Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-04-25
VOL. XI:KlsXIV.7 3 2'80YI

meet the. responsibilities of a nation, and
the parent Government merely holds on to
the eemblance Of war trona sense of pride
'and Willingness to acknowledges It's de-
feat, then the neutral nation is Justified in
recognizing ats independence. 2 A nation
may interpose In the affairs of another na-I
Htioh aini q contest between two nations for
her own nself-defense; and sometimes in the
c0urse,0f humanity There are cases when
It is necessary to intereedela a causeoof hu-
Emsnityr where the strOhgePiss so loppress-
i've upon, the weaker as ytee warrant inter-
ference, This is, ,admissablei in the .lawsof
nations, u issl however. a very delicate
matter, and there is constant suspicion of
tile motives of q nation that thus enters
into the affairs of another, Mr., Dana then
took up the subject of ambassadors and
their proper functions in. time, Of peace.
By modern civilization we are authorized
TO maintain ambassadors In the Courts of
6thef nations! Their use was, unknown in
ancient times, but they are fotnd TO be of
hgFeat advaHtagelto the world, and they are
Instrumental in preventing many wars tE1at
would otherwise Occur. Iand of bringing
Iabon better onauttia Al rnde derstanding be-
tween nations, s The person of an ambassa-
dor is sacred. He cannot be arrested tor
any ofense or brought before the Courts of
the country In which he may reside It is
a standing rule, however that he should
be acceptable to the Court to which he is
sent. Mo- eb1ntryris bound TO receive an
ampbasssd9r, a. and II the one resident in a
or people they can ask for his removal
without giving any reason whatever. We
may ask she British GaoFefhInent TO with
draw her minister and sue viii do 1t.
EThei house, or hotel as it is commonly
called; of the saHn6aSsa sador Is sacred, and
of a crimiEal who may have soug refuge
there Mr.. Dana then gave q general re-
sumo of the subjects treated in his previous
lectures. In the twelve hours allotted to
him, he said he had endeavored to present
all hemain topics of finternational1a law; but
perhaps if he had confined himself to few
Subjects, he could have given them more
Thoroughly. . He had endeayoEed, to show
that international law rests upon the moral
nature of man-that international law is
not only created by that, but is a fair guage
and measureOf the moral condition of So
ciety. The manner in which nations treat
one another depends upon the manner in
which man regards, his fellow man.
Under the ancient system in which each
nation imagined itself under the auspices
of certain tue gods, and that all other ma
tions were necessarily living under false
gods, and consequently ought to be de-
stroyed, there could be no such general
any international understanding between
them, There were none. Yet these nations
| were perfect after their kind. They did
! their very best-they had perfectly fair
trial-they advanced TO a physical and ma
terfal civilization which, in many respects,
able't to reach Yet, they fairly broke down
| from the utter want of spiritual vitality;
from the fact that they recognized no com
mon humanity-=never acknowledged obli-
CATION to our Supreme Being. Our modern
system, resting upon Christianity, and
holding allegiance to one God, is the true
secret of the advance of international law.
| Of the sources of International law and its
nature, the speaker said they were to be
found principally, in The acts, of nations
what nations have done and what they have
refused to do-and it has happened in war.
peace, and neutrality. This is the positive
and actual lawfof nations but we do not
stop with the actual and positive law. We
recognize an ideal International law; point
to which the relations of nations may be
carried which shall realize the purposes
of the highest and holiest9 of Chris
tian y civilization. This is far from
being reached yet, but nations are steadily
advancing towards it. We have also seen
that international law has liberation. We
have. found that nations have such faith in
one another that they make treaties and
expect to abide in them. The treaties of
the United States number more than one
hundred. We have treaties of peace, COM
merce, alliance with almost every nation on
earth. One of the most interesting proofs
of,the progress ofinternati0nal law is found
in the example of China. Wheaton's Ele-
naents OF International Law has been trans
lated into the language and copies of it put
into theshands of all the custom house Of
ticers and ministers of the Chinese Govern
ment.i The speaker said that he,had been
presented with copy of this work which
was nece -sarily unintelligible to him, yet
it was aproot that the same principles, OF
International law which, rule in civilized
nations are beginning to rule in the empire
of China. We have seen that peace is now
the rule and war is the exception, and that
sriendly relations are springing up and
binding the nations of the world more
closely together: We have also been Obliged
to look at the dark side of the picture. The
speaker trusted that his hearers would not
| separate without. having deep apprehen-
sion of the meaning of that terrific word,
G0uT, that when two nations are at war
they have put to stake everything. War
| is an appeal from law and reason to force.
There is no limit to that force except the
moral rules of humanity. II we thoroughly
show what war is twill keep US out ofwar.
That the Government can be at war and
the people at peace will not answer and it
4
there should besabsolute peace or absolute
war. When two nations have gone to war.
all other nations may goalon with their
peaceful commerce. The lines have been
drawn clearly on all matters connected
with this subject and to neutral nations are
now given all rights consistent with the
carrying on of effectual war by the bellig-
erents.i 1t is Christian and human to con-
fine war TO the very nations engaged in it.
and we should establish rules by which the
line should not spread and involve other
nations. What subject, said Mr.. Dana, in
closing, is more inspiring for the student
than the investigation into the actual con-
dition of the law of nations-its history
from the earliest time, and its condition
now. What subject more noble for tile
moralist than to study the ideal and the
tpossibleilaw of nations and to labor for the
advancement of the present and actual to.
wards the ideal and possible. a 80
4 ,Ei5-s5IJ
The ERayages of the Flood.
i The Memphis Avalanche says, in speaking
/ of the late terrible floods that have occur
red on the Mississippi and the lower rivers
Ithat the appearance of them now. that th'
LUIS hos SIlhSidpd tSpanSa q Shu1dar tht