The New York herald., 1864-12-16

mehts were Orm
There was rather moro business In commercial circles
yesterday; but u the absence Of any activity Of moment
prices remained nomnaly the same, except . few
stances Foreign goods were very quiet. Petroleum
armer. On Change the principal feature the excite.
men To pork. All kinds Of provisions 6rmer. who
oresdeuns were without especial chsngo Whiskey was
moro active and armer. Freighis continued quiet
Our Northern Border TrouDies-A Cana.
dian Sensation Against Coursoi-Gen.
DIX Sustained by the Law and Public
Opinion.
The late order of General Dix, giving notice
to our Canadian nes hbors that in case of any
further rebel raids into tie United States from
Canada, "wbetber by marauders or by persons
acting under commissions from the rebel au-
thorites at Richmond" the offending parties,
If necessary, will be pursued beyond the from
tier, seized wherever found, and brought to
New York for trial by court martial, is an order
which meets the hearty approval of this COM
munity. Excepting from one or two rebel
sympathizing copperhead newspapers, we have
heard nothing but exp pressions of qualification
concerning it, Since tie release by Squire
Coursol, of petty Canadian court Of those
! ST. Albans maranders, on the groand OF no
jurisdiction, the public mind on this side the
border has FALLEN upon the common sense con-
clusion that the jurisdiction over such cases,
even on the soil of Canada, must properly be
long to our military authorities In acting
upon this idea General Dix, in the public esti-
nation, meets exactly the question Of jurisdic-
tion and the necessity of the case.
But in justification Of his course, he is also
| right in saying that it is amply authorized,
"under the rules Of law recognized by
| all civilized States, in regard to per-
| sons organizing hostile expeditions within
neutral territory, and fleeing to it for
an asylum after committing acts of depre-
dation within our own, such an exercise of
authority having become indispensable to pro-
tect our cities and towns from incendiarism,
and our people from robbery and murder"
| On this point the Toronto Globe fairly aud
frankly says that, "if these raids continue, we
shall not only render it probable that Canada
may be invaded by United States troops, but
we shall actually give the United States
right to do co."
| In support Of this opinion the editor of said
| paper produces this emphatic and applicable
passage from DR.. Phillimores valuable and
| authoritative book on international law, to
| wit: "A rebellion or a civil commoti0n, it may
| happen, agtates nation. While the authori.
ties are engaged in repressing it, bands Of
rebels pass the frontier to shelter themselves
| under the protection Of the cotermiuous State;
! and from thence, with restored strength aud
fresh appliances, renew their invasion upon
fho WI iob <hovh hayo nd
| invaded State demonstrates. The remonstrauce.
| whether from favor to the rebels or feeblcness
Of the Executive, is unheeded; or, at least, the
evil complained Of remains unredressed. In
this state Of things the invaded State is ,oar-
ranted, By International lac, in crossing the
frontier, and in taking the necessary means for
her safety, achether these be the capture or disper-
sion of the rebels the destruction G their strong
hold, as the erigencies Of the case may require"
This exposition of the law by Phillimore is
| thoroughly sustained by Va.tel and other re-
cognizcd authorities. Indeed, as General Dix
says, the rules indicated "are recognized by all
civilized States" and, he might have added,
are unhesitatingly put in practice by them all
when deemed necessary. The supreme law of
nations being thus explicitly declared and es-
tablished on our side, we are not surprised that
the Dogberry decision Of Mr.. Justice Coursol,
| Of Montreal, upon which the st. Adams
raiders we're discharged, has raised lively SEN
sation Of astonishment, disappointment and dis
| gust among the Canadians, from Montreal to
| Toronto aud Quebec. So hostile it appears. is
| this general excitement of the provincias
| against the ignoramus Coursol and his legal ad-
| visers and assistants concerned, that measures
have been adopted, not only for the rearrcst
J of the st. Albans vagabonds, in view of another
| trial before higher and more intelligent
| court than Coursol's, but that something in .
military way may be also expected from our
Canadian neighbors for the repression of these
rebel conspiracies against us in their midst
| The best of it is that this Canadian indgna-
ton against Csursol appears to have been
| spontaneously and simultaneously manifested
at different points, and in advance OF the re-
| ception Of Gen. Dix's order Of the l4th. But
| previous order OF his to the same effect was
probably not forgotten, and was, We dare say,
rightly understood as meaning that, should the
| occasion require it, the order will be executed.
The Canadians, too, have lively sense Of their
| neIpIeSsncs5 ia attempting any fcsislauco
against q Yankee invasion. They know, too,
that the great object Of the rebel emissaries
among them 10 to involve England, in defence
Of her Canadians in q rupture with the United
States for the benefit Of Jef Davis; and we
admire the sagacity Of her Msjcsty's provncials
| as manifested in their movements and express
sions of public opinion against any such
scheme.
We are gratiGcd that they arc waking up at
last to the danger Of tampering with or aiding