New-York daily tribune., 1863-07-13
we have greater doubt Of his position whcn
we read such dubious paragraph a. this on

"o Aoo" ""on uuDAou5 Poto8fuPn o. tpis W
page xx1iii Of bis "No.ice of the Author"
Speaking of Mr.. Wheaton's familiarity with
Continental jurisprudence and with the French
codes, he says that they (the French codes)
have "become the law of many of the couu.
tries of Continental Europe, as well as Of THH
STATE OF OUR OWN CoNFEDERACY which in.
cludes tho great commercial capital Of tho
South"
Was this paragraph written before the cap.
ture Of New-Orleans by the Government
And had Mr. Lawrence then made up bic
mind to recognize the COnfederacy, though
England and France had not
In note to page GLIB, in attacking the
Emancipation measures Of Congress and the
President, which seem especially to excite biz
Indignation, he thinks if case of servile war
should arise, growing out Of the liberation Of
the slaves, European nations need not stop to
discuss whether they should recognize the
Confederates merely as bellgerents or with
the rank of an Independent nation, but that
they would be justified in interfering actively
in their behalf on the score "cf the instinets
of a common humanity"
Would Mr.. Lawrence, we should like to ask
in passing. consider the marching of the 54th
Colored Regiment from Boston, the other day.
case for immediate foreign Intervention, on
the ground Of the instincts Of common
hamanity3
Perhaps il is due to Mr.. Lawrence to stats
his position on the negro question as decided
upholder of the institution, of the Buchanan
school. Thus. he quotes with appreciation an
English criticism of his own views on tho
negro question, expressed 10 French pam.
phlct published in Paris in 1859, which winds
up Up. GA note) with: "tbe whole question 70.
spectng manumission is thus summarily enun.
cisted. -. No blacks, no cotton; such is tho
finslty."
In notes to pages 4O-44, Mr. Lawrence dis.
cusses at some length the doctrine of the re-
cogntion of newly established Government by
foreign States; and at page 43 notices the recos'
nition of Southern belligerent rights by Eng
land and Ifance, at as early day as May,
Is6l The attack on Fort Sumter was made.
az is well known, on the 18th Of April, 1861;
and its surrender took place two days after.
April Ii. The news of these events in due
course reached Europe about April "a. h
less than t,co reeks eftertcard, and before Mr..
Adams had commenced bis functions as Min.
ister, viz: on the 9th of May, Earl Russell
announced the decision Of the British Govern.
ment to recognize the Rebels as belligerents;
and Mr.. Lawrence notices that the French
Government had come back to en- understand
ing with the English on the subject before tho
month Of April had expired.
Was this common case Of granting bel.
gerent rights to the rcbellious subjects Of Q
friendly Power, ,cho had only been in arms 9
fortnight, that it called for no comment from
an American writer on International Lawl
Mr.. Lawrence repeatedly speaks Of su'.
pension of the habeas corpus by President Lin
coin, (and he hardly changes bis phraseOloU
since the measure has been concurred in BY
Congress- as ga suspension Of the Constitution
Is this language to hold in the presence OF
foregnersi And is it very patriotic to at.
tempt to prove, as he endeavors to do, (pP.
5ls, Suplt. 34,) that France sin state OF
siege" has more freedom than we are enjoy
ing at present in Americal We might ask.
further how such discussion belongs to In.
ternational Law, when Secession, and Inter-
vention, and Neutrality, are overlooked in tho
manner they are
We forbear noticing further the omission By
Mr. Lawrence of an American opinion upon
great subjects where q national opinion IL
called for juridicay, and his expression of
partisan opinion upon domestic topics where
such an expression is unpatriotic and imper-
tiuent. Suffice it to say, the whole book
seems edited from al un.American point Of
view. Were We TO Judge of it from intrinsic
evidence simply, without being made acquainted
with the editors name, we should soy it came
from some expatrated aoutherner, VIII. had
little sympathy with any institution of bis coun.
try unless it were Slavery. aud who was
writing to catch the favorable notice of Eu.
ropean diplomatists and professors; perhaps 10
get their good word to help him to diplo'
matte post under the Southern Confederacy
when il should have been acknowledged, and
when it should have established its representa-.
tivcs at European Courts.