The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-01-10
After reviewing these au-

upon thlS very case. At1ei i0'i0"i'o ' 49,
horities, he says:
If am correct in this review then the con-
clusion IS inevitable. The seizure of the rebel
emissaries Oh board neutral ship cannot be
justified according to our beet American Prece-
dents and practice. There seems to be no SIN
gle point where the seizure is not questionable,
until we choose to invoke British precedents and
practice, which beyond doubt led Captain
Wilkes into the mistake which he committed. =
In the solitude of his ship he consulted familiar
authorities at hand and felt that IN following
Vattel and Sir William Scott, as quoted ana
affirmed by eminent writers, reinforced oy the
inve,crate practice of the British navy, ne couiu
not err He was mistaken. There was better
example; it was the constant, uniform, unhes-
tating practice of his own country en- the ocean,
refusing to consider dispatches as contra and OF
war-refusing 10 consider persons. DINER than
soldiers or officers, as contraIand OF war ana
protesting always against an adJuolcation Oh
personal lights by the summary judgment OF
quarter deck Had these well attested prece'
dents been in his mind, the gallant captain
would not, even for moment, have been Sc
duccd from his allegiance to those principles
which constitute part of our countlys glory.
Mr.. President, let the rebels 60. Two WICK
ed men, ungrateful to their country, are let
loose with the brand of Cain upon their lore
heads. Prison doors are opened but prlnc-
Piles are 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 herself on this side. Such an event
is an epoch. Norus s9c'orun nascetnr ordo.-
To the liberties of the sea this Power is now
committed. 10 a certain extent this cause is
II
tics of passengers not in the military or naval
recognized, they are at least implied while the
whole pretension of mpressment, 50 long the
pest of neutral commerce. and operating only
through the lawless adjudication of a quarter
deck is made absolutely impossible. Thus is
the 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
it the most offensive protension that ever stalked
upon its waves TO such conclusion s Great
Britain is lrrevocably pledged. Nor treaty nor
bond was needed. 1t is sufficient that her late
appeal can be INDICATED only by renuncia-
ton of early long continued tyranny. Let
her bear tho rebels back. The consideration
is ample for the sea became free as this penl-
tent Power crossed it, steering westward With
the sun, on an errand Of liberation.
In this surrender, if such it may be called, our
Government does not even "s.oop to conquer. "
1t simply lifts itself to the height of its own
original principles. The early Efforts OF its best
negotiators-thc patriot trials Of its soldiers III
an unequal war-have at length Prevailed, and
Great Britain, usually SO naughty, invites US to
practice upon those principles which she has so
strenuorsly opposed There are victories Of
force. Here is victory of trut Ii Great
Britain has gained the custody of Two rebels, the
United States have secured the triumph Of their
principles.
The speech closes as follows
With the consummaton of these reforms il
maritime law, not forgetting blockades under in
ternational Law, war would BE- despoiled Of its
most vexatious prerogatives, while innocent neu
trails would be exempt from its torments. The
statutes Of the sea, thus refined and elevated,
will be the agents of peace instead Of the agents
of war. Ships and cargoes will pass unchal!en
ged from shore to shore and thos, terrible bel
ligerent rights under which the commerce of The
world has so 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 a similar independence
for the sea. 1t had hardly made constitution
for its own government before it sous int to estab-
lish constitution similar in spirit for the gov
eminent OF the sea. If it did not prevail at once
it was because it could not overcome the I'M
yielding opposition OF Grea, Britain. And now
the time is come when this champion of belli
gerent rights " has checked his hand and chan
ged his PRIDE Welcome to this new alliance.
Meanwhile, amidst all present excitements,
amidst all present trials, it only remains for us
! to uphold the constant policy of the republic,
and to stand fast on the ancient ways.