Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-12-13
For the Enquirer.
ia. Mason and siidcll Seizure.

.-i.s Mason and siidcli Seizure.
Tea. Il. l. II curry:
Ira. >,x: Th- recent i1rc.Ole seizure ci
N.ss:.. Mason a0i Siidell, Confederate Com
,,.~s:2-;-s ~ E1Tnpe, while on their way from
! n. r...!a; Spanish port Of NaTsna to Eng-
Ina. u lie rci:is'i mail steamer Trent, las
! yc-r NATURALLY nml..ca2i mrch interest and
Inquiry.
liz ftts. ss ~ IS ;:iey have appeared i'll
! TIC I.ev.;,1urys, I '"ci not say | have fi1
| ncGu;iaT suurc,Sp: ,n~!oru'ation) urr as follows;
,~..ssra. ..,ias"u Z. q S.;agn were commissioned
! hy iia prc.;i4n. Ii represent the Confederate
| I;aycs 6: certain lvreiGa Courts. They en-
;nrttA rom the ToTt0 l .llTaaa in tho Trent,
. =, British mail s~:ea;E:", Coz the port Of Liver
29u!, England. IL some means, perhaps the
;uufn:ct.. and Unnecessary publication Of Their
! cmbash,nE, ~ f.ct becaao known t" the
JoI!.! az, Eny-rnmrnt, and that Go3rrT-
men. was on Tic ART 20 discover ard scizc
rHiem. Captain Whites. III command 81 ;hc
United Sta:cS rc"G u. .,.c San Jacinto, met Tie
Trent. boarded 'cr. aud, despite the earnes,
! protest Cf the Brush c0InImaEder, fo:ciblt
! seed N"ssrs. Mason ard Slidell ariu carried
/ ,nc:;. eli, :irs: 10 Fortress Monroe, whence they
! h.Yr be"a subsequently removed by the orders
! cf tx [. :. President 10 F"rtr.ss Warren.
prcpner, in the prescn: letter, 10 discuss
| The legality OF this seizure, anG II: d";nS 81
snail consider
!. The right oc the United States var vessel,
according tJlhe recognized rules Of intcrna-
| ticnsl lay, IL visit and search, for c%ontraband
article, Or persons, . vessel used Is a mai
~stcsia=r hy The British Government; and,
>. whether ambassadors Or diplomatic
ayer.s, filling The offices CT Mcssrs. Mason anu
! -. ,;i:, were "contrabaud' and could be law
. ~: seized On u neutral vessel.
TIE EIGHT Of VISITATION AND SEARCH.
~ the International law universally r"cug'
ni:ci, line ~5:lnc;p:c is established that thor;
ccm, ,<i,. liv right Cf visitation and scarci! q
IN. private -. rriArt Vessels Of Il rrnt-a
! raYcr - :: ~ vessel 81 ore Of twu belize
rar,:. .hu:aorjiies III support e this principle
are abunda7.. roth E5g}:sh AMI Continental
Sc Am. Mr.. Law. >. !. ch. 3, {. /, 2
: Epea,. E.~. :. 550, : 20 Martens Precis
INK. $, "a. :, @3i7. 81. Va.!el, bk. 8, ch. +
~. !Ma.;.. / Rob. Adm. Rep. 240.-
lie Hsv:3.. q. G-a,an, 427, 42s, 443. IA
.:J&. Il rGan: Firra, IL. Wheat, y.
:; -. Cc;:.. -. pdar On Insurance. Mar
shall 81: l.>":a"'H.
T!" urmheg az; rs:n;hi:y q these writer's
, and l! 4d.c.:i-Lrc..icH=, irtraG n roon "
! ,}"r:,. TIA. ]i:rsy&tr -.=.ciial: rC&*@.s y; Ecu-
.fa;S ara ii'2:g ~ IA" T,Shts OF visitation an1
! ecnraG BY s~r.r.i ;'.i! .cr7r. cruisers; AMI /!
! tho Iron. r:S.",. . r-s.%i, SO hGn no r!E'!:t@
casa;.!aia Uf ,fr viS'i""',. s.'i s".:c:i b III:
~u;i.ieiI .; -, go .i~,.'-:.
Eu. whia @9".c:.": - m';-:', it Il ~
uGiarsto5'; :i:i: = "cr. t:Go ti"t ta@
r;.l.t uf v:si!a:!.a zini a.::c;. does not exist IL
TIC cage ~! g.. a..' %,:s', %! neG:Ta' pow
yr. T'try ar5 pa >. lie iatcrnatitNai
Ia" in ~. fee r. -. iaa hig, ssss with
az. ::.'@.:uyG " m".sstatiun from any
sou~2Y. ia r.Sp.cI IL - public vessels,
s.. }'h=@.c,, IL is L"iTer%2lly admitted tina
~h,...:- 20 iig;.! .! visitation anil search, OI
! @~ar:.arc. NJ a0y o'nrr b"iiig2reat right can D.
sycrcs,t IN 5.'ei sue! = vessel CT tie h'Gh
a.as " pa. Elm. In. Law, p. ~, 5 IS
Tla iria.G1"g . ;,j5." ::,r' 81 war .:a.5
u. tyt:r:!a2 y; HFiy jurisdiction bGi mat o; n
sn"-:.ic1 oa%,r - "..cli ih"y be!H.C> u M
! !1fy.'. 4~ssct,ed, c,,;G2a AID coact42t. !
