The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-04
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| tive-born citizens of the United States
Those poor galley slaves were compelled
| to serve beenath an alien flag and in the
War Of 1872 to fight their fellow-country-
| men. That now inconceivably barbar-
Gus policy. not the abstract and little
understood question Of neutrality. really
was the melting cause of the declara-
| ton of war against Great Britain in ISL.
Napoleon and America.
BY that time Napoleon was sinking IN
the quicksands Of Russia and the report
| that the foremost and last of the neutral
nations had been embroiled was the only
welcome news he received in the course
Of that campaign. He summoned to his
headquarters Joel Barlow, the American
Minister at his court But as that first
was Fastening to obey the imperial COM
mand. he succumbed at Cracow to the
rigors Of his long winter journey.
While the Emperor was dragging the
Russian SHOWS, he supposed Barlow to
by waiting for him at Wilma and he dis
patched particular request that the
American Minister be sent away. For
the miserable wreck of his 100000.
After his return to Paris Napoleon ex-
tolled the United States to the Corps
Legislatif as having entered into "a glo-
the Americans should conquer the tyrant
Of the sea. "posterity will say that the
Old World had lost its rights and that
the New Yorld recovered them" 1t was
not, however, from tho throne of Europe,
but from the throne of EIba, that he was
to see the Anglo-American war drag its
dreary and somewhat inglorious course
to an inconelulve end. When peace was
in the old Belgian city Of Client on
Christmas Eve. 1914. said nothing at all
about neutral rights or inpressmepts. but
preserved discreet silence regarding the
late unpleasantness.
Time, the Conqueror.
Time and not war decided the questions
that had brought on the strife. The
If not always right in their practices.
and light and progress were on their
side. Truth needs no sword. since the
eternal years are hers. What sore re
they would only wait for God!
When a generation has passed after
the war of 1s12. England herself became
the instrument for the final triumph of
the United States. and she indicated it
against the very nation that in vain had
sought to force the principle upon her.
Tho American naval captain who boarded
seized two American citizens. Mason and
Slidell. as they were sailing to Europe
on mission from the Confederate gov
eminent. violated an American principle.
their restoration and an apology from
violated a British practice.
Furthermore, the British government
repeatedly has taken the original Ameri-
can position on tho question of neutral
shipping and maintained 1t against bel
ligerent powers. In the very city Of
Paris. whence Napoleon commissioned
his privateers. the nations Of Europe as
sembled In 1s56 and greed to abolish pri-
Nor did the declaration Of Paris stop
there. 1t proclaimed that, with the ex-
ception Of contraband of war, the neutral
flag covers everything, even enemy's
goods. And to the end that there should |
be no more paper blockades. II stipu- |
lated that blockades were not binding |
unless they were really and effectively |
with sufficient forces to pre- |
vent access to the enemy's coast
Great Britain. France. Prussia, Russia |
and Austria were among the signers OF |
that new code Of maritime warfare. The
United States. however, declined to re- |
nounce privateering unless all private |
at sea. not contrahand. were
exempted from capture. whether under /
neutral or belligerent nags.
Thus America again took mp positionj