The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-07-09
BURLINGTON WEEKLY HAWK-EYE;

EEAL1 HAWh-E1E.
The Alleged Fereign Enlistnent'
"A Pointed Letter. 1Fon 0ecre
taFy Seward. IL
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, L..
WASHINGTON, June Is.
To the President Tho Secretary d
state, to whom has been referred the reso.
luton Of the Senate OF the 24th instant, re-
4uesting the President 70 inform that body
any authority has been given any one,
either in this county or elsewhere, to Oh
tain recruits in Ireland or Canada for our
army or navy; and whether any such re-
cruits have been obtained, or whether, to
the knowledge Of the Government, Irish
men or Canadians have been induced to
emigrate to this country in order to be re-
cruited; and il 90, what measures, il any,
have been adopted in order to arrest such
conduct" has the honor, in reply to the
inquiries thus submitted. to report, that
no authority has been given by the Execu-
tive OF this Government, or by any execu-
tive department, to any one, either in this
country or elsewhere, to obtain recruits
either in Ireland or in Canada, or in any
navy Of the United States; and, on the
contrary, that whenever application for
such authority has been made, it has been
refused and absolutely withheld.
\ II any such recruits have been obtained,
either in the provinces named in the reso-
lution or in any foreign country, they have
been obtained by persons who are not
even citizens Of the United States. but sub
jects or citizens of the country where the
recruits were obtained. The persons who
obtained such recruits, If any were SO OBJ
tanned, were amenable to the laws of the
foreign province or country where their
ofenses were committed, and at the same
time they were not within the reach of our
own laws and tribunals; and such persons
acted without any authority or consent,
and even without the knowledge Of this
Government. THIS Government has no
knowledge that any such recruits have
been obtained In the provinces named, or
in any foreign country. In two or three
instances it has been reported to this De-
partment that recruiting agents had cross
ed the Canadian frontier, without, authori-
claim lesertera. The complaints thus
made were Immediately investigated; the
proceedings Of such recruiting agents were
promptly disavowed and condemned, the
recruits or deserters, if any had been
brought into the United States, were at
once returned and the offending agents
dismissed from the public service.
In the land and naval forces Of the Uni
ted States there are found not only some
Canadians, some Englishmen and some
Irishmen, but also many subjects of Con-
tinental European powers. All of these
persons were voluntary immigrants into
The United States. They enlisted after
their arrival on our shores Of their own
free accord, and not in any foreign cOun-
try. The Executive Government has no
knowledge Of the nature Of the special in
ducements which led these volunteers to
emigrate from their native countries, or Of
the purposes for which they emigrated. It
has, however, neither directly or indi.
rectly, invited their immigration by any
naval service. When such persons are
found within the United States, exactly
the same inducements to military service
were open to them which by authority of
law were offered at the same time to citi.
zens of the United.States.
Having thus answered the inquiries con-
tanned in the resolution of the Senate, the
Secretary Of State might here, withoutim-
prOpriety, close this report. Nevertheless,
the occasion is q proper one for noticing
complaints on the subject of recruitment
in our army and navy which have recently
found utterance in the British Honse Of
Lords. The Secretary Of State has, there
fore, farther to report that the Government
Of the United States has practiced the most
ing in Great Britain, and in all other for
cign countries, any violation of interna-
tiOnal or municipal law in regard to the en-
listment of soldiers and seamen.
Moreover, when the British Govern
nlent or any other foreign Government
has complained of any alleged violation of
the rights of its subjects IN the United
complaints patiently, Investigated them
promptly, and, where redress was found
due and was found practicable, has cheer
fully accorded it. This Government, on
the other hand, has been obliged TO sub
NIT in the ordinary way grave complaints
Of the enlistments, equipment and periodi-
cal payment, in British ports, Of seamen
orized war from such ports against the
United States.
Il is q notorious fact, manifest to all the
world, that vigorous and continual tide
Of emigration is flowing from Europe, and
especially from portions Of the British EN-
pire, and from Germany and Sweden, into
the United States. This immigration, like
from the reciprocal conditions Of indus
trial and social life in Europe and America.
| or the mass Of immigrants who arrive on
f0ur shores, far the largest number 60 i'm
mediately into the occupations Of peaceful
industry. Those, on the contrary, who are
susceptible to the attractions Of military
life, voluntarily enter the national service
zens, upon the same equal Inducements
and with the same patriotic motives. There
il no laM of nations and no principle Of
international comfy which requires us tc
refuse their aid in the cause Of the country
and Of humanity.
The Government does not repuciate o.
discourage immigration. The Govern.
ment frankly avows that 1t encourages i'm
migration from all countries, but only by
open, lawful and honorable agencies and
means. However statesmen In other coun'
tries may have at the beginning misun'
derstoosi thenature and direction of tht
present civil. war, that nature and that di'
rection were not misunderstood by thu
Government OF the United States. It was
forseen here that the seditiouse attempt tc
divide the American Union, If not discour
aged by other commercial and maratinls
powers, would not merely produce grea
1 commercial and social embarrassment II
the United States, but that, If il should b.
persisted IN and protracted, IL must seri
ously disturb the commerce and industry
Of other nations. Upon this ground
larnong. others, the Government OF thu
/ United States earnestly reconstructed witt
/ c~ns 81 fhnoiP award MN