Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-05-18
rHE NEurRAIIrY ACr or ISIS.

THE NEUTRALITY ACT OF 1918.
In 1866, during the first session after
the close of the civil war, the house of
representatives passed, without a dis
senting vote, a comprehensive neutrality
bill intended to supersede and repeal the
famous statute Of 1878. Unfortunately
the new bill was passed by the house
only two days before the close of the
session, too late for action upon it by the
senate. Had it been brought up in the
senate at an earlier period Of the session
it would probably have passed that body,
though not perhaps with the same abso-
Lutte lack Of negative votes which was so
marked a feature of its passage by the
house. Before congress met again Mr..
Seward was prosecuting the Alabama
claims negotiations, which resulted in
The ebortiye Johnson.C Clarendon treaty,
and it was deemed insxpedient to dis
card the existing neutrality law while
that controversy wssin progress. For the
immediate purpose of exactiug damages
from Great Britain the law Of 1918 was
an excellent card to play both in the
a5ortive negotiation Of Mr.. Seward and
the successful negotiation of Mr.. Fish.
That statute defined the American ideas
of neutrality and pitched them in so high
a key that a repeal of it would have dam
aged our pretensions. Before the Geneva
award was rendered the subject Of i'm
proving the law of 1918 had sunk out of
public notice. Until the arrival of til.
Cimbria nothing has occurred to recall
attention to it. Whether the well known
three rules" which we're adopted in the
treaty Of 1871 for the guidance of the
Geneva Court Of Arbitration, were not
cheaply consented to by Great Britain
at the expense Of the fifteen millions
Of awarded damages, is a question on
which the generations that are to come
after Us will be better qualified to form an
opinion than we are. 1t is possible that
England will be benefited by the three
rules to double the amount OF the award
10 Der first important war. To be sure,
the three rules impose upon the United
States no obligation which we had not
Voluntarily assumed blythe statute which
so narrowly escaped repeal in 1866. In
deed, the three rules bind Us to less than
our own statute does, bat then we can
repeal the law of 1918 at our pleasure,
whereas we cannot abrogate the treaty,
especially after having recovered heavy
damages in pursuance OF the rules EN-
bodied in it by the demand Of our gov.
eminent. The treaty, however, is only
sn engagement batween the two parties
to it, no other nation having accepted
the three rules. We are as free to re-
wise our neutrality law as we we're be.
fore, but if we should lower it beyond the
line marked by the treaty England will
be eltiHsd to a special exemption.
The neutrality bill which passed the
house without a dissenting vote 10
1866. contemplated several devia.
tons from the act of 1918. limo.
vations on the act Of 1918, which
we're proposed by that bill, we're justified
in a vigorous speech by the chairman OF
the committee on foreign relations, who
had the bill in charge. "The purpose
aud object Of this BILL" he said, lis 10
modify our statutes to correspond with
those Of Great Britain; to place them
upon a level with those of other govern.
ments and to give our citizens, as far as
possible, all the privileges necessary to
the full development and prosperity aud
power Of the country, and which may
not conflict with the rights Of other gov
ernments." There was a minority re.
port Of the committee on foreign rels-
tong signed By Mr.. Raymond and Mr..
Paterson, but neither of these gen.
tleuenl voted against the bill,
Mr.. Patterson voting for it and
Mr.. Raymond abstaining from
voting. All that the minority report
advocated was more delay for more ma
ture action, the necessity for a thorough
revision of the law Of 1918 being fully
conceded by them. Mr.. Raymond pro
posed a joint committee Of both houses
ito report what legislaiion is necessary
to secure to the people of the United
States the rights enjoyed By other ma
tions; to secure the larges. liberty Of in
t%eroourse and trade consistent with per.
manent peace, aud to harmonic the
statutes Of TIE United States upon this
subject with those Of other nations and
with the progressive spirit of the age
This language conceded that the law of
1918 is unjust to our people and their
commerce and bshiad the spirit Of the
age, Thet restrictive statute was uuani
mously condemned by tho house OF rep.
r%esentatives, and the bill for superseding
it would doubtless have passed the sen.
ate had time enough remained to act
upon 1t at that session.
DEATH OF GENERAL JOSEPH ]. B.
WRIGHT.
Colonel Joseph j. B. Wright, surgeon
aud brevet brigadier general, United
States army, died last Tuesday at Car.