Similarlyapopulationwhichrisesenmasseinacountrynotalreadyoccupied
bytheenemyareentitledtobetreatedasprisonersofwar,andnotasmarauders,
butinsuchcasetheymustbeformedintoorganizedbodies。Again,whenthe
regularGovernmentofacountryhasbeenoverthrownbyciviltumult,the
absenceoftheauthorityofarecognizedGovernmenttomakepeacewouldnot
ofitselfdisentitleorganizedbodiesofmen,clearlydistinguishableas
foesandfightinginconformitywiththecustomsofwaragainstaforeign
enemy,tobetreatedoncaptureasprisonersofwar。Everycasemustbejudged
byitsowncircumstances,havingregardtotheprinciplethatpersonsother
thanregulartroopsinuniform,whosedressshowstheircharacter,committing
actsofhostilityagainstanenemy,must,iftheyexpectwhencapturedto
betreatedasprisonersofwar,beorganisedinsuchamannerorfightunder
suchcircumstancesastogivetheiropponentsduenoticethattheyareopenenemiesfromwhomresistanceistobeexpected。Theextremedifficultyofarrivingatcompleteagreementastoanewset
ofrulesonthisvexedsubjectprovedinsurmountableattheBrusselsConference;
andinpointoffactthedebatesshowedthatatthebottomofthediscussion
themattersatstalewerethedifferencesintheinterestsofstateswho
possesssuchvastarmiesasservedunderthecoloursoftheGermansorthe
French,andthosesmallerstateswhich,eitherfrompolicyorfrompoverty
orfromsmallness,declinedorwereunabletokeeponfootarmiesonthat
scale。Thefollowingremarksaretobefoundinthedespatchinwhichthe
EnglishSecretaryofState,LordDerby,summeduptheresultsofthismost
remarkablecontroversy。Hesaysatthefifthpageofhisdespatch,published
in1876:’ThesecondchapterofthereportoftheConferencerelatingto
combatantsandnon—combatantsshowedanequaldifferenceofopinion,smoothed
over,inthelongrun,byacompromise。TheSwissdelegate,inhisobservations
onthearticlerequiringtheuseofadistinctivebadge,recognizableat
adistance,remarkedthatacountrymightriseenmasse,asSwitzerlandhad
formerlydone,anddefenditselfwithoutorganizationandundernocommand。
Thepatrioticfeelingwhichledtosucharisingcouldnotbekeptdown;
andalthoughthesepatriots,ifdefeated,mightnotbetreatedaspeaceful
citizens,itcouldnotbeadmittedindefencethattheywerenotbelligerent。’
TheEnglishdelegatealsoreportedthatduringthegeneraldiscussionon
thesubjectofthischaptertheNetherlandsdelegateremarkedthatifthe
planlaiddownbytheGermandelegatewastobesanctioned,ontheadoption
ofthosearticleswhichrelatetobelligerentsasdrawnupintheproject,
itwouldhavetheeffectofdiminishingthedefensiveforceoftheNetherlands,
orrenderuniversalandobligatoryservicenecessary——amilitaryrevolution
towhichthepublicopinionoftheNetherlandswasopposed。Hetherefore
reservedmorethanevertheopinionofhisGovernment。TheBelgiandelegate
alsomadeadeclarationofreservation。IntheopinionoftheBelgiandelegate
nocountrycouldpossiblyadmitthatifthepopulationofadefactooccupied
districtshouldriseinarmsagainsttheestablishedauthorityofaninvader,
theyshouldbesubjecttothelawsinforceintheoccupyingarmy。Headmitted
thatintimeofwartheoccupiermightoccasionallybeforcedtotreatwith
severityapopulationwhomightrise,andthatfromitsweaknessthepopulation
mightbeforcedtosubmit;butherepudiatedtherightofanyGovernment
torequirethedeliveringovertothejusticeoftheenemyofthosemenwho
frompatrioticmotivesandattheirownriskmightexposethemselvestothe
dangersconsequentuponarising。TheSwissdelegate,whohadpreviously
pointedoutthattheConferencewasnowengageduponthecardinalpoints
ofthewholeproject,openlydeclaredthattwoquestions,diametricallyopposed
toeachother,werebeforetheCommission:theinterest,ontheonehand,
ofgreatarmiesinanenemy’scountry,whichdemandssecurityfortheircommunication
andfortheirrayonofoccupation;and,ontheother,theprinciplesofwar
andtheinterestsoftheinvaded,whichcannotadmitthatapopulationshould
behandedoverascriminalstojusticeforhavingtakenuparmsagainstthe
enemy。Thereconciliationoftheseconflictinginterestswasatthisperiod
impossibleinthecaseofalevéeenmasseintheoccupiedcountry,
andinthefaceoftheoppositeopinionsexpressed,untilaprovisionalmodification
ofthemwasacceptedbythemeeting,passingoverthispoint,onwhichthegreatestdisagreementhadbeenshown。Thesedifficulties,whichpreventedtheprojectoftheBrusselsConference
frombecomingpartoftheInternationalLawofcivilization,arenodoubt
