Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-04-22
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speech of nr. Cox.

ate speech in the House of CopOresa. On A.,
iosh OF this month, on his resolution resuec,Ipp
neutral maritime rights. 'lrhe following synOp.
sis Of the speech embodies its substance.
Mr' Cox said the committee on Foreign Az.
Islrs nave authorized me TO report back the
rssoiuaons ,s offered some time ago on Neutral
MaEihme Rights. The tax bill has prevented
.ner presentation hitherto. He then proceeded
toe1Piain tnelr provisions, In order that member
might nave them under confederation
mr. COX said: The resolutions reaasert tho
Amesican doctrine In favor of neutral rights
ana Tor tne protection of private property on The
sea: Against force and pretension In tba n,sr
we nave ohampioned democracy upon land and
sea-equality Of right under our Gag for ctiysn
ana ship. In the debate on the came snbiect In
tue Rouse OF Commons, on the l7th inst. Dis.
E1eI rae = se,d IL was the most important question
ior England which could engage attention -
Nexs atter our rebellion, it Ia the moat imno,,.
ant lor u.s. we are commercial people, with
more mercantile tonnage and sea.cosst than
any otner nation Our Interest lies on the line
OF Neutral rights The English Administrstiop
rstty; 40 well as the Tories, already exult over
tne isiiuFe OF democracy here, and the London
l'HNs' IN the same breath with which IL speers
~ 1ur ia1iure, conoemns the humane policy OF
bright oooden, Horsfall, and others, as to the
,'l as wen as tne efforts Of French Liberalists,
nAe SpeValer' hautefeuille, ThouVenel, and
sven Napoieon himself. England, judging by
the recent debates, wishes to rstroprade IN sn;,s
OF hercommercial men, from her Advanced nos;.
ton assumed at the Paris Conference. Sbo
must either advance to our position or reoede
from her present position. Az abe stands she
Wiii' IN case Of war, fad her com merce 10 nea
ual snlps and her cruisers useless. So saw her
metenants TO her proud rulers. France and ali
oIner fo~ers' except England, are In sympstby
Wlsu tue american doctrine. Those revolutions
acAnoWieage this sympathy. IL is the sympatbv
y, u enlightened men in favor of civilizations
EACH interest In our country 10 inbound with
that OF commerce. The agricultural Stata 7
live IN is vitality, though indirectly, interested
IN neutral rights on the ocean, "Thoupb inIand
far we be-" the ship which ploWs The sea sss;sts
and rewards him who ploWs the soil in the
western valleys. Commerce has beentba Oraa.
eivllizer OF mankind. The more the fettera
which war imposes upon commerce melt avav,
the greater will be the advance of human ba1'
pinees. This is the object Of these resolutions
it matters not what opinion members NAV hold
es 70 giving up those seized on the Trent. ali
can agree Ia asking for better and more ex.
phoit law regulating such action. True, Eng.
Iana could not consistently ask their release
Titnoat reversing her authorities But her con.
duct mas settled nothing Of principle. France
desires to settle principles, aud the resolutions
RESPOND 20 ner wish The letter of Thouyenel,
Oh Dec: o. 1901, referred TO the committee. Ia
dictated 6y friendly regard for us and for the
HgntS OF ner own nag, Essential to the security
OF neutrais;" The action of France is in har.
mony with her traditionary friendship for US, in
10, 1861, and when Napoleon desired eaTnestly
to prevent our,political disintee ration and ~
ootribute toward the maintenance of the Union y
The American people are not insepsihle to
these expressions. On these questions of nan.
trai rights they desire to be allied with France.
At our suggestion France has taken leading
part In their discussion, and always on the liberal
sioe. had the aFbitrament of the Trent uues.
tion been lett 10 France, she doubtless would
have released the prisoners; but we would have
had en- authoritative precedent on principle, biod.
Ing England forever Now we have is not. and
England creeps back into her old selfishneaz al.
ready Such an award would heva been In
harmony with our American doctrine. thoupb II
would have reversed the cherished EnSIjsh
decisions. 17s' e"''
Doubtless we have received from other coup.
tries suggestions upon this question which we
have especially befriended. Such doctrine as
ours 10 the natural result Of opposing extraya
CANT maritime pFetensions. Il is natural rea.
son rebelling against arbitrary force. Nations
have, at different eras, pretended to an exclu-
siye control Of the sea, especially that part ad-
accent. Denmark, Venice, Spain, Portugal and
England, are instances. Selden, In his hMaro
Clausum, }" claimed the four adjacent seas as an
'urtenant to Great Britain; and during the Nauo.
eonic wars, England claimed to control he
neutral com nerce OF the Atlantic, Baltic and
mediterranean. Napoleon retaliated upon her |
ordera IN Council. America denounced these
ACTS, In the language OF Jefferson, 81 a laWless
'ystem OF piracy. We hold the sea to be a
common highway; that no nation had dominion
aver II save TO the extent Of the ourtllsge Of a
Iannon ebot from its shore; that the ship IA tho
loating territory Of the nation whose Gag aosts
,ver 1t, and there IL no power to question or
,urtail Its privilege. Quincy Adams, Ia 1885. |
declared these doctrines TO be founded on mat
iral right, and ell bolligerent practices In vic.
alton of them, on force. He followed Frank |
in, Adams, Jefferson and WashinRton-who. |
approving OF our treaty with Prussia, naintaIn'
ID that all not directly engaged in the war
hould be free from its ravages-such as farm.
re-, mechanics, merchants and traders in un.
irmed ships. Clay gave the same enlightened
Idvice TO our Panama Commissioners; and
Marcy, Inspired With the genius of public ius
Ice, sought TO hx these principles on the laws
" the world for the interest of mankind. The
ate war with England was Wsged In their vim.
llcatiou. In these Developments France has
,een our collaboration. Great Britain. owing toI
Ter constant belligerency, her jealousy of other
laval powers and her Isolated pride, has beenl
md is yet laggard in freeing commerce Oar
,oiicy 10 the same to-day as It was when Frank.
IN treated with Prussia and when Washinpton
Vro!e TO Rochambasu In favor OF his trestv
Peace Ia our history. Peace will continue to |
20 our history Our interests lie not in claim |
ng for bclligerent, but In claiming neutral
ights. Even II we were at war with ENGLAND. |
% long as We have the largest commerce and
be least navy, our Interests would be that of |
,eutral. In case Of the adoption of the Marcy
doctrine, and the freedom Of private property
IN the sea, England's great naval force be.
,omes in . great part useless. Her cruisers
'ould only be used to fight ours in the iueIs, or
% blockade our ports. Commerce would 20 |
IN; and with the improvements Of ships, Of |
team and iron, her blockades would be of no
iort OF avail under the guns CT our Monitors.
Our interests are those OF peace. Neutrality
iIled our Golfers In the NapoleOnic and Crimean
Tars. All other Powers except England are
deat6ed with US In :ais- ssI.sy.a A declaration
# u BY this Congress is ct and proper, as our
'osition Is anomalous in thia, that our diplomacy
9 liberal, yet our judicial decisions adverse.
We have cluDg to the English Admiralty decis-
one, holding the law OF nations to be what Eug- |
and decided when We were part Of the British |
Empire. Our treaties and our thoughts are in |
advance OF ourlaw as administered. II ia prop,
Or to psss these resolutions, as France has invt.
ID US to resume the negotiations which we have
often urged. Here Mr.. Cox cited from various
L.. analn al f. IL 1