Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-01-14
Green Il (. 1tc(mon
MONTPELIER, VT.
Tuesday Morning, January IA, 1862
Senator Sumner on the Trent Affair


render Of Mason and oIieII. TheSenator went
much further thaa Secretary Seward went in his
dispatch to Lord Lyons lie discussed the
ANGLICAN SD. Of the question and showed con-
clusyoly tbat according 70 the practice Of our
own Gov nmcnt from its earliest history as a
uaa,me power, Capt Wilkes act was more
tian al irreguarity in MT bringing the vessel
into port lit was wrong at the very outset
lie says:
But it has been sometimes said that the
stumpackct having on board the rebel emissa
ries was on this account liable to capture. and
therefore the error OF Capt Wilkes in taking
the enissaries was simply an error Of form and
not Of Substance. ! do not stop 10 consider
whether an exercise OF summary power against
which our Gogcrnm MT has 30 constantly pro
tested can he under any circumstances an error
merely Of form, Tor the policy Of our Govern
ment, NEST positively declared in its diplomacy,
and also Attested IN numerous treaties, leaves no
room to doubt that neutral ship with beliger-
cut rasscng ers--not in The military or naval
soryice-ls not liable to capture, and therefore
tie whole proceeding was wrong, not only be-
case the passengers were taken from the ship,
but also because the ship, however guilty nor
ally was not guilty legally in receiving such
passengers on board. II this question were mr.
gued on IL gish authorities it might be other
wise but according to American principles the
ship was legally innoceut'
The Senator quotes the official declaratonso of
tbs Country, from Jefferson to General Cass in
support 0! disposition, and also shows that such
l. the opinion Of the best writer's on iuterna-
tonal laS outside Of England He also alludcs
to the recent letter OF NJ Thouyenal to our
Gogcgnment in proof Of his statement that such
is also the position Of tie French Government.
upon this very ease. After reviewing these au-
lhor'ies, he says.
If am correct in this feyiew then the con
cusiol Is inevitable The .izurc Of the rebel
enlssarius Oh board neutral ship cannot be
justified according 20 our best american precc-
dents aud practice There seems to be no sin
gle point where the seizure is not questionable,
anu We choose % invoke British preceleuts and
Practice, which beyond doubt led Captain
Wilkes into the mistake which he committed -
H. cine solitude Of his ship be consulted familiar
authorities az hand and felt that in following
Natiel and Sir W ..!Am Scott, az quoted and
affirmed BY eminent writers, reinforced by the
inye,era'c Practice If the British navy, hecould
not err lie was mistaken. There was better
cxamp1, 1t was the constant, uniform, unhesi-
tsting Practice OF his own country en- the ocean,
refusing 10 consider dispatches az contra and Of
W'r refusing 10 consider persons other than
soldier. Or officers, as cuntrlband OF war and
protesting always against an adjudication OF
persona lights by the summary Judgment OF a
quarter deck. Had these well attested preco
dents been in his mnd the gallant captain
would not, even for moment, have been Sc
duccd i5om his allegiance to those principles
w.Hch constitute part Of our countiy's glory.
Mr.. President, let the rebels 60 Two wick
ed men, ungrateful 70 their country, are let
loose with the brand Of Cain upon their fore
heads Prison doors are opened , but princi-
pies arc established which will help TO free 9TH
er men, and to open the gates of The sea. New
er before in her active history has Great Brit
ain ranged herseli on this side. Such an event
is an epoch Nocus s@clOrum nGScctW ordO.-
10 the liberties of the sea this Power is now
committed. To a certain extent this cause is
now under her tutelary care. If the immuni-
nos Of passengers, not in the miltUry or naval
service, as well as Of sailors, are not directly
recognized, they are atleast implied while the
whole pretensiln Of unpressment, SO long the
PES. li neutral commerce. and operating only
though the lawiess adjudication OF u quarter.
deck is made absolutely impossible. Thus is
she freedom OF the seas enlarged not only by
limiting the number OF persons who are exposed
to the penalties OF the war, but by driving from
il she most offensive pg2tensi3n that ever stalkcd
upoa its waves To such conclusions Great
B;,tiin is mreyocably pledged, Nor treaty nor
bad was needed. Ii is sufficient that her late
appeal can be INDICATED only by renunca
tloa Of early long continued tyranny Let
her Lear the rebels back. The consideration
~ ample Tor the sea became free as this penl-
tent Power crossed IT, steering westward with
the sun, On an errand OF liberation.
In this surrender, ii such it may be called, our
Government does not even "sloop to conquer.
II simply lifts itself to the height OF its own
original principles The early efforts of its best
negotat1rs-tho patriot trials of its soldiers in
an unequal war-have at length prevailed, and
Great britain, usually SO naughty, invites us to
practice upon those principles which she has 10
strenuously opposed There are victories OF
irc, Here is a victory of trut II Great
britain has gained the custody Of TWO rebels, the
United States have secured the triumph OF their
principles.
rhe speech closes as follows
With the contamination of these reforms in
maritime law, not forgetting blockades under in
,ernational Law, war would be despoiled Of its
most vexatious prerogatives, while innocent neu-
trails would be exempt from its tormcnts. Ia,
statutes of the sea, thus refined and elevated,
will be the agents of peace instead of tho agents
OF war Ships and eargoes will pass unchallen-
ged from shore to shore aud those terrible bel
ligerent rights under which the commerce Of the
world has 50 long suffered, will cease from trou-
bling In this work our country began early.
1t had hardly proclaimed its own Independence
before it sought to secure u similar independence
fnr tho snh IL had h,r1lv tnnba "A canstitot,,n