tobeattributedtothefactthatreminiscencesofthegreatwarbetween
FranceandGermanydominatedthewholeofthesedebates。Itisoneamong
manyexamplesofatruthofconsiderableimportance,thatthepropertime
foramelioratingthecriticalpartsofInternationalLawisnotatimeimmediately
orshortlysucceedingagreatcrisis。HereafterIshallpointouttoyousomeconclusionstowhichthistruthseemstometopoint。Thereisanotherpart,however,ofInternationalLawuponwhich,ifit
bepossible,itisextremelydesirabletohaveasystematicsetofrules。
Itisperhapsaninevitablebutcertainlyafrequentresultofthepresent
wantofrules,thatwhenenemiesarefightinginthesamecountry,andone
sidecomplainsofthemeasuresadoptedbytheother,thereisnomeansof
punishingwhatisthoughttobeaninfractionofruleexceptretaliation
or,asthetechnicalwordis,reprisals。Retaliation,wearetold,ismilitary
vengeance。Ittakesplacewhereanoutragecommittedononesideisavenged
bythecommissionofasimilaractontheother。Forexample,anunjustexecution
ofprisonersbytheenemymaybefollowedbytheexecutionofanequalnumber
ofprisonersbytheiropponents。Retaliationisanextremerightofwar,
andshouldonlyberesortedtointhelastnecessity。’Itmaybewellto
notice,’saysthewriterIamquoting,incidentallyforthepurposeofreprobating
it,’theideaonceprevailedthatagarrisonwhichobstinatelydefendeda
placewhenithad,intheopinionoftheenemy,becomeuntenable,mightbe
puttothesword。’ThereisnodoubtthatduringtheFranco—Germanwarreprisals
werecarriedtounjustifiablelengthsonbothsides。TheFrenchGovernment
haspublishedacuriousvolumewhichreproducesalltheplacardswhicheither
theyorothershadaffixedtothewallsduringthecontestinFrance。At
onepointtheGermansgrantednoquarterduringanattackonavillage,on
thepleathattwenty—fivefrancs—tireurs(riflemen)hadhiddeninawood
nearit,withoutanyregularofficeroruniform,andhadshotdownasmany
Germansascamewithinrangeoftheirguns。Onanotheroftheseplacards
isanoticebyaFrenchofficertothePrussiancommanderofChâtellerault
inreferencetotheallegedresolveofthelattertopunishtheinhabitants
ofthatplacefortheactsofsomeofthefrancs—tireurs。’Igiveyoumy
assurance,threatforthreat,thatIwillnotspareoneofthetwohundred
Prussiansoldierswhomyouknowtobeinmyhands。’AndindeedGeneralChanzy,
himselfagallantofficerinhighplace,wrotetothePrussiancommander
ofVendorne,andstatedthatheintendedtofightwithouttruceormercy
becauseitisaquestionnownotoffightingloyalenemiesbuthordesof
devastators。OnthisgreatsubjecttheBrusselsConferencewasabletodo
butlittleexcepttosuggestthatretaliationshouldonlyberesortedto
inthemostextremecases,andshouldbeconductedwiththegreatestpossible
humanity。
LECTUREX。
MENTIONSOFBELLIGERENTSONLAND。TheBrusselsConferencefailedtosolveanumberofquestionsofmodern
originwhichhavearisenastothestatusofthecivilpopulationofacountry
when,byrisingenmasse,theytakeuponthemselvesmilitarydutyinresistance
toaninvader。ThetrenchantGermanscheme,whichwassubmittedtotheConference,
failedtocommandsupport,andanumberofrules,whichwerenotopento
thesameobjectionsasthosewhichtheGermandelegateproposed,werenot
universallyacceptable。But,asinthecaseofmanyotherrecommendations
emanatingfromtheConference,alargenumberoftheirproposalsarefound
intheManualsofwarfarewhichsomanycivilisedGovernmentshavenowplaced
inthehandsoftheirofficers。Asregardsthemostimportantpointwhich
hadtobesettled,thereisageneraltendencytoadvisethatauniformof
somekindshallbeadoptedbythenon—militarypopulation,andthatthecorps
whichtheyformshallbetreatedwithhumanity,andnotshotorhangedasmeremarauders。Thesequestionsdonotbecomeofmuchpracticalimportancetillalarge
partoftheinvadedcountryhasbeenoccupiedbytheforcesoftheinvader。
IntheformerlectureItooktheinvestmentofParisbytheGermantroops
asexemplifyingthepointofawaratwhichthisbranchoflawassumesa
newimportance。Wehavenowtoconsiderthelegalpositionofthatpartof
theinvadedcountrywhichisundermilitaryoccupationbytheenemy。The
viewofacountryinsuchapositionhasmuchchangedinmoderntinges。Of
oldthetheoryofthepositionofaninvadedcountrywasmuchaffectedby
theRomanLaw。Land,likeeverythingelse,mightbecapturedbyoccupancy
(occupatio)subjecttowhattheRomanscalledpost—liminium,alegalrule
whichisgenerallydescribedasembodyingalegalfictionunderwhichacitizen
