The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-07-22
PROTECTION FOR DIPLOMATS.



New York Press
Perfect safety for the persons of diplo-
matte ENJOYS accredited from one nation
70 another was the law of nations when
tnere was no other, and from the earliest
times 10 the present II has been a recOg-
nlzed and fundamental principle of inter
National law. 1t was a part of the old
Roman law, and before that time Alex
ander the Great destroyed Tyre because
OF an insult offered TO his ambassador.
sui further back, before Alexander or
Rome, the principle was universally &C
knoWledged among nations. AS 1t was
the beginning OF all international law, SO
II has been the principle most seldom
violated. To secure this immunity from
harm and from interference in the dis
charge OF their duties, ambassadors and
diplomatic ENJOYS have in modern times
been made by international law tree from
the operation or the laws Of the cOun-
tries TO which they are accredited, and
an ENJOYS house is made as inviolable as
his person. This is known to the lawyers
as the doctrine OF eXtra-territOrlaliJy-
The house of an envoy is regarded as is
a snip at sea, as part OF the territory
Oh the country whose flag flies over X,
ana violation OF the premises, II author
/ lied by the government to which the en-
| Voy IS accredited, is tantamount to an
act of war, even though the person or
/ the envoy receives no harm. ENJOYS Of
/ ambassadorial rank theoretically repre-
sent directly the persons OF the rulers OF
the countries from which they come and
/
violence done 10 the ruler represented
/ There is no more serious breach of in
| ternational law known than the killing
| of a diplomatic envoy by the authority
of the government to which he is ac-
/ credited, and government so transgres-
sing puts itself outside of the operation
| OF international law. 1t becomes an out
| law among nations, with no rights which
II can justly claim.
Though history does not present many
examples of the ENJOYS of a nation being
murdered or imprisoned by the people
to whom they are accredited, there have
been IN recent years parallel cases TO the
/ tragedy of Pekin Three English ENJOYS
have been murdered in Afghanistan, one
after another.
In 1871 a rising of the Afghans took
place against the British, who occupied
kabul with force of 4500 soldiers and
L, 600 camp followers. The house of the
British resident, Sir Alexander Burnes,
was attacked and he himself murdered.
Sir William McNaughtOn. the special en-
vOy OF Great Britain, took refuge with
the garrison The instruction broke out
on Nov. 2. In the middle of the month
the AfghanS announced that they were
ready to treat with the besieged garrison,
ana Sir Alexander McNaughtOn went out
10 confer with the chiefs. While the con-
ference was in progress. he suddenly was
set upon and hacked to pieces On Jan
uary the British capitulated, being guar
anteed safe conduct to the frontier. The
AISnanS failed TO keep faith with the
BRUSH, and the march of the retreating
garrison through the intense cold and
snow soon became disorganiZed rout.
HaraSsed by the fierce mountain war
r1ors, nearly all the army persisted in the
kabul-kurd pass, and the remnant, about
! zOo IN number, fell at the entrance to the
Jugduluk pass. Only one Englishman
, alive TO tell the tale. A punitive expedi-
uon was sent out, which sacked Kabul
! and killed great numbers of the Afghans
The third British envoy to be murdered
Z kAnll ori xrrl7N xrrac
massacred with his family and all the
; members OF his household in the British
embassy IN 1897 The British had a large
force in Afghanistan, and demanded the
right to maintain a permanent embassy
: at kabul and to advise" the ameer in
regard TO his foreign policy. A treaty
guaranteeing these things was signed
Major Cayagnar was sent to Kabul and
the work of Withdrawing the British
troops from the country begun. Scarcely
mad the ambassador established himself
5 IN kaoul when rising took place. 4
swarm OF Afghans Storrned the embassy
} and murdered all in the building, with
= circumstances of great atrocity. LORD
Roberts marched on the Afghan capital
ana took possession of ii. He hanged five
. natives of nigh rank for participation il
the murder of Cavagnari and captured
| the ameer, Yakub Khan whom he sem
a a prisoner to Peshawar
Walter Plowden, the first EnglishmaY
TO be accredited formally to the Abys
e sInian court, was killed in an uprisins
WIlIle at MS post OF duty IN 1860. He wa:
! a friend and adviser of the Negus Theo
dore, who avenged his death, and so NJ
complications arose with Great Britain
Plowden'S successor, Captain Cameron
q was nor viewed with such favor, how
r ever, and upon the failure of the British
foreign Office TO respond to a letter which
the negus had sent to London, asking tn,
q privilege of establishing an ernbasSv !,
the British capital, the British envovS an,
: ms suite were seized and placed in clos
Il confinement, where they, were subiecte,
nj 70 brutal fortunes A British official from
u Aden was sent to demand the release q
e the Englshmen, and he also was throw
@ INTO prison The result was the Abys
. Slnlan war. An army consisting of 4.GI
c | BRITISH and 5000 SepOy troops landed i,
Abyssinia, under the command of 81
: charles Napier. in 1858, and marched +
f the interior The negus was vano1ishe
:, and the prisoners liberated Theodore
, when he saw that he was cOnouered
committed suicide. The commander a
the British forces was made Lord Mamie
n crd1 l f@,- L