The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-11-18
GREEN MOUNTAIN FREEMAN NOV 49, 1901
The Seizure of Mason and Slidell Justifab Bile.

The Seizure of Mason and Slidell Justifable
We make the following extracts from Whca-
tons Elements of International Law, page 562
which apparently justifies, under the law of
nations, the seizure of MessrS. Mason and Sill
dell in British vessel
Ofthc same nature ,Dith the carrying of contra.
land goods, in The transportation Of military per-
ssAs or dispatches tn the serUite Of the enemy.
A neutral vessel which is used as a transport
for tho enemy's forces is subject 10 confscation
if captured hy the opposite helligerent. Nor
will the fact Of her having oeen impressed by
violence into the enemys service exempt her -
The master cannot be permitted to aver that
he was an involuntary agent.
Were an act of force exercised by one bellig-
erent power on neutral ship or person to be
considered justification for an act contrary to
the known duties Of the neutral character there
would be an end OF any prohibition under the
law of nations, to carry contrahands or engage
in any other hostile act. If any loss is gus
tanned in such a service, the neutral yielding to
such demands must seek redress from the gov.
| eminent which imposed the restraint upon him.
AS to the number OF military persons necessary
to subject the vessel to confscation it is dAicu 1t
to define /; since few persons Of high quality and
character may be of much more Importance
than a much greater number of lower CEN
dtions.
10 carry veteran general under some cir
cumstances might be a much more noxious act
than the conveyance Of a whole regiment. The
consequences Of such assistance are greater and
therefore the belligerent has a stronger right to
prevent and punish it; nor is it material in the
1nH,y pn ni rhn v,rya rho{h how tbn,
be ignorant of the character of the service in
which he IS engaged
1t is deemed sufficient if there has been an in
jury arising to the beligerent from the employ
ment in which the vessel is found.
lfimposition be pracliceo it operates as force !;
and if redress is to be sought against any per-
son, it must be az inst those who have by means
either of compulsion or deceit exposed the prop
erty to danger.
Such opportunities of conveyance would be
constantly used, and it would be almost impos
slble in IKE greater number OF cases, to prove
the privlty of the immediate offender.
The fraudulently carrying the dispatches Of
the enemy will also subject the neutral vessel IN
which they arc transported to capture and con-
fscaton.'
The limits assigned to the operations OF war
against ambassadors by writers on public law
are, tha. the bclligerent may exercise his right
Of war against them wherever the character Of
hostility exists. He may stop The ambassador
ct his enemy on his passage, but when lie has ar.
rived in the neutral country and takes on ll!m-
self the functions of his Office, and has been ad
mitted in his representative character, he be-
comes d sort Of middle man, entitled to peculiar
privileges, az set apart for the preservation Of
the relations of amity and peace, in mantaing
which all nations are in some degree interested