whoshouldaftercaptivityreturntohiscountry,orpropertywhichafter
captureshouldfallagainintothehandsoftherestoredowner,revertsto
hisoritsantecedentposition。Thusterritorymilitarilyoccupiedwasregarded
aspassingtotheoccupantsubjecttotheill—definedrisksarisingfrom
thereturnoftheformersovereign。FredericktheGreat,whenhehadinvaded
acountry,usuallycompelledthepopulationtosupplyhimwithrecruits;
andthereisoneinstanceinwhichtheKingofDenmarksoldwhatwerethen
twoSwedishprovinces——BremenandVerden——toHanover。Theinconvenience
ofthisconditionofthelawwasmuchfeltafterthecloseoftheSevenYears’
War,andthepositionofacountryonceinvaded,fromwhichtheenemyhas
retired,wasalwayssettledbyparticulartreaty。Manifoldashavebeenthe
variationsofboundaryinEurope,theyarenowalwaysregulatedbytreaty
attheendofawar,andevenintheEastitisnownoteasytofindterritory
heldbytherightsarisingfromsimpleconquest。Theonlyinstanceofanew
provinceheldonthemeretitleofconquest,andincorporatedwiththeother
territoriesoftheconqueringcountry,istheIndianprovincelongknown
asLowerBurmah。TheKing,whostillretainedapartofhisterritories,
whichhereignedoveratMandalay,refused,eventhoughutterlydefeated,
toenterintoanytreatyofcession,andafterthesecondwarLowerBurmahwastreatedasalreadypartofthegeneralIndianterritory。Ihavesaidthatthemostcriticalmomentingreatwarsofinvasionis
thatatwhichalargepartoftheterritoryismilitarilyoccupied。There
isverymuchonthesubjectinthemodernManualsofwar。Thefollowingisasummaryofthelaw。Aninvaderissaidtobeinmilitaryoccupationofsomuchofacountry
asiswhollyabandonedbytheforcesoftheenemy。Theoccupationmustbe
realandnotnominal,anditislaiddownthata’paper’occupationiseven
moreobjectionableinitscharacterandeffectsthana’paper’blockadeOn
theotherhand,theoccupationofpartofadistrictfromthewholeofwhich
theenemyhasretired,isnecessarilyanoccupationofthatdistrict,as
itisimpossibleinanyotherwaytooccupyanyconsiderableextentofterritory。
Thetruetestofmilitaryoccupationisexclusivepossession。Forexample,
thereductionofafortresswhichdominatesthesurroundingcountrygives
militarypossessionofthecountrydominated,butnotofanyotherfortress
whichdoesnotsubmittotheinvader。Militaryoccupationceasesassoon
astheforcesoftheinvaderretreatoradvanceinsuchamannerastoquit
theirholdontheoccupiedterritory。Intheeventofamilitaryoccupation
theauthorityoftheregularGovernmentissupplantedbythatoftheinvading
army。Theruleimposedbytheinvaderisthelawofwar。Itisnotthelaw
oftheinvadingstatenorthelawoftheinvadedterritory。Itmayinits
characterbeeithercivilormilitary,orpartlyoneandpartlytheother。
Ineverycasethesourcefromwhichitderivesitsauthorityisthesame,
namelythecustomsofwar,andnotanymunicipallaw;andtheGeneralenforcing
theruleisresponsibleonlytohisownGovernmentandnottotheinvaded
people。Theruleofmilitaryoccupationhasrelationonlytotheinhabitants
oftheinvadedcountry。Thetroopsandcampfollowersinaforeigncountry
whichhasbeenoccupiedletussaybytheEnglisharmyremainunderEnglish
militarylaw,andareinnorespectsamenabletotheruleofmilitaryoccupation。
Asageneralrule,militaryoccupationextendsonlytosuchmattersasconcern
thesafetyofthearmy,theinvaderusuallypermittingtheordinarycivil
tribunalsofthecountrytodealwithordinarycrimescommittedbytheinhabitants。
Thecourse,however,tobeadoptedinsuchacaseisatthediscretionof
theinvader。Hemayabrogateanylawinthecountry,andsubstituteother
rulesforit。Hemaycreatespecialtribunals,orhemayleavethenative
tribunalstoexercisetheirusualjurisdiction。Thespecialtribunalscreated
byaninvaderforcarryingintoeffecttheruleofmilitaryoccupationin
thecaseofindividualoffendersareusuallymilitarycourts,framedonthe
modelandcarryingontheirproceedingsafterthemannerofcourts—martial;
butofcourse,technically,courtssoestablishedbyanEnglishGeneralwould
notbecourts—martialwithinthemeaningofourArmyActs。Thecourtswould
beregulatedonlybythewilloftheGeneral。Themostimportantpowerexercised
byaninvaderoccupyingaterritoryisthatofpunishing,insuchmanner
ashethinksexpedient,theinhabitantsguiltyofbreakingtheruleslaid
downbyhimforsecuringthesafetyofthearmy。Therightofinflicting
suchpunishmentincaseofnecessityisundoubted;buttheinterestofthe
invadernolessthanthedictatesofhumanitydemandthatinhabitantswho
