Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-01-04

AL writers and judges pronounce naval or miii'ny
persona In the service Of the enemy, cou'rioard
tel fays allows to cut CT iron an enemy all his
resources and TO brdr him from fending minister's TO
solicit assistance. And Sir William Scott siys you NAV
stop the embassador Of your enemy on his passage
Desra,cbes are not less clearly contraband, and the
bearers couriers who undertake 10 cary them, Gil
under the same condemnation.
A subtleiy might be raised whether pretended mitis-
ters Of usurpmg power not recoen zed 81 legal by
either the btlg the neutral could be held 70 be
coaraband. But t would disappear on being sui ected
to what the true 10 all cases-nsmey the spri
of the law Sir VIM. Scott, speaking Of civil magistrates
Who were arrested and detiined contraband says:
Il appears TO me- principle TO be but reasonable
that when Is of sufficient importance 10 the enemy
tuch persons shall be sent out the public service
a. the pubc expense h shall afford EQUAL ground Of for
fsture against the vessel bs may te let out for prr
pose so intimately COZ .sI with the hose operstioDs'
trust that Lave sho~n that the four persons Who
were taken rom the Trsr hy Captain Wilkes, and their
dsps' 'ches uers contr.hsnd ot var.
Toe second enquiry "a, whether Capt Wilkes had
righ b. The l,- Of nations, TO detsD and search the
. Trent
Th- Trent, .teu.i she c-rries toe mails vas
tract or merchant veseele common csrries for hire
Mlitine law knows only three classes OF vssses-yes
sells OF var revenue vessels and merchant vessels The
Trent falls within the latter class. Whaewr disputes
have existed rnrg the right OF visitation or sesre
Ia time of peace, none IL Is supposed has existed III
modern times about the right Of begerent In time OF
merchant Vessels and of right of visitation and search
in order determine whether Ihey are neutral and arc
d)cumented as such according to the law Of nations
,sume In the present case, what, as read British
a;,,roa ,hs, lie ;,.ums, ,hs, ,bs 7ren, vas
"a aaS, 60 na,,,,a, nor, ~ s,o,bs, nsrt,.I ho,,
does not modify the right OF the belligerent capior
The third question is whether Capt. Wilkes exercised
the right OF search in lawful and proper manner.
- ~ ,s'aosn, of e. ,don sd h., The R,;pi.t
a "es.r,. 49, :, nm, no - sJresd. nssssd 80
,ha rod.Gn.,ona or that st,,sment rb;ch bsv
ar.s'S, ~ "a ltd
n,oo.sd ~ tho ccur,b srouir,. namely, bsv;p,
foard The eIneced coptrabapd on board of The Trent
k,I ~, WI Lac a ,;obt IN "a n,,,ra tho s,me =
aroh oannrs "a ,Hs chief n mot the onIv rscoonzs3
,' ,Ps o..ri,,ad v;o;,,,;or snS :s.,,h rhs
!e. W s"S ~ :. s~i;.s..,. ss-i =. -
PlucPe o. ane s .u =, naI 49, t.o,.
phn'alvos =, hs;r ar,,;sd % th No. ,iis nsss
- ,sos as;an,d Ths .r 4 so l;bsrsI In ,h;s 20
a, ,bs, wbsn contrsb,nd Is fonnd on hoard neutral
80, no, onIv ;s the contrab.na forfeit but the ,es
80 =; ~ .s;oo Of ;,s nssssas =. ,r,rsn,r,.,o,
s, ~ s -, ~ onp,chnSa "a = nh;s.,sd
.o".us .ts.,.,. .a,n'su "a s -, s,..,ion
al, ~. ff,h orss,;on rsm.i,s viz. hid Gan, W;It,s
az rcse ,bs riob of csp,nrinr the contr.bspd In con-
fo,nity with law of nations
II ia inst here that the difficulty of the case begins
that IA the manner which the law Of nations prescrbes
n, 6sno.;no M the conraband when Won have found
,na lated /, n, hoard of a neutraI vesselp |..
Tae .rsrs; ,vould he easily found n the ouestion
- r., 90, shorIi 40 ~,b tho con,r.bsnd vs.saI =
- -, 80 - 80 go h.. ,n,o a .on,.r;.n, nor, aud
iou 49,, n..a.s,,;,n ,hs,a 4; aSm,.i,s
-, In r5n decids he 1acsuu,,s OF ueIIeerency
rsp,r ,Iitv contr,band and eap,ure 90 again ycu
,oud promntly find the same answer II the question
~e,e What is,he manner of proceeding preacribed by
ts law Of nations in regard 10 the contrsbapd II be
n,onsr,y or tLinos Of material or pecunisry value
But tne question here concerns the mode Of procedure
in regard not TO the vessel that was carrying the cora
band nor vet TO things which worked the for
tsi,pre nj tho ve,seI but 10 contraband persons
IT, hooks of law are dumb. vet the an ,son Il an Inn
,or,ar, a, ,;, aa,cpI, First the beloerent captor
bss i,b, 10 nreven, the contrsband oSBcsr sold,r
Ia. in;s,. nas,srcsr o. conr;s, f,on n,ocesdino
IN hi; vovo ye md reaching the destined sccne
~ Ms !, arious service Bn, on the other hard he
s,sons .,,,u,ed NAV n, inpec.nt-that IA he nav not
r. ,.ta n. ',ha.aforo bas a ,,cht IN = ,.;r t,i.l
of The .ccusa,io, .gsiost him The neutral State tina,
a.. 49, b; undes ~, a,v 4 bonnd 70 nro.ect him n
h No, on,,an.n5 sod I ,bsreEore entitled N he ssf
;.sd nnnu that mno,iant question TIE Eitb of the
state Il pledged 10 bis eatety Il innocent as s Justice
Il nedped 70 his surrender If he Is really contraband
Here are conf citing claims Involving personal liberty
life honor and duty. Here are conflicting national
cI,ims ;nvolsioo wsfsre safety honor and empire
Tbsv ;, on;rs irbunsI a,d trial The captured and
h 49, az saa,is ,bs neu,ral and beII;osrent
g. e. male 1vbilo ,ba I. authorities ue,e fourd
-, I, ,s, .r,gss,aa AZ an ea,v dsv nv this eoy.rp.
80, ,b,t vo, sbord tste the csntpred nersons into
e ssa ~ Ia ;,.,;,n,a iS;o; nroos.ainn, ,hs,
". @ .L , po'. 50. D., oI. Copr,, ~ Smir.hy
;.vs Cn.or ~ r,r;,me c,ses and these Cou,,,
,J.r,,,. -, ,w al, ,,;m, ~ con,rahsnd chst,ss
hn, on. 20 ,v ,ims concerning .on,raband nersop,
The Cours can entertain no proceeding and render no
;,dgements Ia favor of or araipst the alleged contra.
n,nd msp
1--we renled all this il true but YOU can reach In
those courts decision which will have the moral weight
of iudic;al one by cjrcutous proceeding Convey
the su.p cte men, together with the suspected vessel
into mort aud ry the question whether the vessel Is cor
tr band You can prove h TO he 30 by proving the sn-
pected msn to be contrabaGd f the men ere not con.
Irsband the men vl escape condemnation Sun there
i, no indsnen. for or sgsrs' the captured persons
Bat Il vac aos~c--s mai there would result from the
Determination OF the court concerning the vessel, e-
g,l certainty concerning tbs character o. the men
Tia of ding amsi IN man