Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-16

and France arc anxious to have the adhesion
of the United States to the declaration OF Paris yet
that they would rather dispense With 1t tnAn
be drawn into our domestic controversy: ne inss.eo
pontedy that ue could take no ust exoepeca
10 this outside declaration ~ be made simultaneously
WITH the execution Of the convention unless intend
that they Epgand and France shall be made partie. IN
our controversy aud that the very fact OF your nes
ton va, additional reason Why they should insist upon
making such cotemporAneous declaration Is thsy pro-
posed .,., .,.,,,
Thee remarks of n Thouvene are certainly distin'
0ushed by entire franknesa IL shall be my ehort 70
reply to them with moderation and candor
In 1885 France Great Britain, Russia Prussia, Sar-
dnia aud Turkey being assembled in Congress at Paris
With view to modify the Law Of nations 20 a. TO meo-
rate the evils of maritime war, adopted and sst forth
declaration, which is in the following words
l. Privstsering is aud remains abolished.
q Toe neutral Avg covers enemy's goods, with the
CT option Of contrabsnd Of var.
Neutral goods with the exception OF contraoand o.
war are not liable to capture uoder enemys dag.
T. Bockades, in order 70 be binding, must be eject
iye-hat to saw maintained by forces sufficient real
ly to prevent access TO the coast OF the enemy.
The States which constituted the Congress mutually
agreed to submit the declaration to ell other nations
aud invite them 10 accede it, Il was 20 be submitted
as no special or treaty between particular States
for limited periods special purposes OF advantage, OF
under peculiar circumstances but on the contrary, Its
several articles were, by voluntary acceptance OF mari
time Powers 70 constitute new chapter IN the law
nations and each of the articles as TO be universal
and eternal in it's application and obligations. France
especially invited the Unted States TO accede to these
articles An invitation Was actually rendered 10 si'
other civilized nations and the articles have been al
ready adopted by forty.one Of the Powers thus IN
ved The United States hesitated, but only Tor the
purpose of making an rs induce the other parties
20 enlarge the benefcent scope CT the declaration
Having failed in that effort they nov, after delay
not unusual in such great international discussions oh
their adhesion to that declaration, pure aud SIMPLE ~
the form words and manner in which 1t vas originally
.dopted and accepted by all OF the forty-nx nsuons
shch have become parties to it, frarcs declines 70 re-
ceve that adhesion unless she be allowed 10 make spe
cis declaration which sould constitute an additional and
uu, fyirg article limiting the obligation OF France TO
the United aes TO narrower range than the oonga-
lions which the United States might assume tosAfds
France and towards every other Of the oSysK SOW
eregrs Who are parties 20 L. and narrower than tue nu
nal obligations Of ell those parties, including France
herself. 49,
could NOT he the declaration Of the Cougps, Of Pars TO
.hch ve sould be sdherisg. bu. different and special
and peculiar treaty frsuce and the United STATES
pniy Even a. such treaty, it would be unequal A.
,umiug that n. Thouvenes reasoning IL correct, se
should in thu, case b. contracting an obgauon, direct
" or indirectly 10 implcae ourselves 10 any internal
cor ct TIA, NAV nov be existing, or that may hefsai
,sr occur in France while she would be distinctly eH
uaed by Us fEcm any similar duty towards the United
j,stes
and .au.l tossrds the United S'A,ea ] must assume,
therefore tina. abe means not 20 msks exceptional ar
-spgement With u.s. but 90 carry out the same arrange
nen in het Interpretation OF the obligations oil the Gee
saton OF the Congress Of Paris 10 regard 70 other fos
era Thus carried out the declaration OF Paris would
be eSpouaded 20 a. exclude oil international conflicts
ia States from the application Of the articles OF that Gel
brated declaration. Most of the wars Of modern times
-perhaps all Of them-hsVe been insurreccnSry vars
" internal cor fc.s" II the position nov assumed by
Pr.rce should thus be taken by oil the other pires to
she declaration then il would olos that the hrst art
lie Of that instrument instead OF being, in fact, uni
,ersal aud tscusl inhibition Of the practice OF prva
,ssrpg would sbrogae only in vars between foreign
nations she il would eroy universal liberation in civil
aud social vars With great defersnce cannot but
think thst thus modified the declaration Of the Con-
gress Of Paris would oss much OF the reverence which
il has hitherto received from Christian nations II It
yer. proper for pursue the argumen. further,
might add that sediion, instruction aud treason .ould
End in such nes reading Of the declaration Of Paris
encouragement which would tend TO render the most
stable aud even the beneficial systems Of govern
ment insecure. Nor do knos on What grounds 1t can
be contended that practices more destructive to property
and life ought be tolerated in cvu or iratricda vars
han are allowed in wars between independent nations
cannot, indeed, admi! tina! the engagement which
France IL required TO ks sthOut the qualifying deca-
rann in question would directly indirectly implcate
her ia our internal fcts. But II such should be It's
Get must in the hrst place, dsclam any desire for
srch an Intervention on the part OF the United States
The whole Of this iorg correspondence has had for one
Of its objects the purpose Of Averng any such intsrven-
lion II however such an intervention would b the
resut of the unqualified execution OF the convention BY
then the fault clearly inherent in the declaration
OF the Congress Of Paris ITSELF end Is not result OF
thing that the United States have dons Or psoPo
sed.
Two motives iaduced them tender their adhesion TO
that fret sincere desire to CO operate with
ether progressive nations In the ameioradon OF the
recs. OF maritime gar secoud sdesre 20 relieve France
from any appehensons CT danger to the lives OF proper
Of her people from violence 10 occur IN the course OF
the civil co, hct in which engaged BY giving her,
uuaed all the in that respect which con-
tanned Ia the declaration Of the Congress Of PAri The
latter of these tvO motives Is nos OF res intonuch -
France declines the guarantees We offer Doubtless abe Is
s.fed that thew unnecessary. Wehave AsAys prae-
Used on the principle OF the declaration We did so be-
fore they were adopted By the Congress OF Paris so FAR
A. the right OF neutrss friendly States are concerned
Whs GU. relations With France remain as they nos arc
.hal continue the ssme practise none the less ia'1h
fully than II bound 70 DO so by solemn convention.
The other ard higher mOivs viii remain unsltisied
md Il viii lose none of It's force We shall be ready TO
Aoceie to this declaration Of Paris With every power that
s agree TO sdop: its principles for the government OF
is relations u.s. and which shall be content to accept
our adhesion the same bak upon which all Inc other
parties 10 il have Scoeded.
We knos that France has q high and generous anb
on We shall ws for her TO accept hereafter that &C.
OPERATION part in great reform which she nov
declines. We shall MOI doubt that, when the present
embarrassment which Der TO decline this CO ops
ration shall have been removed it soon will be, she
yi then sgree with US to go still further. and abolish
the COL iscIon Of property Of acknowledgement etssns
and subjects in maritime var.
You win iaform NJ. Thouvenel that the proposed de-
,laraton on the part OF the Emperor, Is deemed mad
nissble BIZ the President Of the United States and If il
shall be insisted upon you will then inform him that you