comparatively little had been effected by any of the European writers towards systemizing, and defining with accuracy and precision, the principles of this most interesting branchof public jurisprudence; and even at this time much remains to be done before the science of inter- national law can be said to be perfect. It is a branch of public law of more interest to the United States than to any other nation, since each of the thirty-six States already existing are distinct, and, in some respects, independent States, united under a national government; and this state of things necessarily creates very complicated private relations between the citizens of those States, which constantly call for the administration of extra mu- nicipal principles. These controversies, however, rarely assume the consequence of national negoti- ations, and the jurisprudence arising from the con- flict of the laws of the different States may, there- fore, be properly considered as private international law.^ 1 Ston/i Confl., 3d edit.
It is not our place or purpose here to enter into a full examination of the conflict of foreign and do- mestic laws, which naturally include many branches of public jurisprudence, and make a sufficient theme for a treatise by itself, but merely to consider such as affect or pertain to our subject. To this end, it will be proper, in the first place, to state the general rules or maxims commonly recognized as constituting the foundation of all the reasonings, and, according to Huberus,^ which solve all the intricacies of the subject.
The first great principle is, that every nation pos- sesses an exclusive sovereignty and jurisdiction within the limits of its own territory, and its laws bind all who are found within those Hmits, whether their residence is permanent or temporary.^ The laws, therefore, of one country, while they are absolute over all the property, real or personal, within its territory, and bind its own subjects, and all others within its jurisdictional limits, can have no intrinsic force in any other country, and do not command, of right, the slightest obedience ; and any power they