore, who at once granted all the
redress in his power, ny ordering the dis
charge of those men whose names could
furnish as having been illegally impressed.
His Excellency at the same time expressed
CHS unqualified condemnation" of such
outrages and stated that he would eu,len-
vor to put an end to them, as far as he hdi
any control or authority over tt parties
implicated. believe that in one case a
company was ordered to be disbanded, in
consequence of the very fragrant conduct
of the recruiting squads, who had kiduap-
ped men in midday at the end of the she'll
road.
AT the time of Mr.. Russells arrival i'll
this city, about thrty-ive or forty of these
''illegal musters" had been discharged, aud
my Office was still daily beseiged by NO
men. implorng me to get their husbands
released Within the last few days, there
have been over twenty applications of Il
similar kind, and some of the men, accnrd-
ing to the evidence, have been most severe
ly maltreated. One woman alleges that
her husband was seized on his way to pro-
cure medical help for their child, that i,
was three days before she discovered the
rendezvous where he was confined, and
when she saw him he was tied by cords and
CO hy Ihaf Sln scarcely