The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-03-30

OUR NEUTRALITY.
We have had the extraordinary spectacle In midst
q be gcrent establishing recruiting station and ship
ping 81 % fight power with whom Al
peace
Few viii deny that our poson - 70 European oonsead
ing powers should be u neutral imparAsy
tonA acoa What doe thu requiref vAfte urges hAf
the conduct a neutral nations towards begerrnt parties
require-L To give assistance where there pro
visions stpulAfivs gre H. nor voluntary furnish
troops or articles o. war &c. The principle Is clearly
give sssstADoe whatever 10 either party In what
does not relate the war the neutral refuse %
q the parties merely because be i with the
other, what she grants 10 that other.
The general principles applied in the Of the
ton Of minister plenipoenAry Genet in i7s who landed
Charleston and among other belIgerent acts ensted
IN the service Of France and gave them commissions
to England AT that time Mr. Jefferson Sec
rotary Of State and this extraordinary OF Genet
gave occasion to thos letters Mr. Hammond the British
minister, and TO Mr. Morris minister France which
are 50 justly celebrated The subject Of neutral rights is
handled with strength only eqnaed by lucdness in this
case in many other cases this great statesman going
beyond his time and Of time in the enuncanon Of
sound international views
The principle Of international Law violated by Genet and
BY those who enlisted IS that Of national sovereignty
This alone has power make and 70 enllsi men 20
carry IL on As the righf7yastels wordssof levying
soaers belongs solely nation the sovereign
person must attempt enlist soldiers in foreign country
without the permission Of the sovereign and Vatiel goes
on TO denounce this in the seyeresi Of BE il
kidnapping and chAraesrires il violation Of ma
tionAl rights
These principles were established in the United States
hrs by the law Of lisa and then by the existing law Of
1915 which an extension Substantially Of the former
law The latter is clear enough TO satisfy anybody II
provides among other things that If any person shall
within the territory jurisdiction Of the United States
enlist or enter himself hire retain another person
enlist himself to % beyond The hnu Jxrlsdc
non AZ he United Sae with intent be enlisted
tered in the service Of any foreign prince State colony
district people soldier, marine seaman
be shall be deemed guilty Of high misdemeAnor be fined
not above thousand dollars and be imprisoned moi above
three years.
This act Of America was followed in 1919 by Great
Britain in what called the foreign-enlisent bill
which equally thorough that of Law. The
debate this bin very interesting Mr. Canning cited
and commended the action Of the United States Earl
Bathurst in its favor dwet upon the honorable Of
this country In ausion the 1878 law he said that
Ae American legislature wished realize the neutrality
they prossed and in reference Great Britain be urged
that II either grant assistance all begerents alike
refuse il TO all In reply, Lord Holland uttered the
which the British arstocracy then felt and which
they still feel for America Who would have thought
spoke the noble Lord Holland shat the noble lord
Bafhurst would have bad the legislation
the United States Of America for authority Of the law Of
nations for exposition OF the principles of neutrality
Nay who would have thought that he would have aside
al former precedents and condemned all former legislation
home e1ali this authority r. This really
terrible the noble lords Yet It was Eng
land in this in other things copied from America and
when il departs from such principles Jefferson laid
down TO neutral rightscoverng large share of the
whole ground they doshe further il goes the il
viii fare
We why the acts Of British officers enlisng
men in The port Of New York and shipping them not
as much violation Of international Law the proceed
ings Of Mr Genet and flaw has application ii
clearly violation ofour neutrality law Why should the
offenders not be proceeied against Why shoald they
not be made to suffer the penalties of the law