Neutral Rights; or, An Impartial Examination of the Right of Search of Neutral Vessels under Convoy, and of a Judgment pronounced by the English Court of Admiralty, the 11th June, 1799, in the case of the Swedish Convoy; with some Additions and Corrections.

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First American Edition of Schlegel’S Defense of Neutral Rights at Sea

Translated from the French. Published during the maritime conflicts of the Napoleonic era, Schlegel’s work addresses one of the most contested issues in international law: the extent to which belligerent nations may interfere with neutral commerce. Schlegel, a Danish jurist and later member of the Supreme Court of Denmark, offers a detailed critique of the English Admiralty Court’s decision against a Swedish convoy seized by British forces in 1799. He rejects the legality of search under convoy, defending the principle that neutral ships, when protected by their national navy, could not be detained or inspected by foreign powers. His arguments resonated strongly in the United States, where maritime commerce and questions of neutral rights were at the center of policy debates, eventuallty leading to the War of 1812.

Price: $100.00