, 1866-07-31
THE FENIAN PRISONERS.

Message rom The PresIdenf-Corres-
pondene4 Between Secretary Seward
ard The Brttiah Minister. /:
The President, July eth, sent to the HOUSE
a messagc In reply TO two resolutions Of tho
Houso. The 1rst requesting him to urge
upon the Canadian authorities aud also the
Bzitsh Government the release Of the Fenian
prisoners recently captured ID. Canada and
the second requcstfng him 10 causs tho pros
ccutlons institu:sd in tho United States
against tho Fcnians to 10 discontinued, tt not
incompatible With the public interests. Tho
following documcEts are eucloscdi !
~ DE-Anr4EnT o. trArh
WARRINGTON, D. q. Jnly N, 1901
The Secretary Of state, 10 whom was 70.
ferfetl Two resolutions Of tho House 81. Rep.
rcbcntntlvcs, pasecd on tho I'D Of July lii.
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respectfully fsqnasi tbs i'resllont Of the uaite1
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70 : dhconitnuaa. II compatible viii ths paGi'd
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United Biatos 'hnltla no corttaponlunco di.
reilly upon any aulJecl with thu Cana,ltni.
nut,osifrs niontionc1i In the said resolution,
Uf With tic authorities Of kny cnlohy, Itrt,.
Vince or dependency Of any o.bcr sovereign
1o.pondcuco concerning qae.tians which
alIso iu, or cfroct, ur to,ato to s,,cl colonies,
provinces or lcronhonciaA, Il always GuHaucE
Cd exclusively With such foro'sa Govern.
Oh thc 1ltii Of Juno lass noso wis adstrca.
scd Ly th!s Department to tic Honorable
Btr Frederick. ". A. Drncc, Jlcr Mnlosty's
Minister Plcn!potcnt!ary residing IN iho
United etatcs, Of which copy Ia .ilcrrunto
annexed. II Is proper 10 say, in relation 10
therein 10 Tho effect Tint ptlsonera Ilaa been
taken on tho soil Of tho United States, and
conveyed 10 Cann!l4, and threatened by Cum
adam ngents with Immediate execution With.
out legal trial, were found ou examination
il Is duo 10 thc British Government 10 sny,
In the second placc, that tho representation
made In the said note have been received BY
the British Government md by TIC Cann-
dian authorities In . friendly manner.
tlycs ttrst reeltc1, harmonlxlng, a. il docs,
with the spirit Of the Aforesaid note, will be
brought to the attention or her Ain1csty's
Government and CT the Canadian authorities,
With the expression of a belief On the part OF
have happily come TO a condition In which
the clenency requested by Congress may bc
extended without danger 10 the public peace,
and With advantage to the Interests Of peace
and harmony between the two nations.
have already received your directions,
into consideration BY the proper departments
fthc Government, with desire that 1t may
be found practicable to reconcile the humane
policy recommended with the maintenance
Of Inv and order, the: safety Of the public
peace, and the good fifth and honor or the
United States, Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM Il SxwAnD.
DrAHTxET OF ErAYEj
s,n nWAsn1So1oH, Jane I, 1865;
fore the President several dispatches which
were received yesterday onl to-day from Ma
tor General Meade, who Is commanding the
United States forces on the Canadian from
TER. These communfcations warrant the
President n believing that the so-cnlled Fee
ntan expedition Is now entirely at an end.
and that order and tranquility NAV be cr.
pccted to prevail heneefortl upon that bor-
der. I regret, however, that am obliged to
sepsst 9beS VIZ ehs attRg ~. tie
reached Major General Meade to the 1
effect that some Of the Canadian or Brit
1sh troops hare crossed the line and entered
within n' the territory and lnr'sdIstlon Of the
entry took place af1er. tho dlstnrbers Of The
peace, under the command Of tho leader
Spear, had reliuquished their forbidden en-
tcrnr1sc anu TithdfuWn within tho boundary
line Of the United States. The reports 70 80
far as to say tbat prisoners have been faken
On the soil of the United States and conreycd
TO Canada and that the Canadian agents hive
threatened that these prisoners, together
with such stragElcrs as may now be found
within the Canadian lines, will be executed
without legal trial. 1t Is believed that these
reports are exaggerated. Care has been
taken. By Mai, Gen. Meade to harc them
promptly Investigated.
IN the meantime am instructed by the
President to represent TO you, md through
you TO the Brirish aud Canadian authorities,
that this Government would not look with
out serious concern upon the practice Of any
unnecessary severity, especially on tho cxeF-
cisc Of any retaliation or other Illegal pro-
ccc1ings upon the persons Of such Of the
ofendera as have fallen, or shall hereafter
fall, into the hands Of the Canadian authori-
tics. respectfully invite your attention to
the subject, With tho confident e1pecta-
tiop that bal no Proceedings that are not author.
be taken against persons Of That
class, and In the hops that crcn tic
customary administration Of the Law will be
tempered With special forbearancc and elem
ency. In view Of tho effective proceedings
which this Government has adopted In regard
to The disturbances now SO fortunately ended,
these representations would hare been made
By INC without waiting to be tnored from any
Other quarter. They Arc now made, how
ever, With the approval of Major Gen. Meade,
and bcllcyc that they will receive the con.
curIcnco Of the Congress md people Of the
United States.
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