Neutrality Laws

Washington, June 20. - Seoretary Olney has oloarly laid down the duty of oltizens of the United Statea in the obser vanee of etrict noutrality as botween the Spanish government and the Cuban insurjonts,uot only touohing armed assistence but algo as to rendering ald and encouragement in a finanoial way. The occasion for thie exposition oame in a letter from Cashier John P. Massey, of the Farmers' and Mechanios' National bank of Waoo, Tei., asking if it would be a vlolation of the xieutrality laws of hls bank to act as depository for f unds for the Cuban revolutlonlsts. !MiKht Forfelt lts Franchise. Olney's reply said: "Whether the bank or its ofiïcers could be oriminally prosecutcd is a qutistion as to whioh opinions xnay dilïor, aud whlch can be satiaf&ctorily settled only by the adjudioation of the propor oourt. Should a bank engage in guch a transaction and, as yon suggest, pnblish its acceptance of such a trust to he world, it would be my duty to cali npon the department ot' justioe to test the questioa wüether or not the proceedlng was a crime against the United States. It might also be my duty to suggest whother a bank holding a United States charter does not abuse its franchises and iurnish ground for thelr forfeiture by aots in aid ol hostilities against a naion with whioh tho United States is at Deaoo. Moral Iiuty Is Very Plaiu. "You ask me not merely as to your íeclmicul legal liability, bat also as to your moral oüligution, udüiug;: 'For we are all too loyal to our own country to seek to overthrow Ín any sense her laws.' I heartily commend the sense of the quotation, and am in a posltion to say thac your moral duty in the premises does not admit of the least question. It has been expounded by no less an authority than ■the supreme court of the United States in the íollowing language: 'The Ínterourse of this couniry with foreign natiuns, and its policy in regard to them, are placed by the constitution of the TJnited States In the hands of tho government, and its decisions upon their subjects are obligatory upon every citizen of the Union. He is buund co be at war ■with the natlon against which the warmakinst power has declared war, and equally bound to oommit no act of hostillty aguinst a nation with which the government is in amity and friendship. This principie is universally acknowledged by the laws of nations. It lies at the louiulatiou ut' all governments, as there could be no social order or peaceful relations between the citizens of different, ountries without ie."