The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-10-06

for by the circumstances. If men engaging in
protection Of the United States, and are en-
braced within the protection of their treaties in
the very act of the forcible invasion of coun-
try at peace with their own-then the United
States OF course become justly liable to make
good any damage that such men may occasion.
If in the prosecution of their unlawful enter
prise the followers of LoPEz remained citizens
of the United States within the treaty, and en-
titled TO the protection OF the United States,
then it is clear enough that, if they had made
their way to Havana and burned the city with
out accomplishing successful revolution, the
United States would have been Justly liable to
make reparation. Indeed, there is no way in
which they can escape just responsibility for
injuries of this description, except by holding
peremptory to the doctrine that.men guilty of
them forfeit their claim to the protection of
their country, and have no right to expect the
interference of government in their behalf.
Indeed, unless the United States wish to be-
come in their national character guilty of these
unauthorized invasions to their citizens, they
must continue to adhere strictly to the law Of
nations, which denounces them in the language
employed by Mr.. VAN buren, and Mr.. FILL
MORE, in their respective proclamatons. Such
acts are justly imputed to the nation, when,
"by its manners, or the maxims Of its govern
ment, il accustoms and authorizes its citizens
TO plumber, and use i'll foreigners indifferently,
OF to make inroads into neghboring countries,
Sc" If, indeed, our manners should become
50 barbarous, or our maxims of government so
loose and corrupt, as to induce us to change the
nomenclature of the law of nations, and embel-
lish acts which that law denounces as acts Of
"robbery and plumber" with the phraseology of
the higher law-teaching our young men that
invasions of neighboring countries in profound
peace are not piratcal or predatory, but merely
expeditions to aid patriots in breaking the
chains of despotism," and therefore undertaken
in the manly indulgence of mertorious sympa-
lhes-we shall then have gone far toward
placing ourselves in the position of common
enemies of the human race"
But there is no mode of stating the liabili-
ties of the followers of LoPEz, or the rights,
duties, and relations of the Governments of the
United States and Of Spain in regard to them,
the moment we depart from the well-esta-
blished and well-known principles of the law
of nations. The whole matter is summed up
in a single paragraph of VATrEI.: 'He who is
injured by foreign subjects that eminent
publicist-"does himself justice by his own pow
er. when he meets with the offenders in his
territories, or in a free place; for instance, on
the open sea; or, if he pleases, he requires
justice from their sovereign. If the offenders
are rebellious subjects, there is no room for
application to their sovereign; but on seeing
them, even in free place, every one does
himself justice. In this manner pirates are
treated. And, to avoid all misunderstanding,
it is agreed that every private person com
hitting hostilities without commission from
their sovereign should meet with the same
treatment"