The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-10
AS TO FILIBUSTERIEQ.
What Former Presidents Have Writ
ten on the Matter.

ten inc uAaNtCEs
Washington, April S.-The steamer
Dauntless is under arrest, detained for a.
legged filibustering operations. She Is
charged with having carried ammunition
to Cuban rebels.
Is the arrest legal?
This is the question now before the state
department at Washington.
President Washington, when called on to
decide upon similar matter, did not think
so. During the war between England and
France in 1893 George Washington sent
out this message to the collectors Of all
the ports:
THE purchasing within and exporting
from the United States by way Of mer-
chandise articles commonly called contra
band, being generally warlike instruments
and military stores, is free to all the par
ties at war; and is not to be interfered
with. George Washington
In 1915 Spain attempted to keep The
United States from assisting France. To
this President Madison replied:
"AD that your government had a right
to claim of the United States was that
they should not interfere in the confess
or promote by any active service the sue
cess of the revolution, admitting that they
continued to overlook the injuries received
from Spain and remained at peace. This
right was common to the colonists. With
equal justice might they claim we would
not interfere to their disadvantage; that
our ports should remain open to both par
ties, as they were before the commence
men!t of the struggle; that our laws regu-
lating commerce with foreign nations
should not be changed to their injury. On
these principles the United States have
acted. James Madison"
In 1912, during the trouble between Mex
leo and Texas, Secretary Webster rem
dered this decision:
The government of the United States
is a government of law The chief magis-
trate, as well as functionaries In every
other department is restrained and guided
by the constitution and the law of the
land. Neither the constitution. nor the law
of the land nor principles known to the
usages of modern states authorizes him to
interdict lawful trade between the United
States and Texas, or any other foreign
country.
During the Crimean war, In 1854, Pres
ident Pierce sent out this proclamation:
THE laws of the United States do not
forbid their citizens to sell to either OF
the belligerent powers articles contraband
of war, or to take munitions of war or
soldiers on board their private ships for
transportation; and, although in so doing
the individual citizen exposes his property
TO some of the hazards of war, his acts do
not involve any breach of national neu-
tralty, nor of themselves implicate the
government. Thus during the progress Of
the present war in Europe our citizens
have, without national responsibility
therefore, sold gunpowder and arms to all
buyers, regardless of the destination OF
those articles. Our merchantmen have
been, and still continue to be, largely en-
ployed by Great Britain and France in
transporting troops, provisions. and NUM-
tons of war to the principal seat of mill
tary operations and in bringing home the
Sick and wounded soldiers; but such use
of our mercantile marine is not interdict-
ed by the international or by our munich
pal law, and, therefore, does not compro-
mise our neutral relations with Russia.
Franklin Pierce"
AS late as 1856 Secretary Bayard wrote
MIR. Hall, our minister to Central America;
For this government to watch its mer-
chant and passenger vessels on the hleh
seas. to stop them if they carry contra
band articles OF passengers meditating a
breach Of neutrality, would impose on the
United States a burden which would be N
itself intolerable; which no other nation
has undertaken to carry, and which the
law of nations does not impose"
Wife Suddenly neutrality-suspicious.
What's the matter? Fido is way do|a
stirs, yelping as if he were burt. What )
happened to the little dear?
Husband-I threw him at a burglar