Proclamation Of Neutrality

ashington, Aug. 22. A PRCLAMATJON. lïy the President of the United Statee of Americ': Wh'rms, A ítate of war unhappily existí betwuifii Fmuoe, od the one t-ide, aod the North Germán Confederatíon and i's a! lies od tha ntlier side ; And whereus, The Unïted S tes aro on tonus oí fnendship aud amiiy w itli all tlio contcnding powor, umi with tlie persons inhabiting llieir dominions; And wherms, Great numbers f tlie oitizeus of the United Stilten reside with iti the territorios or dominions of cach of s.-ii'l beUigerente, and curry on cotnmeree, tr:ide or ntlier business or pursuitx taerein, pr.'tected by tlie faith of trcaïies ; And wh'reat, Great niimberi f.f the -s and citi.o"i of eaeh of euid bcll gerenta reside within the territory or jut isti.c: i'H) oftboUuited Sta'ea nd oarry en e nniK'rce, trade or otber busiil- -H purduiis iherein ; And ichtreas, The !avs of the United Sta'es, without interfiring w'ilh free exprcs.-sion of opinión and sympathy or witli the open tnanu!cttre or f nle ot veem or uianitioM of war, neverthelesü imp '.-e upon all persons wbo may be vntiiin tlicir territofy end jariadietioti the diity of au impurtial neutmlity durixtjf t;ie exi'tonoé of the content; Ni'W, iberofore, I Ulysses S Grant, President of tlie Ui i ed Stii'es, in order to preserve the ncutiality of the United Stüics and of their citb.ens or of [ereons wi'hin thetr territory and junsdiction, and to iuf ireo their laws, and iu order tb-t all person being wurned of the generil te or of the laws and treaties of the United States in tliis behalf, and of the law of nations, raay thns be prevented frum uo unintntional violation of the eame, do hereby declare and proclaim that by tlic act pissed A. D 1818, craraonly callad the neutrH lity law, the followiog acts are forbiddcrr to bo done uiider m 'vurc penalties itliin tbe ferrit;iry ii nd jut'isdiction of the United Statei1, to wit : 1 Accept ing nnd exereicing a oommission to serve either of s;dbe]ligerents by land or by sos, agaiust tbe other beiligerent. '2 EolialMg or entering iuto the serviuK of either of eaid belligerents as a Roldii-r, or as a marioer or seamnn, or on bia-d of auy vrsel of war (letter of msrqae or priva'eer). 3. Iliiiti'; or retaioing anotlier pergon to enlis'. or enter himself iuto the service ot t-ither of said bslligerents as a soldier, or is a mariner or eeaman, od board of asy vessel of war (letter of marque or privateer. 4. Hirin# anotber person to go beyond tlie 'iiuits or jurmdiction of the Ui iti'd States, with intent to be enlisted as aforesaid. 5. Hiring another person to go beyond tbe limite of the United State wiili iiitint to bo eutored iuto the service ss liefore said. G. liftaining anothfr peraon to po beyond the Umita of tbe United States with intent to be enlisted as uforesaid. 7. Retaioing aacither person to go beyond tlio limit of the United Stale. wilh intent to ba enlifted iuto service bs aforesaid But the said act is not to be oo!istrud to ext -ud to a ei izon or subject of either beüigermjt, wbo being truuieudy withiu the United States sball g on board kny ves el of wr, whicli, at the time of i't nrrival within tlie United Status, was titted and cquipped as 8ujh ve.ssel of war, enlist or euier ■iim-elf or hire or retain anolher subje' or citizen (f the 8;itne belliirerents who i transiently within the Ui.ited Staten to en or enter bimself to serve fuch bel■.eront on b i;trd S'ich vessel of war if the United rft;ite. aiiall ihen beat peacd iv i i h .-uc'u belligerent. S. Fit ini( out and arniing, or attemping to fit. out .nd a in, or prooahog to lu itif.i ou' ani ame), or kaowinclj being i'onuerat'd iu ilie furoisbltlg, fitting out, or atnrng nf ay wliip or v.ssel witti ïneut that suoh ship or vestel be emjiloyei in tho service of either of said Uulligerent-. 9. I-bu as{ or delivering a commissiou Tvithin terrilory or jarigdiotion of the United States for auy hip or ves-el to the intent tbut she muy be cmployd as aforesaid. 10. Increasiog or nogmentinz, or procurinü to bu increased er augmvnted, or kni'wiiigly l)ei'p c"ucernfd in incrraBini or i;i!niHitii'g the force of anyship of war, cru ser, or other armed vessJ. which ut fio lime of her ai rival within the United States was a ship of war, ernisar or armed vesfel in tho service of either "f sai 1 beiligere ts or bulougiug to t-ubj et critiziu)8 of ei:her, bv ud dirg to the i;uuiber of gun of suoh ves8t'ls, or by ch uging t lioso on board ot' her for guus of a Urjjcr calibre, etc., or by the aiidition tt'ereto of any mjuipmeut sol ly applicable to war 11. litígiuiiitig or setting en foot, or providing or pri-pnring uieuns for ory military expeduiou or enterprise to be earried on trom tbeterriiory or juritdicti'in of the United Matts agninst tbe territory or dominions of either of taid belligeron's. Aud I do further declara and procla m thut by tbc 19. h article of the treaty of airity and conjmerce which M ccuu-.uded