The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-12-20


10 LnSlah has been stopped on the high
seas and oserhauled. Four of the passengers
nave been taken out and carried off rs prison.
crs, claiming and yaialy claiming as they
were being forced away, tn protection of the
flag OF Great Britain. These are the naked
facts
Il is then true that every officer of the
American navy can stop and overhaul our
ships wherever they may be found, and can
take out OF them any persons whom he may
clam 70 be citizens Of the United States Or
officer Of the Confederate Goyernmeptg IF
we were to admit the Federal view of thair
own position 1T would be plain that no such
right exists
They tell us that they are not at war. but
are only putting down q rebellion Thev
say, or said, that they are not blockading
| their own ports, hut are simply enforcing 4
law which has closed the Southern morris .s
ports of entry. They insist upon putting
! their quarrel upon the same ground as If the
| Queen OF England were putting down a ra
| beilIon III the Isle OF Wight Now, i! this
were so, II is clear that the Federal States OF
America have, IN stopping cur mail steamer
| been guilty OF an act OF aggression which
could only be properly punished by Iaying
| an EN- mbarso On every American ship in Brit.
| lsh ports, aud sweeping their little navy from
| sDe sea.
They would according to that point of view
| not be at war, ana would have more OF the
rights OF oelligerants over ne eutraIs They
| won no more be belligerents than FnpIand
| WAS after he celebrated Smith U Brien nat.
| tie IN the cabbage garden, and they would
| have 10 more right to stop our ships and car
| ry on our passengers than we should have
| had 10 stop French ship, and take MIR
| Smith . Brien sat Of her. But this asupln.
| ton OF the Federal Government b rs been dis
| allowed.
| The world generally has refused 10 sna in
this disruption, and reconstruction of tho
| North American Repub ic mere rebellion.
| They nave regarded both repu bIics as bellig-
| erent States We declare neutrality hetwaen
| Is
| & precise degree OF equal consideration for
| the ships OF war OF eacn. In every thln Q but
| our supremacy We bear ourselves exactly
| equal between them. Whenever the Sourhern
/ States shall have given proof of surh sta
: bility, rs may make IL sure that they can
| sustain their independence, we shall doubt.
| less recognize them. AUTOMATICALLY, as we
| already do de fart0
| Unwelcome as the truth may be il is new
| ertheless truth that we have ourselves astab-
| hshed system OF international law which
| now Tells against US. In high handed and
| almost despotic manner, we have in former
| days claimed privileges over neutrais which
| haveat different times banded all the mari
| time powers Of the world against U.S. We have
| insis ed upon stopping the ships Of war of ueu
| tral nauons, and taking British subjects ont
| OF them; ana an Instance is given by teffArson
| In his mem olrs, in which Two nephews q.
| Washington were impressed by our cruisers.
| as they were returning from Europe an d
| placed as common seamen under the disci-
| pllne of ships of war.
| We have always been the strenuous assert
| ers of the right of belligeren is over neutrais.
| and the decisions OF our Courts of law rs they
| must now be cited by our law officers, have
| been in confirmation of these unreasonable
| claims which have called into being Con feds-
| rates and armed neutralities against us, and
| which have always been modified in practice
| when we were not supreme in our dominion
| al sea. Owing 10 these facts, the authorities
| which may be cited on this question are to0
| numerous and too uniform TO the right al
| search by beliigerent ships-of war over neu
| tral merchant vessels TO be disputed s.The
| oniy security that nothing is TO be found in
| consistent with amity and the law of nations
| known to the Law OF nations" said Lord
| Stoweil in the celebrated case Of Maria. ais
| the right of personal visitation and search TO
be exercisd by those who have an interss: in
| making it,"
| Again, Lord Stowell, who is tho storshouss
| OF all the English law on this aject, says
:" BE tbs ships, ths cargoes, and the oestana-
ton what they may, the right Of visit and
search are the incautestibfe right Of the
| cruisers OF Eeiligersnt nation. Until they
are visited and aseE ell, ii doeS not appear
what the ships or the destination ara, and II
10 for TIE purpose Of asesrtaining thesa pointi
thai the nscessity Of this right Of visitation
and search exists.
| "Thisright is 90 clear In principle that no
man can deny 1t who admits the right Of ma
uIrs.Ia capture; because, II you are not ~
| .ibarty TO ascertain by sutticient inquiry
whether there Is property thai can be legally