"- ^ 



102 Tin: Tui:A'rv of Washington. 



wliich ilie inli;il)i(:ints of tlie country are siiLject, and 

 liis solicitude is in j)ro])ortioii to tlie injuries to wliicli 

 he is tlius exposed. Tliis fact becanic conspicuous 

 in till- late war between Germany and France, and led 

 to iuany complaints on the part of British subjects 

 voluntarily residing at the seat of war, which con- 

 strained Lord Granville to disabuse them of the idea 

 that armies in the field were to fold their arms and 

 cease to act, lest by chance they might, in the lieat of 

 action, disturb the peace of min-^ or damage the prop- 

 erty or person, of some conunorant Englishman. 



Incidents of this nature are most of all frecpient in 

 times of civil wai', especially in those counti'ies of 

 Spanish America, where nnli/arism ])revails, and the 

 regular march of civil institutions is interru])te(.l by 

 military fact'uns headed by generals, in contention 

 Mith one another, and with the constituted authorities 

 of the Government. 



For injuries thus done to its subjects, residing or 

 sojourning in a foreign country, every Government 

 possesses of course the I'ight of war or of reprisals, 

 which, in elVect, is the same thing, being the adoption 

 of force as a renu'dy in lieu of reason : a method of 

 redress for private injuries, which, however common 

 formerly, is contrary to all the prevalent notions of 

 international justice in our day. 



Hence, while it is the right and duty of every Gov- 

 ernment to interpose on proper occasion, through its 

 ^Ministers or Consuls, or otherwise, on the happening 

 of any injury to its citizens or subjects abroad, yet 

 the recurrence to force as a means of redress is admis- 



