The New York herald., 1863-09-30
French Law Of Ncutrals and Bellige-
rents-The Repairing and Victuai HIN e
ef the Flo rfda at Brest.

from the Paris Constitutional, sept. Is.
The unques BILE that the French
IN allowing the Florida ret Breat withoa permit
ling her, as the Nonde declares 20 reinforce her
meat, acting in perfectly consistent with the
principles Of he stricts neutrality Again Is this course
OF action contrary TO the special prescriptions Of
ihe ou,se, Of ,he ware nv NO means And IN ,hss ;.
again. demonstration s easy What doe the declaration
IN question decisep completely assimiates Of
and rfsueers " ne tsco conding parties pyet isly the
soms fong 80 that in order TO solve the question: The
proposition might be reversed and the qics, asked,
federate vessel, from the North had present
ed itself at Bresr nssnredly the pariisans Of The
federals would have ndnged in the l0udest
comp aints an attempt had been made 10 apply to the
United States vessel the which they now de-
maud for the Florida, and the liberty OF rehing,
enable II 10 put TO again had been denied Let us
continue the declaration next states that neither
Of the beIigerents, according to the French law.
shall DO reeived n'o our ports with prizes.
Now, ~ We have already said, and IL is well known
the Florida had no prizes with her. The sealnen,
prisoners Of whom she had board could not be
considered prize, according to the meaning OF the
declaration could their being landed French soil
made the sub Get OF complaint against her In this
situation. We repeat all that could be done carry
tnio elect the assimilation between the begereps
specified oar declaration Of neutrality and TO treat the
have treated federal vessel of.war in the same
situation As TO the assimilation in itself, FAR the
south and the North are CONCERNED there s need in
order to justify or to explain it, TO resort 60 the snppos,
,ion OF the recognition the south ~ an independent
state II s sufficient that the South should he bell.
rerent, and should be recognized such, 10 be
sidered entitled 10 the advantages sanctioned by
the laws OF This leads us 10 examine u
point which the advcrsares OF the South have largely
commented onthe fact OF the privatcers burning and
sinking their prizes Without seeking exense a mea.
sure which IN truth must be considered the very
rigorous exercise OF the rights OF carried 10 their
eNireme bmits, we cannot refrain from remar king
that az matter OF fact, prscedents mioid fo,1i
md a. mdtsr Of Ian leg,sidaoa oi'rmes
aae practice IN less m0.nt cdses Thus
Nalin, in his "Commentaire do pordonnsnce de-
Ia Marine says that u IS only forbidden 10 burn sink
captured vessels In the OF the catvr wishing TO
dispose u his prize, and NM Duverdy and rstoye the
authors ~ the "Nouveau lraite des prsesNirtnes =
IN aludns 10 this passage Of Vain, make the following
observation Nv hat Vain declared under The r,Gpr OF
the naval ordnance repent authority
of the decree Of Praral, which has preserved the
expressions Our declaration of neutrality forbddng
prNatecrs % enter harbors with prizes, the
captors may thus consider necssaty an urgent
need fr them o burn their prses. especially when they
have Themselves sustained damages which cnbarrass
reard them on that point questions VI interest
nenras The proprietors Of the cagocs may he raised
but The decision Of those questions belongs another
order OF IDEAS Whatever msy be the case the fact
the begcreni burning his prize constituting the
rigorous consequences q the rights Of II in
fse have sy Influence upon the neutrality of foreign
government, or at all modify lis duties or is rights.