Lord Lyons to Mr.
Seward.
Washington,
July 1, 1863.
Sir: I received with great satisfaction the
note which you did me the honor to address me yesterday, and in which
was enclosed a copy of a report from the Provost Marshal General,
stating that rules will be prepared with a view to relieving aliens from
all inconvenience and hardship connected with the execution of the
enrolment act.
In order to show the urgency and importance of this matter, I transmit to
you herewith extracts from despatches which I have received from her
Majesty’s consuls at St. Louis and Baltimore.
[Page 657]
You will perceive that considerable alarm and anxiety prevail among
British subjects in consequence of an impression that an alien cannot
claim exemption until after he has been actually drafted. A rule of this
kind would not only subject aliens to a great deal of unnecessary
trouble and inconvenience, but would expose them to the risk of being
actually compelled to serve in the army while their claims to exemption
were under examination. I do not at all suppose that it is the intention
of the government of the United States to lay down any such rule, but,
as the impression which has created so much apprehension among her
Majesty’s subjects appears to be shared by some of the enrolling
officers, I venture to suggest that it would be desirable that the
attention of the higher authorities should be directed towards taking
measures to remove it with the least possible delay.
I have the honor to be, with the highest respect, sir, your most
obedient, humble servant,
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State,
[Extract ]
Her Britannic Majesty’s consul at St.
Louis to Lord
Lyons.
British Consulate,
St. Louis,
June 23, 1863.
“I have the honor to direct your lordship’s attention to a point
relative to the exemption of persons of foreign birth from military
service under the conscription act, which, unless clearly
understood, is likely to cause some confusion.
“I find that the orders from the Provost Marshal General’s office,
regarding the enrolment and exemption of persons of foreign birth,
if not absolutely conflicting, are at least obscure.
“I beg to enclose herein an extract from the Chicago Tribune, of the
12th instant, which contains a letter from me to the draft
commissioner at Chicago, embodying the substance of an interview I
had with the board of enrolment, in which I state my understanding
of the views of the board as to the time foreigners are expected to
come forward to claim exemption. At that time the only instructions
received by the boards of enrolment were, that all residents within
certain ages should be enrolled. But on calling on the board of
enrolment sitting at Alton, Illinois, the provost marshal of that
district showed me a circular dated the 2d instant, a copy of which
I enclose. By this it appears this enrolments simply a census of all
male citizens and persons of foreign birth who have declared on oath
their intention to become citizens, between the ages of twenty and
forty-five years, but that neither the enrolling officers nor the
board of enrolment shall make exemption from enrolment. The question
of exemption is to be considered by the board of enrolment alone,
and only with regard to draft—whether before or after, is not
settled.
“I have visited the acting provost marshal general of the States of
Missouri, Illinois, and Wisconsin, and also several boards of
enrolment, including a principal one in the State of Iowa, and found
the idea uniform, that no exemptions were to be made on the
enrolment, and not until the person had been drafted. But whilst
these officers looked upon their instructions as binding, I found in
most instances that they considered it would be better policy to
examine the claims of foreigners to exemption, as far as possible,
before any excitement arises.
“I expressed no opinion on the subject myself, but I do most heartily
concur with them.
[Page 658]
“I would respectfully suggest that it would be well that an order or
notice should be published to the effect that all persons intending
to claim exemption from military service on the ground of alienage,
should at once take measures to do so. It will take some time for
the boards of enrolment fully to understand the questions as to what
circumstances make a foreigner liable. Whenever foreigners are
anxious to establish their position, I sincerely hope an opportunity
will be afforded them to do so at once.
“In this widely extended district, where the intelligence of the
applicants is not as high and the means of obtaining information not
so general as in the eastern States, and, owing to the peculiarity
of the laws, their rights more difficult to ascertain, I feel that
such an order, though perhaps multiplying details at present, would
avert much trouble hereafter, both to the British and United States
governments.
“Wherever I have been I have found that it was the desire of the
boards of enrolment to act in friendly co-operation.”
[Extract.]
British Consulate for the State
of Maryland,
Baltimore,
June 29, 1863.
“There being nearly two thousand British subjects holding
certificates as such from this consulate, I wrote to Provost Marshal
Blumenberg to inquire how aliens were to get their names struck off
the enrolment list. He tells me, in reply, that there is no means of
their doing so, until they have been drafted,
when, on receiving a notice of the same, they are to go before the
board of enrolment of their district to show cause for their
exemption.
“I very much fear, from last year’s experience, that this arrangement
will be the cause of great trouble to us all.”