havebeenguiltyofanactwhichisonlyacrimeinconsequenceofitsbeing
injurioustotheenemy,shouldbetreatedwiththegreatestleniencyconsistentwiththesafetyandwell—beingoftheinvadingarmy。TheAmericanrulesonthesubjectofthegovernmentofarmiesinthefield
say;Martiallaw,orinotherwordsthelawofmilitaryoccupation,should
belessstringentinplacesandcountriesfullyoccupiedandfairlyconquered。
Greaterseveritymaybeexercisedinplacesorregionswhereactualhostilities
exist,orareexpectedandmustbepreparedfor。Itsmostcompleteswayis
allowedeveninthecommander’sowncountrywhenfacetofacewithanenemy,
becauseoftheabsolutenecessitiesofthecaseandoftheparamountduty
ofdefendingthecountryagainstinvasion。Tosavethecountryisofcourseparamounttoallotherconsiderations。Inconclusion,itmustbeborneinmindthataninvadercannot,according
tothecustomsofwar,callontheinhabitantstoenlistassoldiersorto
engageactivelyinmilitaryoperationsagainsttheirowncountry。Thetheory
initsfullswayisthis。Inacountrymilitarilyoccupiedallexecutive
andlegislativepowerpassestotheinvader。Itdoesnotfollowthatheexercises
thesepowers,buttheoreticallytheybelongtohim。TheDukeofWellington
madesomeobservationsintheEnglishParliamentwhicharerecognizedas
authoritativeinallthemodernManuals。’Martiallaw,’hesaid,’isneither
morenorlessthanthewilloftheGeneralwhocommandsthearmy;infact,
martiallawmeansnolawatall。ThereforetheGeneralwhodeclaresmartial
lawandcommandsthatitshallbecarriedintoexecutionisboundtolay
downdistinctlytheregulationsandrulesaccordingtowhichhiswillis
tobecarriedout。Now,Ihaveinnocountrycarriedoutmartiallaw;that
istosay,Ihavenotgovernedalargeproportionofacountrybymyown
will。ButthenwhatdidIdo?Ideclaredthatthecountryshouldbegoverned
accordingtoitsownnationallaw,andIcarriedintoexecutionmysodeclared
will。’Comparingthisstateofthelawwiththatfromwhichwestarted,it
isevidentthattheancientpracticeandtheoryofoccupationhavemuchchanged。
TheyhavenotnowanyconnectionwithRomanLaw,norwouldanyonenowadays
thinkofborrowingtheRomanLawfortheirrules。Themodernpracticerests,
infact,uponmilitarynecessity,andiscircumscribedbythemilitarynecessity。
AninvadingGeneralcandocertainthingsbecause,bythehypothesis,there
isnooneelsetodothem。InEnglandthelegalruleisthesameinpeace
asinwar。Thesoldierycanalwaysbeemployedinourowncountrywhensufficient
necessitycanbeshownforusingthemthroughthetemporaryorlocalabeyanceofcivilauthority。Thisstateofthingscomestoanendwiththecessationofwar。Warsdo
notinourdaylingeron,asdidtheoldwarsofsuccessionandtheoldwars
ofreligion。Thereisalwayswithinsomemoderatetimeatreatyofpeace。
Indeed,themoderndifficultyinclosingawaris,sometimes,tofindan
authoritycapableofmakingpeace。ThisdifficultywasmuchfeltbytheGermans
aftertheyhadproceededagreatlengthintheirconquestofFranceinthe
lastwar。Theymadeuptheirmindsthattheonlyauthoritywhichcouldmake
atreatyonthepartofFrancewhichFrenchmenwouldrespectwasaNational
Assembly,andthereforebeforemakingpeacetheyinsistedthatsuchanAssemblyshouldbeelected。Ithinkitmaybeusefultosayafewwordsonthetreatiesofpeaceby
whichwarisnowadaysbroughttoanend。Inmoderntimesapeaceisalways
precededbyanarmistice,andanarmisticebyasuspensionofarms,which
isonlyashorterarmistice。Therulelaiddownbytheinternationallawyers
isthatastateofwarisbroughttoanendbyatreatyofpeaceorbya
generaltruce。Atreatyofpeaceputsanendtothewarandabsolutelyabolishes
thesubjectofit;ageneraltruceputsanendtothewar,butleavesundecided
thequestionwhichgaveoccasiontoit。Inmoderntimesthesegeneraltruces
havefallenoutofuse。TheywerecommonenoughintheMiddleAges,especially
betweentheTurksandtheirChristianenemies,becausethereligionofneither
partypermittedthecombatantstoconcludeadefinitetreatyofpeace。It
hasalwaysbeenlaiddownthattreatiesandgeneraltrucescanonlybeconcluded
bythesovereignpowerofastate,andnotthatofanyotherauthority。An
armisticeisdefinedasapartialtruce。Thepowertoconcludeanarmistice
isessentialtothefulfilmentbythecommandingofficerofhisofficial
duties,andthereforeheispresumedtohavesuchpowerdelegatedtohim
byhissovereignwithoutanyspecialcommand。Thispresumptionofauthority
isheldtobesostrongthatitcannotberebuttedbyanyactofthesovereign。
Ifanofficermakesanarmisticeindisobediencetoordersreceivedfrom
