Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-07-06


the Secretary of State.
To The PRESIDENT: The Secretary of State,
to whom has been referred the resolution of
the Senate of the Gath inst, requiring the
President to ipform that body "if any au-
thority has been given any one, either in
this country or elsewhere, to obtain re-
icruits in Ireland or Canada for our army or
navy; and whether any such recruits have
been obtained, or whether, to the knowl-
edgeot the Government, Irishmen or Cana.
dians have been induced to emigrate to this
country in order to be recruited; and if so,
what measures, if any, have been adopted
in order to arrest such conduct;" has the
honor, in reply to the inquiries thus sub
mitted, to report that no authority has
been given by the Executive of this Gov
ernment, or by any Executive department,
to any one, either in this country or else
| where, to obtain recruits either in Ireland
or in Canada, or 10 any foreign couu-
| try, for either the army or the navy
of the Uoited States; aud, oD the contrary,
that whenever application for such author
ity has been made, il has been refused aud
absolutely withheld.
4 IL any such recruits have been obtained,
either.in the provinces named in the reso-
luton, or in any foreign country, they have
been obtained by persons who are not even
or citizens of the country where the re.
cruits we're obtained. The persons who
obtained such recruits, if sny we're so OBJ
| tanned, were amenable to the laws OF the
foreign province or country where their Of
fences were committed, and at the same time
time they 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 Department that re.
cruiting agents crossed the Canadian from
tier without authority, with view to en-
gage recruits or reclaim deserters. The
complaints thus made were Immediately
invested; the proceedings of such recruit
ing agents were promptly disavowed aud
condemned the recruits or deserters, if
any had been brought into the United
States, were at once returned, aud the Of
Tending agents were dismissed from the
public service.
In the land and naval forces of the
United States there are found not only
some Canadians, some Eugli5hmen, and
some Irishmen, but also many subjects of
continental European powers. All OF these
the United States. They enlisted after
their arrival on our shores of their own
free accord, within our own limits and ju-
risdicton, and not in any foreign country.
The Executive Government has no know
ledge of the nature of the special induce
ments which led these volunteers to emf
CRATE from their native countries, or of the
purpose for which they emigrated. 1t has,
however, neither directly nor indirectly
invited their immigration by any Offers of
| employment in the military or naval ser
vice. When such persons were 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 citizens of the
United States.
Having thus answered the inquiries con-
tanned in the resolution of the Senate, the
Secretary of State might here, with out i'm
propriety, close this report. Nevertheless,
the occasion is proper one for noticing
complaints on the subject of recruitment
in our army aud navy which have recently
found utterauce in the British House of
Lords. The Secretary of State has, there
fore, further 70 report that the Government
of the United States has practiced the most
scrupulous care in preventing and avoiding
in Great Britain, aud in all other foreign
countries, any Violatian of International or
municipal laws in regard to the enlistment
of soldiers and seamen.
Moreover, when the British Government,
or any other foreign government, has COM
planned of any alleged violation of the
rights of its subjects within the United
States, this Government has listened to
the complaints patiently, Investigated them
promptly, and, where redress was found
due and WAS practicable, has cheertully
] - Thia GnvaFnu1nnt ba Oth
er hand, has been obliged to submit in the
ordinary way grave complaints of the en-
| Iistment, equipment and periodical pay
ment, in British ports, of seamen and ma
rines employed iu making unauthorized
war from such ports against the United
States.
Itis notorious fact, manifest to all the
world, that vigorous aud continual tide
of emigration is flowing from Europe, and
| especially from portions of the British en-
pire, aud from Germany and Sweden, into
| the United States. This immigration, like
the immigration which preceded it, results
from the reciprocal conditions OF industri-
al and social life in Europe and America.
OF the mass of immigrants who arrive on
our shores, far the largest number go I'M
mediRtely into the occupations OF peaceful
industry. Those on the contrary, who are
| susceptible to the attractions of military
life voluntarily enter the national service
with similar class of our native citizens,
upon the same equal Inducements aud with
the same patriotic motive. There is no
law of nations and no principle of inter-
national comfy which requires us TO re-
fuse their aid in the cause of the coun-
try and humanity.
The Government does not repudiate or
discourage immigration. The Government
frankly asows that it encourages immigra-
ton from all countries, but only by open,
lawful and honorable agencies aud means.
However stateemen in other countries may
have at the beginning misunderstood the
nature and direction of the present civil
j --a. th.t and that dirantInn