178 Tin: TUKATY OF WASHINGTON. 



of, the suLjcots of any friendly Statu are injured, — if, 

 in a Avord, we sliould ]je so foolish as to insist on 

 the ])rivilege of jiossessing laws designedly imperfect, 

 and which thus favor the violation of law, and which 

 are insulliciint to enabh; the President to dischai'ire 

 the international obligations of the United States, — 

 then it is proper that we should pay for the enjoy- 

 ment of such a j)rivilege by answering to any friendly 

 Power t'or the injurious consequences of our selfim- 

 ])()sed ini])()tency to perform the necessary duties of 

 an indej)endent sovereign State. 



There is no dilliculty whatever in the question. If, 

 on the one hand, in the case of war between two 

 other Powers, the United States desire and intend to 

 be neutral, it is to be hoped they Avill not suifer 

 themselves to be misled by the interests of some ship- 

 builders, or the wild scliemes of somcl)and of advent- 

 urers, foreign or domestic, or even by the sentiment 

 of synqiathy for this or that foreign cause, into per- 

 mittini? violations of the law of the land and of the 

 riglits of other States. Jf, on the other hand, the 

 United States at any time desire or intend to go to 

 war with soiiie foreign Power, whether for induce- 

 ments of sentiment or for objects of ambition, it is to 

 be ]io])cd they will manfully say so, in the face of the 

 world, and will not sneak into national hostilities by 

 means of the expeditions or e(jui]iments of private 

 persons, citizens or foreigners, conducting war in dis- 

 guise while the Government falsely pretends to be at 

 peace. All such "national activities," — that is, acts 

 o^JiUlfUsterism, — whether fraudulently encouraged or 



