Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-12-29
HISTORY OF PASSPORTS.
Globe Trottsrs Certificates Of Char
acter.

Globe Trotters Certificates Of Char
acter.
The traveller returned loves to sit by
English firesides and let his fancy be-
guile him through his own journey
around the world again. He has his
little collection Of mementos, gathered
like guiding stones from the path his
footsteps have traced. to prick his
memory Of incidents and places; some
gew-gaws from an Eastern bazaar, or
picture postcards from every place be-
tween Bombay and Timbuctoo. They
all serve his purpose; but your pro-
fessional globetrotter has something
that appeals to him more readily. He
has his passport, its details obliter-
ated by the stamps of more than half
Of Europe, framed and hung up be-
fore him, as striking memento Of the
likes and dislikes, the Joys and sor-
rows, the civilities and rudenesses Of
q years travel One stands aloof
from passport when It comes fresh
and rustIing from the foreign Office.
reeking with the SAVIOR Of ofiicialdom.
One regards distrustfully; its very en-
forced presence is an insult to ones
feelings; II is quartered upon one
much as IL bailiff, and II conse-
quently receives a welcome similar to
that gentleman's. But after a few
months In its company. the feelings
change toward 1t. 1t shares with US
that we need must make friend Of
It. What we believed to be slur on
our character turns out extremely
serviceable In establishing identity
at banks where remittances await us.
The origin Of the passport is buried
in obscurity. Probably in the stone
age some influential mark upon flint
served the purpose of the passport OF
today, Their mention occurs In chron-
icles Of the wars of Christendom
against the Saracens, where safe-con-
ducts were freely and chivalrously
granted. Their observance, however.
was not so chivalrous, as apparently
they ceased to be Of any value to the
holder upon the slightest pretext. In
this respect the soldiers OF the cross
compare badly with those Of the cres-
cent, and later in the middle ages the
soldiers OF Europe were not remark
able for their adherence to these safe
conducts, The passport as now un-
derstood is q Spanish Invention dating
from the day OF the dreaded inqui-
sition, and the first ever given In
France was signed by Charles v Of
Spain when besieging Marseilles In
1887. During the siege King Charles
desired to send two Of his officers two
noblemen who were serving In the
army, on a mission to Madrid. To
safeguard them he gave them docu-
ment signed by himself and the
Pope's legate, to the Abbot OF Monte
video, who was then chancellor Of
the inquisition. This precaution was,
in the words Of our authority, ''in
order that they might be allowed to
pass freely, receive aid and protection
In case Of need, and not be harassed In
their passage through the kings do
minions by the bloodhounds Of the
holy brotherhood, who showed no
more consideration for grandees and
mobiles than for the hidalgos and mu-
letters Of Catalonia"
In law books Of nowadays a subtle
distinction is made between the safe
conduct and passport. The former is
defined as the permission given to an
enemy in the time of war allowing
him to go where he could not other
wise 60 without personal danger; the
latter term is applied to personal per-
mission to friends given on ordinary
occasions both in peace and war.
When a passport is given II includes
generally the baggage, personal prop
erty and servants OF the holder, and
he Is made answerable for the latter.
The transference Of a passport from
one person to another Is regarded as
a serious matter, for its bestowal In
the first place is a guarantee from
one government to another that its
holder is a desirable person. They
emanate, in fact, from the sovereign
authority, and though the right be
delegated, 1t Is none the less backed
by the concordance Of the state. Gov
ernments always reserve the right OF
confiscating passports, and ambassa-
dors themselves have suffered In con-
sequence. In 1871, during the reign
of Elizabeth, the bishop Of Ross came
to England and INDUCED In schemes
for the release of the imprisoned
Mary, Queen of Scots. He was de-
tected and himself imprisoned, but
claimed the privileges Of Queen Ma
ry's ambassador. He was ad1udged,
however to have forfeited any right
to such privileges and after stay In
prison was banished.
The limitations Of passports have
rarely been better displayed than in a
celebrated international dispute In
1853. A Hungarian named koszta
was banished from Austria, owing to
his completely In political offences.
When expelled he went to the United
States, and after living there for some
time commenced proceedings toward
becoming a naturalized citizen. While
this was going on. AFFAIRS called MIN
to Turkey, and he went with United
States passport. At Smyrna, however.
he was seized by Austrian agents,
and though the Turkish authori-
ties protested against the act as VI
olation Of their sovereignty koszta
was put on board an Austrian vessel.
The commander of the United States
warship St. Louis insisted on and en-
forced the Hungarian's release, and
Austria regarding this as an offence
against her flag, demanded satisfac-
ton. Here was all that was wanted
for grave international complications,
but the matter was ended by Koszta
being brought back to the United
States with the reservation Of the
right to Austria to proceed against
him should he at any future time land
in Turkey.
Vessels, as we'll as individuals, oc-
casionally need safe-conducts, as was
the case in 1893, when the boats car
rying mail between France and Eng
land were permitted to pass, despite
the war between the two countries.
Vessels of discovery likewise have
been regarded as exempt from inter-
national complications. In i776,
when Capt Cook sailed out from Ply
mouth with the Resolution and the
Discovery, the French minister Of ma
rine issued instructions for allowing
him to pass from sea to sea without
molestation. This custom seems to be
the survival of the old Grecian idea,
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