The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-07

colonial empire, soon involved the great oues,,o :,
, naval supremacy. The sea contest became now .
ieading element IN the wars Of Yves ern Europe the
occasion of the collision being often found upon ~
ocean.
Spain was, above all other kingdoms exposed q
suffer in these contests from the extent OF her colo
mes and the value OF the trade with them Spair
was, therefore, long principal object of attack Il
the other powers, especially England, who insti
gated ~ the desire of plumber, persistenty cult
waited illreiations with that kingdom, and with suck
success that for q century more nothing better
/; man nominal peace snbssted between them. A
] ss'anish war was at any time popular In England.
/ pro'pea there was no immediate fear of Spanisk
| power, Nnioh did, once or twice, make the island
!. klngdom teinDie Tor existence lmpunty was the
only justin. cation required. English writer's admit
that their government but buccaneering powe1-
SO late as the time Of the great Elizabeth
10 save her colonies and colonial trade from theae
/ depredations, Spain conceived the policy of cstah-
fishing general colonial neutrality She succeeded
| in l6iS, in efecting treaty with Holland then A.
long afterwards the most liberal Of all nations in an
! matters pertaining to trade and mvgation-a libe-
rality forced upon her by her situation--wbch be-
side declaring them trade with each others posses
slons m time OF peace. guaranteed the mutual
exemption OF their colonies from attack in case az
| war between the contracting parties PORTUGAL
| made the next treaty of this kind also with Ifol-
land, in 1861 OF course it was some time before
England could be induced to become party to such
an arrangement. While her colonies were few, weak
and unproductive that tender parent in no wise
inclined to purchase their immunity from the evils
of wars they had no hand in making, at the expense
of her privilege to plumber the islands and provinces
Of the other Powers. But the colonies attaining at
length some consequence, and promising much
more and having herself lately reached the danger
Gus eminence in the hostile disposition Of Europe Of
uniting Holland, France and Spain in war against
her, and getting also, perhaps, something ashamed
OF her character in Europe as piratical nation she
cloedup one of her wars in the reign Of Charles II.
by treaty in which the terms OF the Spanish treaty
with the Netherlands were copied verbdiim.
Holland had at this time, become the great car
lier in the trade between the different nations of
Europe; and more for the purpose Of injury to her
commerce. which it had been the object Of several
Intellectual wars TO destroy than from any expecta-
ton ofeffect upon belligerent her rights neu-
tral had been invaded. That republic asserted the
right of free of the seas, and Of unmolested
trade with all Powers that were inclined to admit
her ships into their ports. This claim was one
sion OF war; breaking out in 1872 in which Charles
II. allied with the powerful French monarch, Louis
AlVto crush out the nation of traders. The little
public held up with glory against sstrong coalition
ana Charles, after contest OF two years. was glad
to get out of it by separate treaty, concedng to
the Dutch their full demand Of the right, when q
neutral power, to trade freely with any and all of the
enemies of England. Another treaty, explanatory
OF this provision, concluded at the Hague in Decem-
Der, 1915, re-aflrmed the concession in the most
broad and explicit terms Thus did the first treaty
made by England, regarding the rights Of neutral
nations, embrace the most complete acknowledge
ment OF the principle that neutral trade is perfectly
exempt from belligerent restriction. The stipular
ton was, indeed afterwards violated, under pretcnce
OF secret article attached to the treaty, multiplying
the grant, by the prohibition to either party Of aid
Of any kind directly or indirectly, to the enemies Of
the other A proper Interpretation, certainly.
would not consider the word as referring to legit-
mate trade. The articles were easily harmonized
where there was wish to make them agree, and
such the English had at the time Of making the
treaty, being exceedingly anxious for peace The
later understanding, assumed on their part render
ed the whole treaty farce.
In 1856, James H., King Of England and Louis
XIV, made treaty, interdcting to each others
subjects the trade OF their respective colonies in
peace, and providing for the neutrality Of the cole
In 1859, William Of Orange, who had SO success-
fully maintained the late on the part Of Holland,
having expelled his father-inlaw from the English
throne, undertook TO confirm himself In his seat
by another war upon Louis, who had embraced the
cause of the fugitive James. In this contest, Eng
land, Holland, Germany and Spain were finally
combined against France-all the great commercial
powers being thus involved. The strength Of the
coalition melted them to the audacty Of prohibiting
all potentates from the permission to their subjects
of trade with France, under penalty Of confscation
of ship and merchandise. The colonial neutrality
stipulated in the treaty Of 1856 fell through at
on the commencement OF the war. The English
colonies were obliged to transfer part of their
trade in provisions, horses, lumber, &C., from the
French to the neutral West India islands, and suf
fered badly in the loss Of their ships by the French
priyateers fitted out against their trade. As usual
the allies came out Of the war without anything to
beast of-in fact, rather hnmbled. The contest end
ed by the treaty of 1897, at Ryswick, in which
nothing appears to have been said about neutral
trade.
Between 1902 and 1918 occurred the long war or
the Spanish Succession, in which nearly all Of Eu-
rope was involved, scarcely power of the least
sequence being omitted. In such contest the rights
OF neutrals were utterly OF no account and in the
| completely Of treaties by which it was finished, at
Utrecht, the subject seems to have been deemed IN
worthy attention.
In 1870 occurred the famous treaty OF Seville, I'm
which Great Britain, France and Spain made o
league for peace union, mutual defence and the in
TER ds 81 ane1f ~ th a Intending apparently
whatever pretence, by any other powers Each
party to the contract engaged to furnish toward
the general object 5000 foot and 1000 horse, or IN
equivalent in ships, transports or money.
After the peace OF Utrecht, notwithstanding the
renewal at that time of the Introduction Of inter-
course with each others colonies, great contraband
traffic had grown up between England and her colo
MES and the Spanish West Indies. Spain allowed
some very limited trade to those parts, az the cond
ton of which she demanded the right of search for
contraband goods-a privilege which the English
had conceded by treaty But the garda-costas en-
ercised their functions efficiently that the
trabandists were likely to find their occupation en-
tirely suppressed and certainly in so doing, mnse
have considerably damaged the legitimate trade of
the English. Thereupon England, in 1888, declared
war against Spain, ostensiby to protect her legal
trade but really to force Spain to allow her to con-
tinue the exceedingly profitable operation of SNUG
Cling. She alleged as many pretexts as bad causs
usually finds; but they were only pretexts France,
meantime, was practising the search Of English
vessels in the American waters; and to vindicate
the freedom Of her navigation against that practice,
leading cause, England declared war against
4 France also, in l743. As the war had main refer
enoe to America, Of course her neutrality was not
| preserved at this time either. The war ended by
the treaty Of Aixla-C hapelle in l74S, without any
retraction OF her claim by France.
In 1855 war arose between England and France
the entire question ct issue being in regard to thsr
possessions in North America. In the very Outset
OF the contest, the British Cabinet announced The
4 celebrated rule-tbe occasion Of 40 much trouh1e
afterwards-"That neutrals should be restricted To
| the same commerce with q belligerent which
was allowed TO them by that power in time Of
peace" basing this new principle upon the assump-
ton that the neutral has right, by the extenr
sion OF his trade to afford supplies TO the beligercuk
10 ward OF the blow of his enemy" The nations
against which this extraordinary Introduction was
particularly directed, were Holland and Germany.
upon which France was dependent for naval storos