hissovereign,heispunishablebythatsovereign;butthesovereignisbound
bythearmistice,inasmuchastheenemycouldnotbesupposedtohaveknownofthelimitationofauthorityimposedontheofficer。Itissuggestedbyseveraloftheinternationalwriters,anditisprobable,
thatarmisticesfirstarosefromthetruceortrucesofGodwhichwererepeatedly
proclaimedbytheChurch。Thesetrucestookmanyandverysingularforms。
ThusonefamoustruceofGodwastobegineveryWednesdayatsunset,and
lasttillthefollowingMondayatsunrise。ItwastocontinuefromAdvent
totheoctavesofEpiphany,andfromQuinquagesimaSundaytotheoctaves
ofEaster。Ifanypersonbrokethetruceandrefusedtogivesatisfaction
hewasexcommunicated,andafterthethirdadmonitionthebishopwhoexcommunicated
himwasnottoadmithimintocommunionunderthepenaltyofdeprivation。
Thetrucewasconfirmedatmanycouncils,andespeciallyattheLateranCouncil
of1179。SomeoftheregulationswereextendedintoEngland,andWednesday
andFridayweresetapartasdaysforkeepingpeace。Itisexceedinglylikely
thatthesetemporaryandlimitedtrucesaccustomedthewarlikecommunities
ofthosedaystotemporarysuspensionsofhostilities,andarmisticesmanifestly
grewintoconsiderablefavour。Buttheyalsogaverise,andindeedtheygive
risestill,toanumberofratherdifficultquestions。Wefindagreetnumber
ofruleslaiddownastowhatbelligerentpartiesmightdoormightnotdo
duringanarmistice。Theviewstakenofthesedutiesinmoderntimesare
decidedlycontradictory。Ontheonesideitisheldthatallequivocalacts
ofhostilityshouldbeabstainedfromduringanarmisticewhethertheycome,
ordonot,withinthedescriptionofactscapableofbeinginterruptedby
theenemy;whileontheotherhanditiscontendedthat,accordingtothe
practiceofmodernwarfare,belligerentshaveaperfectrighttoalterthe
dispositionoftheirtroops,constructentrenchments,repairbreaches,or
doanyactsbywhichtheymaythinkfittopreparethemselvesfortheresumption
ofhostilities。Theviolationofanarmisticebyeitherofthecontending
partiesgivestotheothertherighttoputanendtoit;butitsviolation
byprivateindividualsonlyconferstherighttodemandthepunishmentof
theguiltypersons。Thequestionisoneofgreatpracticaldifficulty,and
inalltheManualstheadviceisgiventhatthegreatestcautionshouldbe
observedinthecaseofanarmisticetospecifytheactswhichareorarenottobepermittedduringitscontinuance。Anotherquestionwhich,evidently,wasthoughttopresentgreatdifficulties,
wasthedateofthecommencementandthetimeoftheterminationofanarmistice。
Supposingittobemadeforacertainnumberofdays——thatis,fromthe
1stofMaytothe1stofAugust——questionshavebeenraisedwhetherthe
daysnamedarebothincludedorexcluded。Theusualmodeofreckoningin
Englandaslegaltimeistoincludethefirstdayandexcludethelast。(consequently,
intheabove—mentionedcase,accordingtoEnglishlaw,thetrucebeginsat
themomentonwhichthe30thofAprilendsandceasesatthemomentatwhich
the31stofJulyends。Toavoiddifficulties,itshouldbestatedfromthe
1stofMayinclusivetothe1stofAugustinclusive,ifitisintendedto
includethe1stofAugust;orbetterstilltobeginatacertainhouron
oneday,andtoendatacertainhouronanother。Inthecaseofashort
armisticethenumberofhoursshouldbestated;anditisadvisableinall
caseswhereanarmisticehasbeenarranged,toagreetoindicatebysome
signalforexample,thehoistingofaflagorthefiringofacannon——both
thecommencementandtheterminationofthearmistice。Anarmistice,itis
toberemembered,isonlyaqualifiedpeace,andthestateofwarcontinues,
thoughactivehostilitiesaresuspended。Thisanomalousstateofthingsleads,
intheabsenceofexpressstipulation,toconsiderabledifficultyinascertaining
whatisallowedtobedoneorcontinuedtobedone。Apartfromparticular
stipulation,thegeneralruleseemstobethatabelligerentcannottake
advantageofanarmisticetodoanyaggressiveactwhichbutforthearmistice
hecouldnothavedonewithoutdangertohimself。Forexample,inthecase
ofanarmisticebetweenabesiegingarmyandabesiegedtown,thebesiegers
mustnotcontinuetheirworksagainstthetown,andthebesiegedareforbidden
torepairtheirwalls,raisefreshfortifications,orintroducesuccours
orreinforcementsintothetown。ThelastdangerousquestionwhicharoseinEurope,aroseononeoftheclassoftermswhichIhavebeenexamining。Beforeclosingthislectureitwinbeusefultonotethesubstanceof
thestatementsmadeinthemodernManualsinrespecttoanumberofterms
