New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-27

come coutraband and there are OCCASIONS Wnen
breadstufs and even money are needed ny nun
even more than munitions Thucy ddes said-and
the whole course of events for centuries since has
confirmed the cay ng-tbat money, II not an aoso-
lutely paramount sipew of war, IS very peahy 80
But IA Justice no restriction should bear upon
the neutral. 10 impede, restrain or damage his
business. he should not be required TO render
an sccount 70 any one of his transactions of
ghat goods he carries or where ne carries them
1be right OF search is resisted by the popular VIII
e this country but still there remains certain
hostile surveillance not only over the nag OF
neutral. ard over bis movements, but even over his
hareors and wbsrfs, and warehouses. his cargoes,
and freights England, positively know, is buy
ing arms TO-DAY in Springfield for the Eastern war
with what right or argument does she profess
and even threaten to arrest aud c0nhscate on tns
high seas an american vessel carrying the same
objects 70 Russia If neutral iesres to lend
money to one of the belgereuts expec ting to profit
by such an investment, what right has the other to
interfere, TO menace, to watch his fnsnclal agents
ard BANKERS 10 order to prevent them from con
GLIDING what they consider profitable financial
operation? Measures Of this sort are now taken By
France ard England against Russia just as they we're
employed by England against ourselves during the
war of indept ndence. such acts are not based Oh
Justice but Oh oppression and brute force.
The belligerent, fully armed from the start, ad
ministers the police of tbe seas, and in the exer
else Of this power decides what is contrabind :;
he copiscat the goods so adjudged By bis
own arbitrary assumpton-as well "a the bot
Dut tha fruf il 4 a
neither neutral vessels, nor private ships be-
Tor opp to an individual Of hostile nation ought
ever to be made prizes. However, belligereot
like the police all over the world, is prone 70 dis
cover violation Of law where there is none
Thus a vessel is seized and brought into port
and ths neutral merchant inours detention,
costs, and heavy losses even if acquitted: The
belligerent, like any other police contends that
lie is bat doing his duty in bringing the accused
to trial And this process so opposed to every
view of Justice, is still submitted to BY neu-
tIals The Judge is on the soil of the belligerent
he belongs TO the same party with the accuser
Thus, in the person Of the beigerens are pre-
sented at once the ac,user, witness and judge.
Bow hopeless the cor fusion OF all principles Of
Justice and logic And to decision so procured
the neutral is expected to bow.
The hipderances and embarrassments thrown in
the way Of the neutral do not end here. The
blockade crowDs them all 1t is nearly as injurious
a. the right of search and seizure In the present
aspect of the question, only such goods are safe
from coniscation as were clipped before the
ports whence they como were declared in q
state of blockade and the blockade effectively
enforced. The Government of the United States
maintains that only such vessels are to be con-
sidered as violating blockade and therefore liable
TO be coDfscated, as have been previously
cautioned and once already sent back by the block
aiding squadron. But this amounts merely TO a
concession, not to the acknowledgment Of aright
We maintain that war in no wise concerns a neu-
trait does not exist for him. The blockade should
not damsge him in any way 1t should be bis
right freely to enter and depart from the blockaded
port in the course of his business, without inter
ruption He should as freely fetch and carry
goods promote commercial interchanges and be
even a go between the trade OF the belligerents
as before the war. Thus the rights Of neu-
trails would cease to be controlled by lawle'sness
and brute force
Such is brief outline of the rights of neu.
trails as transmitted to us from the past-from
times when the strong at pleafure dictated
laws for the weak; and such, on the other hand
are those rights as they should be established
on the basis of reason and right The public Law
of the world on this subject needs to be wholly
recast. The initiative can be taken only by this
country It would be great office and worthy
of the American people-wOrthy of our rank and
position among the nations-to enact a new code
inspired by truth and absolute justice and in no
respect impaired by q selfish and narrow-minded
policy.