injustice he has suffered from them... Vattel, Droit
des Gens, liv. 3, ch. 13, 201; 2 Curtius, History,
etc., liv. 7, cap. 8; Grotius, de Jur. Bel. ac Pac. lib. 3,
caps. 8, 15; Puffendorf, de Jur. Nat. et Gent. lib. 8,
cap. 6, 24; Real, Science du Gouvernement,
tome 5, ch. 2, 5; Heffter, Droit International, 
124; Abegg. Untersuchungen, etc., p. 86."

 In American Ins. Co. v. 356 Bales of Cotton, 1
Pet. 511, 7 L. ed. 242, the general doctrine was
thus summarized in the opinion delivered by Mr.
Chief Justice Marshall (p. 542, L. ed. p. 255):
 "If it [conquered territory] be ceded by the
treaty, the acquisition is confirmed, and the ceded
territory becomes a part of the nation to which it is
annexed, either on the terms stipulated in the
treaty of cession or on such as its new master shall
impose."

 When our forefathers threw off their allegiance
to Great Britain and established a republican
government, assuredly they deemed that the
nation which they called into being was endowed
with those general powers to acquire territory which
all independent governments in virtue of their
sovereignty enjoyed. This is demonstrated by the
concluding paragraph of the Declaration of
Independence, which reads as follows:

 "As free and independent states, they [the
 United States of America] have full power to levy
 war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish
 commerce, and to do all other acts and things which
 independent states may of right do."

 That under the Confederation it was
 considered that the government of the United
 States had authority to acquire territory like any
 other sovereignty is clearly established by the 11th
 of the Articles of Confederation.

 The decisions of this court leave no room for
 question that, under the Constitution, the
 government of the United States, in virtue of its
 sovereignty, supreme within the sphere of its
 delegated power, has the full right to acquire
 territory enjoyed by every other sovereign nation.

 In American Ins. Co. v. 356 Bales of Cotton, 1
 Pet. 511, 7 L. ed. 242, the court, by Mr. Chief
 Justice Marshall, said (p. 542, L. ed. p. 255):

 "The Constitution confers absolutely on the
 government of the Union the powers of making war


and of making treaties; consequently, that
government possesses the power of acquiring
territory, either by conquest or by treaty."

 In United States v. Huckabee (1872) 16 Wall.
414, 21 L. ed. 457, the court speaking through Mr.
Justice Clifford, said (p. 434, L. ed. p. 464)"

 "Power to acquire territory either by conquest
or treaty is vested by the Constitution in the United
States. Conquered territory, however, is usually
held as a mere military occupation until the fate of
the nation from which it is conquered is
determined; but if the nation is entirely subdued, or
in case it be destroyed and ceases to exist, the
right of occupation becomes permanent, and the
title vests absolutely in the conqueror. American
Ins. Co. v. 356 Bales of Cotton, 1 Pet. 511, 7 L. ed.
242; 30 Hogsheads of Sugar v. Boyle, 9 Cranch,
195, 3 L. ed. 702; Shanksv. Dupont, 3 Pet. 246, 7
L. ed. 668; United States v. Rice, 4 Wheat. 254, 4
L. ed. 564; The Amy Warwick, 2 Sprague, 143,
Fed. Cas. No. 342; Johnson v. M'lntosh, 8 Wheat.
588, 5 L. ed. 692. Complete conquest, by
whatever mode it may be perfected, carries with it all
the rights of the former government; or, in other
words, the conqueror, by the completion of his
conquest, becomes the absolute owner of the
property conquered from the enemy nation or
state. His rights are no longer limited to mere
occupation of what he has taken into his actual
possession, but they extend to all the property and
rights of the conquered states, including even
debts as well as personal and real property. Halleck,
International Law, 839; Elphinstone v.
Bedreechund, 1 Knapp, P. C. C. 329; Vattel, 365; 3
Phillimore, International Law, 505."

 In Church of Jesus Christ of L. D. S. v. United
 States (1889) 136 U. S. 1, 34 L. ed. 478, 10 Sup.
 Ct. Rep. 792, Mr. Justice Bradley, announcing the
 opinion of the court declared (p. 42, L. ed. p. 491,
 Sup. Ct. Rep. p. 802):

 'The power to acquire territory, other than the
 territory northwest of the Ohio river (which
 belonged to the United States at the adoption of
 the Constitution), is derived from the treaty-making
 power and the power to declare and carry on war.
 The incidents of these powers are those of national
 sovereignty, and belong to all independent
 governments. The power to make acquisitions of
 territory by conquest, by treaty, and by cession is
 an incident of national sovereignty. The territory of


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