the application, between us and England, to the St. Lawrence of the principles of public law recognized at the Congress of Vienna as to the rivers of Germany, with the removal of restrictions from a free reciprocal interchange of commodities. with our neighbors on this continent, with whom we are connected by the ties of a common origin, language, and religion, and which, by the increased intercourse, must lead to a commercial union, if not ultimately to a more intimate association these are all among the events comprised in the brief period, that has intervened, since the last publication in America of the "Elements of International Law."

In the preparation of the present edition, that of Leipzig, of 1848, which had received the latest corrections of the Author, has been adopted as the standard, though matter contained in previous editions and there omitted, as being specially applicable to the United States, is now retained. No liberty has been taken with the original text, except to translate and insert such additions as were made to the French publication, and of which no English manuscript could be found.

The new notes, which are marked in [brackets,] have been confined almost exclusively to a reference to events which have occurred since the last edition, or to works which were not published, when the Author's emendations were made. In this connection, the Editor would state that, not only have the papers of Mr. Wheaton been placed at his disposal, but that, through the courtesy of the Secretary of State, he was enabled to examine the portion of his correspondence with the government, of which copies are not in possession of the family.

OCHRE POINT, NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND,

March 17, 1855.

W. B. LAWRENCE.

PRÉFACE

A L'ÉDITION DE 1848.

PARIS ET LEIPZIG.

La première édition de cet ouvrage a paru à Londres, en 1836, en anglais, et a passé par deux autres éditions dans la même langue, publiées à Philadelphie, et revues, corrigées, et considérablement augmentées par l'auteur. En écrivant cet ouvrage, il s'est proposé de réunir dans un livre élémentaire, destiné à l'usage des diplomates et des hommes d'état, l'ensemble des règles de conduite qui doivent être observées dans les rélations mutuelles des nations, en temps de paix et en temps de guerre. Le droit international, ou droit des gens positif, est fondé sur la morale internationale, qu'on a ordinairement appelée le droit des gens naturel. La plupart des règles dont se compose le droit international, sont tirées des exemples de ce qui, dans la pratique variable des nations civilisées, a été approuvé par le jugement impartial des publicistes et des tribunaux internationaux. Ces précédents se sont accrus en nombre et en importance durant la longue période qui s'est écoulée depuis la publication de l'ouvrage classique et justement estimé de Vattel, période abondante en discussions instructives entre les cabinets et dans les tribunaux et les assemblées législatives de diverses nations concernant leurs relations politiques et leurs devoirs mutuels. L'auteur a puisé à ces sources les principes généraux qu'on peut regarder comme ayant reçu l'assentiment de la portion la plus éclairée du genrè humain, sinon comme règles de conduite invariables, du moins comme règles qu'aucun état ne peut violer sans encourir l'opprobre

général, et sans s'exposer au danger de provoquer les hostilités d'autres états indépendants dont les droits seraient lésés, ou dont la sécurité serait menacée par leur violation. L'expérience démontre que ces motifs fournissent une certaine garantie, même dans les temps les plus malheureux, pour l'observation des règles de justice internationale, s'ils n'accordent pas cette sanction parfaite que le législateur a annexée au droit interne de chaque état particulier. La connaissance du droit public externe a donc toujours été regardée comme étant de la plus grande utilité à tous ceux qui prennent part aux affaires publiques, et surtout à ceux qui sont destinés à la carrière diplomatique. L'auteur a été encouragé par la faveur accordée par le public aux éditions précédentes de son ouvrage à faire publier cette nouvelle édition en langue française.

PARIS, le 15 Avril, 1847.

H. WHEATON.

PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.

In

SINCE the publication of the two former editions of the present Treatise, the Author has submitted to the public judgment another work connected with the same subject, and entitled "History of the Law of Nations in Europe and America, from the earliest times to the Treaty of Washington, 1842." the present edition of the "Elements of International Law," constant reference has been had to this historical deduction, in which the Author endeavored to trace the origin and progress of those rules of international justice so long acknowledged to exist, and which have been more or less perfectly observed by the Christian nations of modern Europe; which have been adopted by their descendants in the New World, from the first planting of European colonies on the American Continents; and have been more recently applied to regulate the relations of the European and American nations with the Mohammedan and Pagan races of the other quarters of the globe.

The law of nations acknowledged by the ancient Greeks and Romans was exclusively founded on religion. The laws of peace and war, the inviolability of heralds and ambassadors, the right of asylum, and the obligation of treaties, were all consecrated by religious principles and rites. Ambassadors, heralds, and fugitives who took refuge in the temples, or on the household hearth, were deemed inviolable, because they were invested with a sacred character and the symbols of religion. Treaties were sanctioned with solemn oaths, the violation of which it was believed must be followed by the vengeance of the gods. War between nations of the same race and religion was declared

with sacred rites and ceremonies. The heralds proclaimed its existence by devoting the enemy to the infernal deities. "Eternal war against the Barbarians," was the Shibboleth of the most civilized and enlightened people of antiquity. Among the Romans "stranger" and "enemy" were synonymous. Adversus hostem æterna auctoritas esto was the maxim of the Twelve Tables, and Justinian considered all nations as enemies unless they were the allies of Rome. More permanent relations could exist only between nations of the same origin, and professing the religious faith common to the entire race. Such were the Hellenic tribes represented in the great Amphyctionic council of Greece, which was rather a religious than a political institution. But even the purest moralists hardly admitted any other duties between the Greeks themselves than such as were founded on positive compact.

The introduction of Christianity tended to abolish the Pagan precept: "Thou shalt hate thine enemy," and to substitute for it the benevolent command: "Love your enemies," which could not be reconciled with perpetual hostility between the different races of men. But this milder dispensation long struggled in vain against the secular enmity of the different nations of the ancient world, and that spirit of blind intolerance which darkened the ages succeeding the fall of the Roman empire. During the middle ages the Christian States of Europe began to unite, and to acknowledge the obligation of an international law common to all who professed the same religious faith. This law was founded mainly upon the following circumstances:

First: The union of the Latin church under one spiritual head, whose authority was often invoked as the supreme arbiter between sovereigns and between nations. Under the auspices of Pope Gregory IX., the canon law was reduced into a code, which served as the rule to guide the decisions of the church in public as well as private controversies.

Second: The revival of the study of the Roman law, and the adoption of this system of jurisprudence by nearly all the