whichareinmuchuseinthispartofmilitaryoperations,butwhichare
verylooselyemployedbyciviliansandevenbyhistoricalwriters。First
astowhatiscalledaCapitulation。Acapitulationisanagreementforthe
deliveryofabesiegedplaceorforcesdividedinthefieldintothehands
oftheenemy。Thecommandersoneithersideareinvestedwithpopoverto
agreetothetermsofacapitulation,inasmuchasthepossessionofsuch
powersisnecessarytotheproperexerciseoftheirfunctions。Ontheother
hand,theextentoftheirpowersislimitedbythenecessityfortheirexercise。
Inthesurrenderofaplacethequestionsatissuearetheimmediatepossession
oftheplaceitself,andthefateofthegarrison。Acapitulation,therefore,
mustbelimitedtothesequestions。Itmaydeclarethatthegarrisonisto
surrenderunconditionallyasprisonersofwar,ortobeentitledtomarch
outwithallthehonoursofwar。Itmayalsoprovidethatthesoldierscomprising
thegarrisonarenottoserveagainduringthewar。Furtherconditionsfor
theprotectionoftheinhabitantsandoftheirprivileges,andfortheir
immunityfrompillageorcontribution,mayfairlybeputintoacapitulation。
Astipulationinacapitulationtotheeffectthatthegarrisonshouldnever
againbeararmsagainsttheforcesoftheconqueringstate,orthatthesovereignty
ofthetownshouldchangehands,wouldbeinvalid,inasmuchaspowersfor
suchextensivepurposesbelongonlytothesovereignpoweroftheState,andcannoteverbepresumedtobedelegatedtoinferiorofficers。AfewwordswillnotbethrownawayonFlagsofTruce。Suchaflagcan
onlybeusedlegitimatelyforthepurposeofenteringintosomearrangement
withtheenemy。Ifadoptedwithaviewsurreptitiouslytoobtaininformation
astotheenemy’sforces,itlosesitscharacterofaflagoftruceandexposes
itsbearertothepunishmentofaspy。Greatcaution,however,andthemost
conclusiveevidenceareheldtobenecessarybeforethebearerofsucha
flagcanbeconvictedasaspy。Thebearerofaflagoftruce,atthesame
time,shouldnotbeallowedwithoutpermissiontoapproachsufficientlynear
tosecureanyusefulinformation。Whenanarmyisinposition,thebearer
ofaflagoftruceshouldnot,withoutleave,bepermittedtopasstheouterlineofsignals,oreventoapproachwithintherangeoftheirguns。Whenaflagoftruceissentfromadetachmentduringanengagement,the
troopfromwhichitissentshouldhaltandceasefiring。Thetrooptowhich
itissentshould,ifthecommanderiswillingtoreceiveit,signaltothat
effectandalsoceasefiring;butitmustbeunderstoodthatfiringduring
anengagementdoesnotnecessarilyceaseontheappearanceofaflagoftruce,
andthatthepartiescommunicatingwithsuchflagscannotcomplainifthose
whosentthemshouldcarryonthefiring。Whenitisintendedtorefuseadmission
toaflagoftruce,thebearershould,assoonaspossible,besignalledtoretire;andifhedonotobeythesignal,hemaybefiredupon。Afewwordsmaybeusefullyaddedonothertermsoftheartofwarwhich
arealliedtothosewhichIhavebeendefining。ACartelisanengagement
fortheexchangeofprisonersofwar。Acartelshipisashipcommissioned
fortheexchangeofprisoners。Sheisconsideredaneutralship,andmust
notengageinanyhostilitiesorcarryimplementsofwarexceptasignal
gun。ASafe—conductorPassportisadocumentgivenbythecommanderofa
belligerentforceenablingcertainpersonstopass,eitheraloneorwith
servantsandeffects,withinthelimitsoccupiedbytheforceofsuchcommanding
officer。Intheso—calledSchnabelecasewhicharoseonthefrontierofFrance
andGermany,youmayremember,itwasdecidedtheremightbeanimpliedsafe—conduct。
Theexpression’passport’isusuallyappliedtopersons,and’safe—conduct’
bothtopersonsandthings。Asafe—conductforapersonisnottransferable,
andcomestoanendatthedatestated,unlessthebearerisdetainedby
sicknessorotherunavoidablecause,inwhichcaseitterminatesonthecessation
ofthecause。Asafe—conductmayberevokedifitisinjurioustotheState;
thatis,anofficerpreparingforagreatexpeditionmayrevokethesafe—conduct
ofapersonwhowouldbymeansofsuchsafe—conductbeabletocarryinformation
totheenemy。Insuchcase,however,hemustgivetimeandopportunityto
thebearertowithdrawinsafety。Asafe—conduct,however,forgoodsadmits
oftheirbeingremovedbysomepersonotherthantheowner,unlessthere
issomespecificobjectionagainstthepersonemployed。ASafe—guardisa
guardpostedbyacommandingofficerforthepurposeofprotectingproperty
orpersonsagainsttheoperationsofhisowntroops。Toforcesuchaguard
