PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



690 



Proclamation of Neutrality. 



By th Fruldtnt of Ik* UnlUJ Hulei of Amwlo : 



Whertas, a ntate of war unhappily exists betw.con 

 Franco on the one Bide and the North-German Con- 

 r,-.!'-iat i.'ii imd its allicH on tho other side ; 



Aii'l whereas, tho United States are on terms of 

 iVim.Uhip and amity with all th contending powers, 

 and with tho persons inhabiting their nuvural do- 

 minions; 



And whereas, great numbers of the citizens of tho 

 United States reside within tho territories or domin- 

 ions of each of tho said belligerents, and cany on 

 commerce, trade, or other business or pursuits there- 

 in, protected by tho faith of treaties ; 



And whereas, great numbers of the subjects or cit- 

 izens of the said belligerents reside within the terri- 

 tory or jurisdiction of the United States, and carry 

 on commerce, trade, or other business therein ; 



And whereas, the laws of the United States, with- 

 out interfering with t}ie free expression of opinion 

 and sympathy, or with the open manufacture or sale 

 of iirms or munitions of war, nevertheless impose 

 upon all persons who may be within their territory 

 and jurisdiction the duty of an impartial neutrality 

 during the existence of the contest : 



Now. therefore, I, Ulysses S. Grant, President of 

 the United States, in order to preserve the neutrality 

 of the United States and of their citizens, and of per- 

 sons within their territory and jurisdiction, and to 

 enforce their laws, and in order that all persons, be- 

 ing warned of the general tenor of the laws and 

 treaties of the United States in this behalf, and of 

 the law of nations, may thus be prevented from an 

 unintentional violation of tho same, do hereby de- 

 clare and proclaim that by the act passed on the 20th 

 day of April, A. D. 1817, commonly known as the 

 Neutrality law, the following acts are forbidden to be 

 done, under severe penalties, within the territory 

 and jurisdiction of the United States, to wit : 



1. Accepting and exercising a commission to 

 serve either ot the said belligerents by land or by sea 

 against the other belligerent. 



2. Enlisting or entering into the service of either 

 of tho said belligerents as a soldier, or as a marine 

 or seaman on board of any vessel-of-war, letter of 

 marmie, or privateer. 



8. Hiring or retaining another person to enlist or 

 enter himself in the service of either of the said bellig- 

 erents as a soldier, or as a marine or seaman on board 

 of any vessel-of-war, letter of marque, or privateer. 



4. Hiring another person to go beyond the limits 

 or jurisdiction of the United States with intent to be 

 enlisted as aforesaid. 



6. Hiring another person to go beyond the limits 

 of the United States with intent to be entered into 

 service as aforesaid. 



6. Retaining another person to go beyond the 

 limits of the United States with intent to be enlisted 

 as aforesaid. 



7. Retaining another person to go beyond the limits 

 of the United States with intent to be entered into 

 service as aforesaid. (But the said act is not to bo 

 construed to extend to a citizen or subject of either 

 belligerent who, being transiently within tho United 

 States, shall, on board of any vessel-of war which, 

 at tho time of its arrival within tho United States, 

 was fitted and equipped as such vessel-of-war, enlist 

 or enter himself, or hire or retain another subject or 

 citizen of the same belligerent, who is transiently 

 within the United States, to enlist or enter himself 

 to serve such belligerent on board such vessel-pf- 

 wur, if tho United States shall then be at peace with 

 such belligerent.) 



8. Fitting out and arming, or attempting to fit out 

 and arm, or procuring to be fitted out and armed^ or 

 knowingly being concerned in tho furnishing, fitting 

 out. or arming of any ship or vessel, with intent that 

 sucn ship or vessel shall oe employed in the service 

 of either of the said belligerents. 



9. Issuing or delivering a commission within the 

 territory or jurimliction of tho United States for any 

 ship or vessel to the intent that the may be employed 

 as aforesaid. 



10. Increasing or augmenting, or procuring to be 

 increased or augmented, or knowingly being con- 

 cerned in increasing or augmenting, the force of any 

 ship-of-war. cruiser, or other armed vessel, which, at 

 tho time of her arrival within the United States, was 

 a ship-of-war, cruiser, or armed vessel in the service 

 of either of the said belligerents, or belonging to the 

 subjects or citizens of either, by adding to the num- 

 ber of guns of such vessel, or by changing thoso on 

 board of her for guns of a larger calibre, or by the 

 addition thereto of any equipment solely applicable 

 to war. 



11. Beginning or setting on foot, or providing or 

 preparing the means for any military expedition or 

 enterprise to be carried on from the territory or juris- 

 diction of the United States against the territory or 

 dominions of either of tho said belligerents. 



And I do further declare and proclaim that by the 

 nineteenth article of the treaty of amity and commerce 

 which was concluded between his Majesty the King 

 of Prussia and the United States of America on the 

 llth day of July, 1799, which article was revived by 

 the treaty of May 1, 1828, between the same parties, 

 and is still in force, it was agreed that " the vessels- 

 of-war, public and private, ot both parties, shall carry 

 freely wheresoever they please the vessels and effects 

 taken from their enemies, without being obliged to 

 pay any duties, charges, or fees, to officers of admiralty, 

 of the customs, or any others ; nor shall such prizes 

 be arrested, searched, or put under legal process, when 

 they come to and enter the ports of the other party, 

 but m&y freely be carried out again at any time by 

 their captors to the places expressed in their commis- 

 sions, which the commanding officer of such vessel 

 shall be obliged to show." 



And I do further declare and proclaim that it has 

 been officially communicated to the Government of 

 the United States, by the envoy extraordinary and 

 minister plenipotentiary of the North-German Con- 

 federation at Washington, that private property on 

 the high-seas will be exempted from seizure by the 

 ships of his Majesty the King of Prussia, without re- 

 gard to reciprocity. 



And I do further declare and proclaim that it has 

 been officially communicated to the Government of 

 the United States, by the envoy extraordinary and 

 minister plenipotentiary of his Majesty the Emperor 

 of tho French at Washington, that orders have oeen 

 given that in the conduct of the war the commanders 

 of the French forces on land and on the seas shall 

 scrupulously observe toward neutral powers the rules 

 of international law, and that they snail strictly ad- 

 here to the principles set forth in the declaration of 

 the Congress of Paris of the 16th of April, 1856 that 

 is to say : 



1. That privateering is and remains abolished. 



2. That the neutral flag covers enemy's goods, 

 with tho exception of contrabrand of war. 



8. That neutral goods, with the exception of con- 

 trabrand of war, are not liable to capture under the 

 enemy's flag. 



4. That blockades, in order to be binding, must be 

 effective ; that is to say, maintained by a force suffi- 

 cient really to prevent access to the coast of the en- 

 emy ; and that, although the United States have not 

 adhered to the declaration of 1856, the vessels of his 

 Majesty will not seize enemy's property found on 

 board of a vessel of the United States, provided that 

 property is not contraband of war. 



And I do further declare and proclaim that the 

 statutes of the United States, and the law of nations, 

 alike require that no person within the territory and 

 jurisdiction of the United States shall take part, di- 

 rectly or indirectly, in the suid war, but shall remain 

 at peace with each of the said belligerents, and shall 

 maintain a strict and impartial neutrality ; and that 