beiween his Majeoty, the Kii g cf PrupHin, end the Uiii'-cd Ótutc of America, ou the llth day of July, 179Ü, which articlü was revived by the treaiy of Muy lat, 1828, betweun the eau! puitiun, and is still in force, it was ugreed that the vessels of war, public aud private, of botfa parties thall curry fretly wheresoevur tbey picase lbo els aud i-ffects taken from their eneiniei without bfing obliged to pay any dutics, charges or fees to the officers of admiralty cf the cusiónos or auy others, nor sball such prizes be arrested, scarebed or put under legal process when they o me to and enter the porta of tbe other country, but may freeiy bo earried oat agaiu at any time by their captors, to places exreRsed iu ibeir co.i.missioDs, which the coininauding fileer of such t;--i;l ;-li;ill be obliged to show. AnO 1 do further declure and proclaitn thut it ha been officially communi cated to the Governniput of tho -Uuited States by the euroy extraoidiuary and ïniuifiter plenipoteiitiury of the North Germán Ui'üfedeta'ion at Witshiugton that private pruperly on tho high guas will he cxeuipt d from neizuro by ship of his Mnjest); liie Kiug of Prussia, without regard to reeiprooity. Aud I do furtl.er declare aud proclMim thut it baa been officially romiuunicatt-d to the Government of tue United Stutes by the tiivoy extrtiordinary and mini-ter pleuipotenliary of his Majestj, the Emporor of tho French, at Wiishing ou that orders have been giveu that iu the oonduct oftbe war the cotumunders of the Freuch force. on land and ou the eeiis i-lüill Ècrut ulously obaerve toward neutral powcis the rules of international law, aud tbat they shall stiio:ly adher to tho principios set forth in the declaration of the Oongrees of Puris of thu 1 0 h of April, 1856, tbutistosay: First, that privateeruig is and remains abolitihed ; seoond, that the neutral flag env.-ra cticnij g gnod's wiili tiie cSOeption of contraband f war ; third, lhat Deutral goods, wiih the exeeption of contrsbttnd of war, are not Hable to capture under the atmy's flag ; fuurth, llint o blockade, io order lo ho binding, rnust be effoi'tive - that in to pay, roarntaiutd by a orce lufficient reallv to prevent accc!-s lo the coas' of ihc eueniy, niid tliíit although the I'nited Stíites Inive uot itdhcicd to the deeUrttion of 185G, the vcfsols of his Mnjesi y will not Feize tho enemy's pronrrty fotind on bonrd o( a vcegol of the United States, provided that properly is not contraband of war. And I do fnr'her deo'are and proelaim that the BtaiuU'H of tho United State;nnd law of nations aükc rrnuire that no person within the'rrritory ntxl jurisdiction of the Uni'ed States ahnll t;ike pirt direetly or indirectly, n HÍd war, nut shiilT remain at peac wiih ench f s lid ! hcllirercntEi, nÍ shnll m::nta;n a sttiit rid imr&rtial neu'rality, and that ever privilep'-s shall be accordrd to oip bellig rent witbin the ports of the Ui'itid Statrg sha'! be in lifce iniiimer accorded to tlie othpr. And I 'in hereby enjoin all cooil ciiizarscil the United States, and 11 persons residing muI being within the terri tory r jurisdiction of the Uniieil States to observe tlie laws tíiereof and commi' nö aol coutrary to ihe provisions of said stíituti's, or in vi.'hiwon of thu luws of the natinn in that bebalf. And I do hereby wam all citizens of the United States, and n!l percoDs residing within thcir territory or jnriidiction, that whilé tbe freo and full expression of synipathies in public and priva'o s niit restricied by tlie laws of the United Stilte?, military forcé- in nid of eittier helliíjeren ts oannot lawfully be nrig:natf-d and oranized wilhín tlu-ir jurifdicion, and tbiit while all pcrsoUh may lawfully and without restriction, Uy reason of the afon sid ututo of ar, urinufiíeture and sell witliin ihe United Sírics ariix and ounitíona of war and other articles ordjin.-irüy known a contrabatid "f war, yet thcv csnnot carry such articlos lipón the liiirh ons fr the Díe nr service of eitlinr belligereDt, nor can they transport soldiers nd offii-ers of either, oraiteinpt to break anv block ad whifh may be luwfully erublishtd and maintaioed d uring the w.ir without ÍD;urrDg the risk oí hoftile ofiplure atid the penal'ics provided by thö law of uationa in 'lint behalf. Aud I do hereby give notico tht all citizens of tli-1 TJnited ístntes, aud others who may clsim tlie" prteulin of thie (Tovernment, who may nsiíoriduct thenigelves in the [iremises, do bu at tbeir perü, nml that they can in no wise obtain any pr teotioafrom tho Government of the Uuited Staten figainst ihe couseqaences of their nii?Cinduct In witne.-s whereof, I have hereunto et ni y liaiiii und eaoaed the seal of the United átates to le affixed. Done ut the City of Washington, thie 22d day of Augu.-t, in tho year of our Lord one thoacand eiaht hundred aud sevcn'y, and of the independeoce of iba United Slates of Auierioa the n'uetyfifth. fSsncdJ Bv the President. Uamilton Fisn, Secretwry of State.