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PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



The customary laws of nations are made up of their 

 practice rather than their declarations ; and if such 

 declarations are only to be enforced in particular in- 

 stances, at the pleasure of those who make them, then 

 the commerce of the world, so far from being placed 

 under the regulation of a general law, will become 

 subject to the caprice of those who execute or suspend 

 it at will. If such is to be the course of nations in re- 

 gard to this law, it is plain that it will thus become a 

 rule for the weak and not for the strong. 



Feeling that such views must be taken by the neu- 

 tral nations of the earth, I have caused the evidence to 

 be collected which proves completely the utter ineffi- 

 ciency of the proclaimed blockade of our coast, and 

 shall direct it to be laid before such Governments as 

 shall afford us the means of being heard. But, although 

 we should be benefited by the enforcement of this law so 

 solemnly declared by the great Powers of Europe, we 

 are not dependent on that enforcement for the success- 

 ful prosecution of the war. As long as hostilities con- 

 tinue, the Confederate States will exhibit a steadily 

 increasing capacity to furnish their troops with food, 

 clothing, and arms. 



If they should be forced to forego many of the luxu- 

 ries and some of the comforts of life, they will at least 

 have the consolation of knowing that they are thus 

 daily becoming more and more independent of the rest 

 of the world. If, in this process, labor in the Confed- 

 erate States should be gradually diverted from those 

 great Southern staples which have given life to so 

 much of the commerce of mankind into other channels, 

 so as to make them rival producers instead of profit- 

 able customers, they will not be the only or even chief 

 losers by this change in the direction of their industry. 



Although it is true that the cotton supply from the 

 Southern States could only be totally cut off by the 

 subversion of our social system, yet it is plain that a 

 long continuance of this blockade might, by a diver- 

 sion of labor and investment of capital in other em- 

 ployments, so diminish the supply as to bring ruin 

 upon all those interests of foreign countries which are 

 dependent on that staple. For every laborer who is 

 diverted from the culture of cotton in the South, per- 

 haps four times as many elsewhere, who have found 

 subsistence in the various employments growing out 

 of its use, will be forced also to change their occupa- 

 tion. 



While the war which is waged to take from us the 

 right of self-government can never attain that end, it 

 remains to be seen how far it may work a revolution 

 in the industrial system of the world, which ^ay carry 

 suffering to other lands as well as to our own. In the 

 mean time we shall continue this struggle in humble 

 dependence upon Providence, from whose searching 

 scrutiny we cannot conceal the secrets of our hearts, 

 and to whose rule we confidently submit our destinies. 

 For the rest we shall depend upon ourselves. Liberty 

 is always won where there exists the unconquerable 

 will to be free, and we have reason to know the strength 

 that is given by a conscious sense not only of the mag- 

 nitude but of the righteousness of our cause. 



JEFFERSON DAVIS. 



RICHMOND, November IS, 1861. 



A PROCLAMATION OF NEUTRALITY. 

 VICTORIA R. 



Whereas, We are happily at peace with all Sover- 

 eigns, Powers, and States ; 



And whereas hostilities have unhappily commenced 

 between the Government of the United States of Amer- 

 ica and certain States styling themselves "the Confed- 

 erate States of America ;" 



And whereas we, being at peace with the Govern- 

 ment of the United States, have declared our Royal 

 determination to maintain a strict and impartial neu- 

 trality in the contest between the said contending 

 parties ; 



" We, therefore, have thought fit, by and with the 



'advice of pur Privy Council, to issue this our Royal 

 Proclamation : 



And we do hereby strictly charge and command all 

 our loving subjects to observe a strict neutrality in 

 and during the aforesaid hostilities, and to abstain 

 from violating or contravening either the laws and 

 statutes of the realm in this benalf, or the law of na- 

 tions in relation thereto, as they will answer to the 

 contrary at their peril. 



And whereas, in and by a certain statute made and 

 passed in the fifty-ninth year of His Majesty King 

 George III., entitled "an act to prevent the enlisting 

 or engagement of His Majesty's subjects to serve in a 

 foreign service, and the fitting out or equipping, in 

 His Majesty's dominions, vessels for warlike purposes, 

 without His Majesty's license," it is, among other 

 things, declared and enacted as follows : 



" That if any natural born subject of His Majesty, 

 his heirs and successors, without the leave or license 

 of His Majesty, his heirs or successors, for that purpose 

 first had and obtained, under the sign manual of His 

 Majesty, his heirs or successors, or signified by Order 

 in Council, or by proclamation of His Majesty, his heirs 

 or successors, shall take or accept, or shall agree to 

 take or accept, any military commission, or shall oth- 

 erwise enter into the military service as a commissioned 

 or non-commissioned officer, or shall enlist or enter 

 himself to enlist, or shall agree to enlist or to enter 

 himself to serve as a soldier, or to be employed, or 

 shall serve in any warlike or military operation in the 

 service of, or for, or under, or in aid of any foreign 

 Prince, State, Potentate, Colony, Province, or part of 

 any Province or people, or of any person or persons, 

 exercising or assuming to exercise the powers of gov- 

 ernment in or over any foreign country, colony, prov- 

 ince, or part of any province or people, either as an 

 officer or soldier, or in any other military capacity ; or 

 if any natural born subject of His Majesty shall, with- 

 out such leave or license as aforesaid, accept, or agree 

 to take or accept, any commission, warrant or appoint- 

 ment, as an officer, or shall enlist or enter himself, or 

 shall agree to enlist or enter himself, to serve as a 

 sailor or marine, or to be employed or engaged, or 

 shall serve in and on board any ship or vessel of war, 

 or in and on board any ship or vessel used or fitted 

 out, or equipped, or intended to be used for any war- 

 like purpose, in the service of, or for, or under, or in 

 aid of any foreign power, prince, State, potentate, col- 

 ony, province, or part of any province or people, or of 

 any person or persons exercising or assuming to exer- 

 cise the powers of government in or over any foreign 

 country, colony, province, or part of any province or 

 people ; or, if any natural born subject of His Majesty 

 shall, without such leave and license as aforesaid, en- 



age, contract, or agree to go, or shall go, to any foreign 

 tate, country, colony, province, or part of any prov- 

 ince, or to any place beyond the seas, with an intent or 

 in order to enlist or enter himself to serve, or with 

 intent to serve, in any warlike or military operation 

 whatever, whether by land or by sea, in the service of, 

 or for, or under, or in aid of any foreign prince, State, 

 potentate, colony, province, or part of any province or 

 people, or in the service of, or for, or under, or in aid 

 of any person or persons exercising or assuming to 

 exercise the powers of government in or over any for- 

 eign country, colony, province, or part of any province, 

 or people, either as an officer or a soldier, or in any 

 other military capacity, or an officer or sailor, or marine 

 in any such ship or vessel as aforesaid, although no en- 

 listing money, or pay, or reward shall have been or 

 shall be in any or either of the cases aforesaid actually 

 paid to or received by him, or by any person to or for 

 his use or benefit ; or if any person wnatever, within 

 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, or 

 any part of His Majesty's dominions elsewhere, or in 

 any country, colony, settlement, island or place belong- 

 ing to or subject to His Majesty, shall hire, retain, en- 

 gage, or procure, or shall attempt or endeavor to hire, 

 retain, engage, or procure any person or persons what- 

 ever to enlist, or enter, or engage to enlist, or to serve 

 or to be employed in any such service or employment 





