The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1861-12-20

u
J independent States, and that II snel
States continue their strife after such di
: vision, then there exists state OF war al
fectinc the characters, rights and duties
of all parties concerned. But this only
bappens when the revolution has run it,
successful course.
The French Government says in ths
4 instruction which has been rendered Il
US. that certain facts which it assume.
confer upon the insurgents of this coun
try, in the eyes Of foreign powers, all the
appearances Of a government de tacto;
wherefore, whatever may be Its regrets,
the French Government must consider
the two contending forces as employing
the forces at their disposal in conformity
| with the laws of war.
This statement assumes not only that
the law of nations entities any insurrec-
tionary faction, when it establishes a dc
! Jacto Government, to be treated as a bel
| ligerent, but also the fact of the attain
ment of this status is to be determined by
the appearance of it in tho eyes of for
| eign nations. n
If we should concede both, of these
positions, we should still insist that the
existence Of de tacto government, enti-
tied to belligerent rights, is not establish
ed in the present case.
We have already heard from most of
the foreign nations; there are only two that
seem to construe appearances, and France
is one of them. Are the judgments of
these two to outweigh those of all other
nations? Doubtless each nation may
judge and act for itself, but it certainly
cannot expect the United States to ac-
cept its decision upon question vital to
their national existence. The United
States will not refine upon the question
when and how new nations are born out
of existing nations. They are well aware
that the rights Of the States involve their
duties and their destinies, and they hold
those rights to be absolute as against all
foreign nations. These rights do not all
depend on the appearances which their
condition may assume in the eyes of for
eign nations, whether strangers, neutrals
or even allies
The United States will maintain aud
defend their sovereignty throughout the
bonds of the Republic, and they deem all
other nations bound to respect that SOW
ereignty until, if ever, Providence ehall
consent that it shall be successfully over
thrown. Any system of public law or
national morality that conflicts with this
would resolve society, first in this hemis-
phere and then in the other, into anarchy
and chaos.
This Government is sensible Of the i'm
portant step which it has taken in de-
clining to hear the communication, the
tender of which has drawn out these ex-
plantations. 1t believes. however, that it
need not disturb the good relations which
have SO long and SO happily subsisted be-
tween the United States and France.
The paper, as understood, while imply
ing disposition on the part of France to
accord belligerent rights to the insurgents,
does not name, specify, or even indicate
one such beliigerent right. On the othe,
hand. the rights which it asserts that
France expects, as a neutral, from the
United States, as a belligerent, are even
less than this Government, on the 10Th
of April, instructed you to concede and
guarantee to her by treaty, as friend
On that day we offered to her our adhe
sion to the declaration of Paris. which
consists Of four propositions, namely -
LIST. That priyateering shall be abolished
I'd. That a neutral flag covers enemy s
goods not contraband of war. Sd. That
goods of neutral not contraband, shall
not be confscated, though found in an
enemy's vessel 4th. That blockades,
in order to be lawful, must be maintained
by competent force. We have always
when at war, conceded the last three
Of these rights to neutrals; tortiori, WI
could not when at peace deny them II
friendly nations. The frst named con
cession was proposed on the grounds al
ready mentioned. We are still ready te
guarantee these rights, by convention
with France; whenever she shall author.
ixe either you or her Minister here to en-
ter into convention. There 10 no reserv
alton or difficulty about their application
in the present case We hold all the Cit
liens Of the Uyikd States, loyal or dis
loyal, alike INCLUDED BY the law Of nations
and treaties aud We hold ourselves
hound by the same obligations to see, sc
far as may be in our power, that all oul
citizens, whether maintaining this Gov.
eminent or engaged in overthrowing it.
respect those rights in favor of France
or Of erefy other friendly nation. liz
any case not only shall we allow no pri
vateer or national vessel to violate the
rights Of friendly nations as have thus
described them, but we shall also employ
all our naval forceto prevent the insurgents
from violating them, just as much as We
do to prevent them from violating the
laws oil our own country.
\ What then, does France claim Of u,
that we do not accord to herr Nothing