The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-12-02

SmOOIH OH SOme Oh the ESAaTp AHu
- Worrisomc Angles of Human Des-
4 tiny Eminent Americans OF
tssssWOr1d-wfde Fame Included m
the Number. SIS
Not one man in thousand is aware
there is branchaof the law in which the
standard retaining fee is $4,000. 1t is
TO the credit of America, isolated from
4 the other great nations by broad stretches
of ocean, that many OF our countrymen
are numbered among the practitioners
of international law. Benjamin, Harri-
son, ex-president and Benjamin T. Tracy,
eX-secretary Of the navy, have been I'M
usually prominent in this calling, having
served as counsel for Venezuela before
the arbitration commission which has
Just settled the boundary contentious be-
tween that country and Great Britain
Two others, Chief Justice Fuller and Jus
tice Brewer, by reason Of their serving on
the commission itself, may be regarded
rs highly important factors in the sub
stitution of arguments and judicial deci-
Sions by the nations of the earth for bull
lets and bloody victories. as
It is significant that the principles of In
ternational law as now accepted were ex-
pounded thoroughly first by Henry Whea-
ton, an American. We have the word Of
the New York Press for it that his book
on the subject was received as authority
everywhere, Immediately after publican
Z ton, and has retained it's pre-eminence to
this day. No. only was it one Of the
most important contributions to modern
law literature, but it's preparation was q
task OF great difficulty, for there are no
international statutes; there is no hard
and fast legislation binding on the peoples
Of the earth. With regard to the conauct
of neutral nations in times war;, the
carrying on of the worlds postal business
and some other things, certain agree
ments have been made, but these are the
nearest existing approaches to enact.
ments which are universally recognized,
and there is no provision for Furnishing
the nation which disregards them. With
regard to such points as are not covered
by these agreements, international law,
as laid down by Wheaton and supplement
tary writers, and under which lnterna-
Gonal lawyers practice, is based on broad
: common sense as accepted by the various
nations and reduced to definite terms.
Some one has said that interna tional law
is matter of interna tional consent
Wheaton s, book has been translated into
every language used in Europe, also Chi
Nese and Japanese. He acquired the
knowledge of international usages and
customs necessary to the prepa ration of
such a work in the years he spent as a
diplomat in the service of his country.
The writing of the book took up other
years, which could not have been occu-
pied to the better advantage of the world
at large. g.. - ~ e, Z 81 s.. d
They say that John w. Foster, former
secretary Of state, has the largest inter
national law practice of any American.
His preparation for, the profession was
such as would hardly fit a man for it in
any land under the sun but this Foster
was born in Evansville, Ind. His father,
Matthew Foster, was a judge John w.
was educated at the Bloomington univer-
sity and the law department of Harvard
and was school teacher years before the
Civil war. He was city attorney of
Evansville when the struggle between the
North and South began. He served as
major, Of the Twenty-fifth I, Indiana till
after the battle of Fort Daneison Then
he organized the Sixty-fifth Indiana, and
served to the close of hostilities as its
z colonel. After the war he went into poll
tics, business and journalism, besides re-
Stunning his legal practice to some extent
He was postmaster at Evansville for a
few years. His business interests were
centered for a time at Cincinnati, where
he became partner in wholesale grocery
firm. His newspaper enterprise was the
Evansville Journal Soon after Grant be-
came pfeSlU0nC he mace roster United
States minister to Mexico.
His special training for the practice Of
international law began with the as
4 sumption of his duties as representative
of this government in the capital where
once the tAztecs reigned. Foster remained
seven years in Mexico minister, then
held similar position in Russia for two
years and a half. and then served in Spain
for year and half He improved every
opportunity to keep his eyes open In each
of these lands. While Harrison. was pres
ident and Blaine was secretary of state
Foster was employed by the government
as special plenipotentiary to negotiate
reciprocity treaties with South American
republics. He also negotiated CONNER
cial treaty with Spain. which was con-
sidered a good thing by Harrison, Blaine
and the Republican party, but which
ly by withdra wing 1t from the senate,
though Foster was the agent selected by
the new administra ton to negotiate an
other treaty. Before this. when Blaine
resigned as secretary of state, Foster had
been appointed by Harrison to fill the
place. Throughout Blaine's term as head
Of the state department and, also his own
Fosters experience in International Law
was invaluable, since, besides making
complicated negotiations with the South
Americans and spaniards. he had to pre-
pare the case of our government in 1.-THE
Dispute with Great Britain over the seals,
which was adjudged by the arbitration
tribunal at Paris.
Immediately after the adjournment of
that body Mr.. Foster made a tour around
the world In the far East he was re-
ceived with exceptional honors, in part
due to his personal acquaintance with
distinguished Orientals who had repre-
scented their countries at Washington.
On returning to America he took up the
practice of international law as private
citizen, with headquarters at washing
ton, and soon afterward was requested
by the Chinese government to act Tor It
IN the peace negotiations with Japan. His
services are said to have been eminently
: satisfactory to his employers. China. be-
!, In: the beaten nation, had to make
concessions, but all the world agreed that
Fosters work lightened her burdens
s materially.
Forsters clients at one time and ans
other have included Spain. Holland, Eng
land and Portugal, besides China. It il
Z said that his fee from China when deal
ing with Japan was $3.50, 600. Other state
Ynents that 1t was only 100000 have been
made, but the larger figure is probably
s more nearly correct than the latter. Ac-
cording to a recently published dtspatch
from Indianapolis. benjamin Harrisor,,s
fee from Venezuela was also $3.50. OoO-
This is a:pretty fat sum, but Mr.. Harri-
son is said to have given nearly all his
time to the preparation and argument
OF the case for almost two years. s The
q amount Is understood to have been hxed
by the Venezuelan government after HAr.
rison had looked the case over carefully
and decided that England was In the
& wrong. ss s.
London is headquarters for more inter.
49, A.