The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-11-29
~, ssIpEnL Asp MASON 0urNaex--W

r.rt&
-. ,oneluded, st one time, TO let The matter
= The hands of the parties more pa-ticn-
= ,,,srested bat IL continues TO be agi
"a IN the Northern papers, and tho Not;onal
,,y,e,yecr, under the immediate inspiration
9 seward. publishes whole broadside to
.,;ey the sci We have, therefore, changed
sr.t resolution, and shall proceed to ex.
.,.. s,il further the views which we have
iI,oaiv Indicated. Ii is plain that the Yankee
nor.rnmeni does not mean TO rest its cause
-, the absence of instructions 10 Captain
u;lsss. bat that, on the contrary, ii intend.
hs,s that officer TO the full extent of its
ability.
,sc,r5ing TO generally recognized princi.
=. of International law, the jurisdiction of
& .-v country over It's own waters is perfect
4 u7.sf are to he considered :" the waters of a
i .,,.ry-ihat is, how far the jurisdiction in
lion extends is still subject 10 discussion.
me writers contend for thirty leagues, some
\ - more. some for less. On the hiyh sea
4 .s,b vessel is under the jurisdiction of the
n ..,,n 70 which il belongs, and this so entire
r. ,,st xrsers on inaernstiasaasl law say il ss
!. considered, under sueh circumstances, a
,rjoa Of the national territory. OF course
i .5 .hio-of.war belonging to any other nation
night to interfere with it, and all
4-soas IS well rs all property on board of il
. sader tue protection Of its flag These
.-,nr,pcs-celtaDly founded Ill lustice-irnply
sp absolute negati0n of the right of visit.
I a. "a. IN -a2 ly- 81.
S,a,es. and on one occasion they Went to war
q. defence oi Them. They have been affirmed
bv the courts cf these same United States Ne
s,ten s. they have had occasion 10 take coy
oiaace Of them The right OF visit in time
n ,,eace has in fact, been entirely abandoned
Ia these latter days 1t is never attempted, as
! Gr as we know. But the right OF visit in
me Of war l. siill asserted, for tie very plain
-sg.,a ,Lai. unless 1T were admitted in some
hrz, there could he no possibility of enforc
n N another right dependent upon 1.-THE
r -gbt, namely. 20 intercept cont-aband of war
y % i,s passage 10 the enemy in o neutral YES
! se Thjs, however, is merely an exception to
general rule. 1he question Of prize is al
wars decided by she courts Of the country
1a6ing tie prize. The present, however, is
question Of totally different character
Sagusry enough, it commits the Govern
,len Of the United States to a line of action
which il always reprobated on the part of
Great Britain For, during the wars with he
First Napoleon, Great Britain assumed aud
exercised the right to visit American ships
j sli removed by force, from their decks. aF
persons found, or even suspected, to have
been born British subjects, while the United
S.a,es not only denied the right, but went to
var rather than submit to its exercise.
Many attemps have been made within the
present century 10 obtain a definitive settle.
nent Of the disputed right, but always with
cut success The American doctrine is fully
set forth in Mr. Websters famous letter to
Lord Ashburton, and in Gen. Cass's protest
against the ratification of the quintuple trea.
" With respect to the latter, it is well known
I to have produced a powerful effect in France
and, backed by pamphlet written by Gen.
Cass and published in Paris, to have caused
the rejection of the treaty by the French
/ Chambers. The ground assumed both by Mr..
Webster and Gen. Case, afford no counte
nance 10 the new doctrine of Seward. The
latter more especially would not admit the
rghT Of visit, even under the pretext of as
ceFtainlng the character of a vessel suspected
. Of being engaged in the slave trade He rep
resented 80 powerfully the evil uses to which
lhe night thus sought might be perverted by a
great maritime power, to the ruin Of all com
meFce but its own, as to produce complete
FeToIHtion in the public opinion of France
Tie present question is purely question
between the United States and Great Britain.
It Lac no basis either in the law of nations or
The obligation of treaties. International law
eayer It in litigation and treaties are silent on
tie subject. The Federal Government and
tie Government Of Great Britain have changed
places Both are i'll opposition to themselves
1 HE one does what it has always asserted no
i government had the right to do; the other
flAeFs what Its adversary always maintained
Il had no right to inflict Seward having
-doadeled the responsibility, il may be asked,
1 more Pertinen.ly than before, what he meant
by The acti Perhaps be meant TO abandon the
1 loaliIon always heretofore maintained by the
United States. Perhaps he designed TO drive
LQsiand TO the wall, and compel her claim of
night TO impress British seamen found on
board Of Yankee vessels Both these suppo
eaonr have been put forth, and largly dwef
upon The act itself certainly is not very en-
t9ara8ng to those Missionaries who hope that
'ae period will soon arrive when international
morality viii be brought To perfection, and
Wien ono nation Will 10 unto another even as
"ould tEat another should act unto it. 1t
VIII h9t, II Is 10 be presumed, make the British
people and Government fall in love with the
IAAtees, nor will il arouse any very strong
'ss'ins Of sympathy or affection on the part
any other European Government Seward,
Wien called to account, will say that he ar
i'sed Aessrs Mason and Slidell because they
"eFo gaii.y of treason and rebellion, aid will
bay Ihat the very fact of their voyage TO Eu-
.'Pe IL the capacity Of envoYs from the Con-
'e2erate States establishes their guilt. But
Ui', most assuredly, viii not do for England,
"1' has already recognized the existence Of a
we OF war in this country, acknowledged the
Na'edera,e States as belligeIents, and pro-
~''1ed her own neutrality, thus giving
= Ienfederates and Federals an equal
an 10 lie protection Of her hag, where
s'N found beneath its folds, on land
p p sea. This neutrality, thus proelaimed,
.sahd may contend has bsen shamefully vio.
So, hy tearing passengers from British
s''Aaef, belonging 70 the West India Line, on
49, WAY way home, andtherefore not possible TO be
bsPYeea Of having centrabsnd articles on
- ohe may say, moreover, that there 10
~ =" soxuadtion treaty between her and the Uni.
a. a. o&tss, thar the class Of criminals TO be Civ
~ ~ and the forms in which the delivery Is
n. e sheeteo, are therein expressly designated
,tIs s' Il Meesrs- Slidei ala Mason come within
- -" sa.tgory, they must first be proved TO do