isbyEnglishlawamilitaryoffenseofthegravestcharacter,andourArmyActmakesitpunishablebydeath。Youmayrememberthatnotmanymonthsagoseriousuneasinesswasfelt
throughoutEuropeonaccountofanincidentonthenewFrenchandGerman
frontier。AFrenchofficial,belongingbybirthtotheformerGermanpopulation
ofprovincesnowFrench,wasfoundonterritorynowGerman,undercircumstances
whichmadehimliabletoarrestunderaGermanlaw。Hisdefencewas,that
onthatandseveralpastoccasionshehadbeeninvitedbytheGermanfrontier
officialstohelpinsettlingborderquestions。TheGermanofficialsasserted
that,howeverthatmightbe,hewasonthepresentoccasionengagedinacts
ofhostilitytoGermany。Aftersomediplomaticcorrespondence,theGerman
Governmentlaiddownthat,ifGermanofficialsinvitedaFrenchfunctionary
tocrossthefrontierintoGermanterritoryforanyreason,heenjoyedan
impliedsafe—conducttohishomeinFrance,andthereforeM。Schnabelewas
released。Thecontroversy,therefore,endedintheestablishmentofthepoint
thatasafe—conductmaybenotonlyexpressbutimplied。
LECTUREXI。
RIGHTSOFCAPTUREBYLAND。BeforeIleavethegroupofsubjectsdiscussedinthemorerecentlectures,
itmaybewelltosaysomethingonabranchofthelawofwarbylandwhich
triestoregulateincidentsofbelligerencythatcausesometimesasmuch
sufferingandveryconstantlymoreirritationthanactualhostilities。This
isthelawofthecaptureofpropertyinlandwar。Isaidinaformerlecture
thatawarbylandresemblesamaritimewarintheprincipleswhichareapplied
tothecaptureofproperty;butthereisagreatpracticaldifferencebetween
thetwo,ifneutralsdonothappentobeinterestedinthesamewayinwars
bylandinwhichtheyhaveinterestasinwarsbysea,sincethereareno
prizecourtstoinsistonregularityandmoderation。Theprincipleofcapture
isthatmovableproperty,capturedeitheronlandoratsea,isacquired
byreductionintofirmpossession。Leaving,however,movablepropertyfor
themoment,andpassingtoimmovable,Ibeginbystatingthatthereisa
greatdealonthissubjectintheolderlawbooks。’Acompletetitletothe
landofacountry,’saystheleadingrule,’isusuallyacquiredbytreaty
orbytheentiresubmissionordestructionofthestatetowhichitbelongs。’
Herewhatismeantisthesovereigntyorsupremerightoverpropertysometimes
calleddominiumeminens,therightinthesovereign,whethercorporateor
single,toaffectpropertybylegislation。Insomerarecasestheproprietary
right,generallyinprivatehands,cannotbeseparatedfromtheeminentdomain。
ThisoccursinIndia,andmoreorless,probably,allovertheEast。The
sovereignistheuniversalproprietor;butinourdaythequasi—proprietary
rightswhichaconqueredsovereignhascreatedorrespected,wouldinpractice
bemaintainedbyasuccessfulinvader。Such,infact,wasthecaseinthe
recentBritishconquestofBurmahproper。ButintheolderInternational
Lawbooksanotherkindofacquisitionbycaptureofprivatepropertyinland
seemstobechieflycontemplated。Thewritersappeartobethinkingofthe
seizureoflandwhichisprivatepropertybythesoldiersoftheconquering
andinvadingarmy,muchinthesamewayinwhichtheprovincesoftheRoman
EmpirearesupposedtohavebeentakenpossessionofbytheTeutonicbarbarians。
Nowadaysthatisacasewhichneverpracticallyoccurs;butifithappened,
theoccupantofthelandwouldholditsubjecttotheRomanprincipleof
post—liminy。Iftheformerownerreturnedhewouldretverttohisoldrights,
andthenewownerwouldbeousted。Amoreconceivablecaseisoneinwhich
anoccupyingcivilianshouldsellforvalueaportionofthelandofwhich
hehastakenpossession。Here,too,intheorytheprincipleofpost—liminy
wouldintervene,buttheresultwouldbethateverysaleofcapturedprivate
propertywouldproduceatitletoitsobadthatonecanhardlyconceive
itsbeingeffected。Themodernusageisthattheuseofpubliclandandpublic
buildings,andtherentsandotherprofitsaccruingfromsuchlandsandbuildings,
formpartofthespoilsofwar。Asregardsprivatepropertyinland,belligerents
inmoderntimesusuallyabstain,sofarasisconsistentwiththeexigencies
ofoperationsofwar,fromexercisingtheextremerightconferredbywar
ofseizingorinjuringprivatepropertyorland。Thiscustomobtainsonly
solongasnotonlytheowners,butalsothecommunitytowhichtheybelong,
abstainfromallactsofhostility,asitisnotunusualforaninvaderto
takeordestroythepropertyofindividualsbywayofpunishmentforany
injuryindictedbythemorbythecommunityofwhichtheyarememberson
thepropertywhichheowns。Insuchcasestheinnocentmustnecessarilysuffer
fortheguilty,butahumaneGeneralwillnot,exceptinaveryextremecase,
