New-York tribune., 1875-05-14
PROGRESS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW.
ABSTRACT OF PAPER By PRESIDENT ANGELL OF
MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY.

ABSTRACT OF rApER By PRESIDENT ANGLLL OF
MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY.
The object of this paper is to state sue
cincy the gains which have been made in international
law since the time OF Grous to glance at the main OBJ
stacles which oppose its further progress to call to mind
the encouraging facts In its present state and to inquire
what is indicated by the present apparent drift Of hort
among statesmen and pnbciss concerning changes in
the law.
/ I'm reviewing the two centuries subsequent to the
publication OF Grouss great work Peace and War;
at once avail myself Of the aid furnished to by the
summary which that high authority, Henry Wheaton
gives history Of the of the law OF nations
of changes wrought in International law bosween the
Peace OF Wesphaa and the Congress OF Vienna In 1873
The important of the changes lie names are us fol
lows -
First The general adoption OF permanent missions
and the recognition Of diplomatic privileges.
Second The exclusive dominion over particular seas
was abandoned and the right OF search limited 10 periods
third The universal right to the scheldt the Rhine
and other great European rivers was established as
IonrH The colonial monopoly nearly ended and
so the question settled to the right of neutras to
enjoy In war a commerce prohibited in peace;
FIN The slave trade generally reprobated though not
universally abolished In fact or In law.
Sirih The laws and usagcs Of war improved and an
advance made in securing privileges for neutral commerce
Europe the law Of nations, ana the tendency of Mo
haInInedan powers to adopt It, ,,.,,
EghM: In general, international hoiay ana ihtcrna-
tioaal law both advanced. -
These are all unquesonable gains The right Of inter
ycniion 10 preserve the balance of power Wheaton re-
ported IA undetermined
IT, We come to ask what gains have been made
since the Congress Of Viennai answer
FIRST The right Of search has been practically settled
by treaties he removed from the area Of debate
second All the great rivers Of the civilized world have
been opencd-the La Plata in 1893, the Danube In
IsG the Amazon in 500 the dues on the Elie and 'h
scheldt abolished and the principle is fully established
that the inhabitants the upper waters have rght O
the nee OF the lower waters OF "a river.
third Tie system OF international law has been ex-
tended not only to Turkey but also in some degree to
Japan aud China. Christianity no longer marks me
boundary its domain Its territory 10 as broad as the
territory occupied by civilized man. .
Fourth The entrance To the Baltic IL free tsnce the
payment Of the Sound dues 10 Denmark and the Black
Sea Is open IN merchant vessels.
Trnh: There have been some important ancliOratons
In the laws pertaining To war. ~ =,
III The obstacles which have been and still In the
way of Improvement Ofinternat0na law are grave.
First There II difference OF opinion to what are the
Of the law The Continental pubcists, for IN
stance inclined to attach much less weight to the de-
c0ns Of Admiralty Courts In making law than the En-
gsh and Americans. The language Of treaties, which
have not always been kept which at variance with
other treaties. the wayerng usage OF nations, the
cting viewS OF pubcists furnish much uncertain and
debaablc ground for those who determining law.
Second Again, grave difficulty Ia sometimes found In
tbs disposition VI nstops to lower tho ssada<d VI action