Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-04-14
NUMBER ss.

any abstract affection for barbarsm or slavery foe frost
or lever but II Is for the purposes Of CO merce and tho
reasonable and natural inference undoubtedly Is IN AZ whom
purposes are satisfied he will return bis native
ANU NO. the direct effect Of 10 put an end "a
commerce between beigereu aud therefore to destroy
'he only motive Tor remaining in Russia What then
eau oe mere unreasonable than to draw from The
breaking out Of inference precisely the eor~
rary OF that which sense would spyys, "a ,h,
ne purpose Of forfeiiing the goods OF Que Of our own
eio"-czens who has conessedly been guilty OF NO Of
ence at ay The intention OF such merchant 4
ally to continue in the foreign country during n f
oay % on ee breaking out Of war that he would be likely
70 thnk OF closing his establishment and winding nm bs
aiairs but il is then too ate and mans goods NAV bo
forfeited for adhering to the enemy the very time that
ne aking every means in his power leave that enc
my country IL be just that the goods of an E,g
snman permanently domicled In foreign country viib
no hteaon OF returning should be treated az goods
OF an enemy What We object to il the harsh and nm
founded presumption which the law attaches TO an act in
M nature equivoca and by which iners absolutely that
he who intended reside n Russia during neace ust
nave also necessarily intended TO live there during war
so Tar from following this presumption we deem tbat tho
burden OF proof should be the other way and that in
stead oil presumng citizen who has done nothing In.
CONSISTENT with his duty allegiance become our
enemy we ought to call upon the capors of his goods to
establish that fact by evidence of their own The mere
residence in foreign country during peace gives the Co
yernmen Of the foreign country no claim
ngshmen as its subjects. They are enemies protected
rom detention or consca,ion by the public faith and the
law OF nations, but liable they remain In ,be en-
emys country beyond a reasonable time Isit not mon
sous that the same should liable to
as enemies oy ooth beigerent Powers-by Russia be-
cause they are citizens OF England, by England because
they are residents in Russia
Undoubtedly we ought to permit enemy to carry
on his commerce through the medium of citizens re-
SIDING in his ports or to permit them acquire wealth
seng with impunity to the enemies Of their country
bu on the other hand we should be careful that when
we STRIKE shall be on the enemy, and ourselves
that the blow shall fall Take the case of an English mer
cnant resident at any Russian port who may made
advances on quantity Of produce which only delivered
h after hostilites have actually broken out who
is about Immediately to return 20 England What does
inns country gain by preventing the retting this pro-
pety which is not that OF enemy but OF friend not
OF hassia but OF an Enssbman, and the loss of which
will fall, not foreigner but on one of those yery ci
zens to whom England looks assist her the
expenses OF the war? Justice would to require that
not only should goods shipped from Russian ports on ac-
count OF English merchants without knowledge of the war
protected from capture but that like privilege should
extended to such goods shipped after the has bro
Ken out as are bona de purchases paid for beforehand
and belong TO merchant having intention nent
ly to reside in Russia.