Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-10-31

Such is the doctrine maintained by all who
have administered our government; but by none
more energe,ically than by the Venerable father
of our Constitution.
IF the previous labours of that distinguished
patriot, had not given Immortality to his name,
his manful resistance, both as Prime Minister
and Chief Magistrate, to the monstrous doc
trines of blockade and impressment, set up oy
Great Britain and France, would alone have Sc
cured to him an imperishable renoWn.
NO. XII.
The public law OF the civilized world, usual
ly denominated the law OF nations, is parity
| founded upon the law of nature, and partly de-
| rived from the commo usages OF nations, sane
| toned by custom, and consecrated by TIME.
The emperor Justinian, defines this law to De
"Certain rules of right, which the exlSencles *
necessities of mankind have induced all nations
10 adopt"
This law. therefore, being founded upon the
eternal principles Of justice, and mutual inter-
ests of mankind, though often lnfringec can
not be subverted by the ruthless hand OF vlo-
lence.
What required the common sanction OF the
civilized world to establish, requires its com
mon consent to abrogate.
Let us, therefore, examine how far the Ber-
lin and Milan DEGREES are in unison with that
part of the public law, which relates to The com
merce of neutral nations, and to the doctr Inc
of blockade, which that law recognizes.
Fatlel, treating of the rights OF a bi'legerant
to prevent ~neutrals from furnishing his enemy
with contraband OF war, says:
"Rul that limits may be set to those inconve-
n~iences, that the Of neutral nations
may subsist in all the freedom that the laws Of
war will admit, there are rules TO be observed,
and on which Europe seems TO be generally "a
greed.
"Thc first is, carefully TO distinguish common
goods, which have no relation to war, from
those partially subservient to it.
SIN the former, neutral nations are to enjoy
an entire liberty.
"Any attempt to modest or destroy this trade,
would be a breach ofthe rights of neutral ma
tons, and a hagran, injury to them.
"England and the united provinces having a
greed in the treaty Of Whitehall, signed on the
ed August, 1859, to notify all the states, not
at war with France, that they would attack, and
previously declared any ship bound to, or COM
ing out Of the harbors Of thai kingdom, to be a
lawful prize, Sweden and Denmark, from whom
some ships had been taken, entered into a coun
ter treaty on the 18th March, 1893, for main
tanning their rights and procuring Just satistac-
ton. And the maritime powers, perceiving
that the complaints of the two powers were
we'll grounded, did them justice"
The high authority of Vattel, is an apology
for the length Of this extract, and induces me
to postpone for the present other authorities In
support OF the same doctrine.
l will, however, merely observe, that if Swe-
den and Denmark, who together, do not pos
sess a population of more than four millions,
could set Great Britain ard Holland at defiance
and compel them to restore this unlawful plum
der TO its lawful owners, how fully authorised
then are our injured fellow citizens to call upon
the Constructions guardians Of their rights; s
to say unto them, Go thou and do likewise