destroyavillageforanoutragecommittedbyaninhabitantofthatvillage,
orravageadistricttopunishanattackmadewithinitslimitsbyabody
ofmarauders。Fromthepowerswhichasuccessfulenemyenjoystoappropriate
landandbuildings,itistobeobservedthatthemodernusagesofwarexcept
museums,churches,andothermonumentsofart;andbysomeitiscontendedthatnopublicbuildingcanbedestroyedunlessusedforbelligerentpurposes。Ifwenowturnbacktomovableproperty,itisheldthatthearms,implements
ofwar,andeverydescriptionofmovablepropertybelongingtotileState
maybetakenpossessionofbyaninvader。Anexceptiontotherightofseizure
ofmovablesoftheenemyismade,indeed,inthecaseofarchives,historical
documents,andjudicialandlegalrecords。Aninvadercanholdthemsolong
asheremainsinthecountryandrequirestheiruse;buttotakethemaway
withhimisanactofbarbarismprohibitedbythecustomsofwar,forthe
retentionofsuchdocumentscanbynomeanstendtoputanendtoawar,
whileitindictsagreatanduselessinjuryonthecountrytowhichthey
belong,andspeciallytothosecountries,nownumerous,which,unlikeEngland,
havecompleteregistrationoftitlestoland。Theseizureofscientificobjects,
ofpictures,sculptures,andotherworksofartandsciencebelongingto
thepublic,hasderivedsomesanctionfromtherepeatedpracticeofcivilised
nations,butwouldseemincompatiblewiththeadmittedrestrictionsofthe
rightsofwar,whichdepriveanenemyofsuchthingsonlyasenablehimto
makeresistance,andthereforecanonlybejustifiedasameasureofretaliation。
Seventyyearsagothequestionoftherightofasuccessfulenemytocarry
awaywithhimworksofartwasamatterofviolentcontroversyinthiscountry
andinthewholeofEurope,andthesubjectwasseveraltimesdebatedin
theBritishParliament。Itisafactverygenerallyknownthatafterthe
earlyandastonishingsuccessesofNapoleonBonapartein1796,andafterwards
in1797,therewasonlyoneofthesmallItalianStateswhichwasnotcompelled
togiveuptotheconqueringFrenchGovernmenttheworksofartthatwere
thegloryofitschiefcities。TheApolloBelvedere,theDyingGladiator,
theMediceanVenus,theLaocoon,theBronzeHorses,wereconveyedtoParis
anddepositedintheLouvre,inwhichtheyremaineduntiltheoverthrowof
thefirstFrenchEmpire。OntheoverthrowofthatEmpire,whentheallies,
enteringParisforthesecondtime,gainedpossessionofthewholecity,
theyrestoredmostofthesefamousmasterpiecestotheiroriginalowners。
TheFrenchexpressed,andnodoubtgenuinelyfelt,thegreatestindignation,
whichwas,however,manifestlytreatedwithmuchscornbytheEnglishwriters
ofthatday,whoseemedtolookupontheangeroftheFrenchorParisian
populationasamountingtoanabsurdrefusaltohavearuleappliedtothemselves
whichtheyhadfreelyappliedtoothers;butifwearetosupposethatstrict
lawappliedtothecasetherewassomethingtosayagainsttheinternational
validityoftherestorationsinthewayinwhichtheywereactuallyaccomplished。
Arguments,foundedonthis,weresubmittedtotheBritishHouseofCommons,
especiallybythegreatlawyerRomilly。Itwasafactthatsomeofthese
worksofarthadformedpartofforcedmilitarycontributions,whichaconqueror
mayalwayslevy,andsomeweregivenupunderexpressconventionstowhich
thesurrenderingstatehadnopowerofresistance。Insomeothercasesthe
statetowhichthereturnwasmadehadbeenabsorbedinanotherstateduring
thelongwarwithFrance。Forexample,Venice,whichhadsurrenderedsome
ofthemostbeautifulworksofartintheLouvre,hadnowbecomeabsorbed
intheAustrianEmpire。Itwasfurtherarguedthatitwasfortheadvantage
ofcivilizationthattheseworksofartshouldnotbedispersedoveranumber
ofsmallcitiesinItalywhichwerenotthen,allofthem,easilyaccessible,
butthattheyshouldremaininaplacewhichonthewholewassoeasilyreached
asParis。Thefactseemstobethatthecarryingoffoftheseworksofart
fromtheiroldItalianhomeshadbeenanewruleofwar。Forexample,Frederick
theGreat,whomorethanonceoccupiedDresden,alwayssparedthefamous
galleryanditscontents。ThenewrulewasintroducedbyNapoleonBonaparte
asconquerorofItaly,andwhatthealliesinoccupationofParisapplied
seemstohavebeentheruleofreprisal。Therewas,nodoubt,ifwethrow
thetechnicalruleaside,agreatdealtobeurgedonbehalfofgivingback
thesesculpturesandpaintingstotheItaliancities。Theywerevaluedby
themmorethananymereproperty。Someofthesecitiesbeforethewarwere
hardlyevervisitedexceptbypersonsdesirousofseeingsomefamouswork。