/ E.a. C.c!. I'D Y contrary doctrine IS no. t.
Lee i",,::i in "Hr ;aru: "r Pu';!c:s:, Or ac::i;;
t,.i 80 an:' ~;cc"!i r.'. very at III dercSati3r
~ l'.a r:;at 10 IL, ca promptly u'si sM3
rl:@ m.-G.
To r.a=p!> 81 .ac rue ,i,rs broadly ia,t
;;pcn mcu.d n., r"a:r.:, L t2 the aTmed marine
t: e rc"!;"| L"w>T. they reach il their le
! c~,,i:a:;a p;:"ra.inn III: case Gf every public
:.::ri q. ":l:, a.ri i; do not grossly erT, III,
! T-cn: ~as ~c!la.!r entitled to It's protection.
II. .."h,: 20 -:si; ar': search private cncT
! CHAM r~rn&u!: is. /" .:.s language OF AzuE:, u
4.c...2 l3 liza. tie vesael really belongs 10 tht
: ration wausy fag It bears, that the crew ant
..3 ...:1s actually belong TO a neutral ans
fr::aa.y ;oScr, and, il regard to the cargo
liz: .!,a:. is no fraud against the generally re
coi7cd usagrs cf nations, or agains. any, cS'
;r:a:s declaration % neu;:ai;ty."-Az: PI 2
q: :, @r-. +.
Another c4nsan IS given, n Inc language Q
one 81 Lie au;anTi:i.., i1c tie exemption o
public vessels 'roin visitation and search. lr
M.;r case the ~aa:iuia! Gag tloa,inS ii n,
masthead is = guaranty "that nothing is to D.
| iuani .Ic0asiStcnt With aJity OF neutrality
@:w Ia number. cor: pared ~iih the a!mos
nuinberirss private ~!aarine, whose flags noai
in cferr breeze, and wnacc sails whiicns every
saa. ,i!a nationality o. public :esseI' rl.y easily
be a:,rr:ar":; al! this cveE the inore rccd'iy
"a ,h2 v..e e: iia:l s~!ea!GcTs regularly piyinE
bct.."n ;~c ports. Hence, orc q! 'iie TcainnS
aai :. ,r.!cnt reason for the visitation a1f
scare! q. the private vncrctiar!nan, hocs TUt
exist in the case Of the public mail steamer -
Engaged in I service uf i~in.nensc ma,,nitud,
and Importance TO III: sovereignty aidel
whose protection it saii:-0f 4 magnitude am
inheritance indeed, at tunes i~n;i"iteiy tr"i:s-
ceniinc The value OF the war steamer, inclua-
iog alike her cargo and hersclf-pcrhaps, hi
b"a:ar 81 writings which nus. mould The &C
ilon If is sovereign in Tic H"5i debate aaf
Responsible duties u his soveTei3n'y-Sar'!:c
loo, requiring for its execution, in li"t d''!
nee.iI Of the empire, more than any OTHER
~p-cno:ress, dispatch and certainty-ttiere are
na.v s.tc..v say, paramount reasons Tor Iti
protection Il; such vessels in public employ
ana :ur tlnir Freedom from mciestation or in
lerIupiion in t4eir passage on the high seas
vastly .rspa-Is"a!irs over those which are sinI
DC us2G IS var cruisers.
Tne .,socc; tna: should 30 paid the flag G
J !. nation, 1t taa masthead Of A wa- vessel, cal!
not be a7c-..;VG; 81! suneradG2u 70 all II
cysS.heTa,i0nS c!3t;iii:S i! 10 respect and pro
tec:.0a aud freedom i.cm interruption, tc
public mail h~:tarna!; criny others e5nve ind:
Gated. OIcc IL; Loose the armed cruisers VI
b.iiiGe,cnt power upon the mail-soTvice c
~rcu;ra!s, and there will be no limit 10 the sZ
) .rsracance Of their assumptions. b. In
same principle which authorizes ;1sm to v;si
and search. the: can couiisc=se. Tie Do is Il,
cor.cia;ive of TIE other, AID We snail hcye tn
commercial iat". course and business relation
sad corrrs2onderc.n OF tTg reCt.a. U.tionS a
entire a:n;;y Win each other seriously ~Tc:artl9
and broken in rpon, j, rct ~eC"raly a9.troye
to crafty either the rh;n. 5r !Ac caprice i
r the malice Of tic bsiiiEcreat government OF ii
, subordinate ofi .er.
o:id TiTvs in aacue.
AdJicis? Ct rsb,tG :rsvi, oTile lupss