the seas shall scrupulously observe toward neutral powers the rules of international law, and that they shall strictly adhere to the principles set forth in the declaration of the Congress of Paris of the 16th of April, 1856, that is to say: 1st. That privateering is and remains abolished. 2d. That the neutral flag covers enemy's goods, with the exception of contraband of war. 3d. That neutral goods, with the exception of contraband of war, are not liable to capture under the enemy's flag. 4th. That blockades, in order to be binding, must be effective, that is to say, maintained by a force sufficient really to prevent access to the coast of the enemy; 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, directly or indirectly, in the said war, but shall remain at peace with each of the said belligerents, and shall maintain a strict and impartial neutrality, and that whatever privileges shall be accorded to one belligerent within the ports of the United States shall be in like manner accorded to the other. And I do hereby enjoin all the good citizens of the United States, and all persons residing or being within the territory or jurisdiction of the United States, to observe the laws thereof, and to commit no act contrary to the provisions of the said statutes, or in violation of the law of nations in that behalf. And I do hereby warn all citizens of the United States, and all persons residing or being within their territory or jurisdiction, that, while the free and full expression of sympathies in public and private is not restricted by the laws of the United States, military forces in aid of either belligerent cannot lawfully be originated or organized within their jurisdiction; and that while all persons may lawfully, and without restriction, by reason of the aforesaid state of war, manufacture and sell within the United States arms and munitions of war, and other articles ordinarily known as "contraband of war," yet they cannot carry such articles upon the high seas for the use or service of either belligerent, nor can they transport soldiers and officers of either, or attempt to break any blockade which may be lawfully established and maintained during the war, without incurring the risk of hostile capture, and the penalties denounced by the law of nations in that behalf. And I do hereby give notice that all citizens of the United States, and others who may claim the protection of this Government, who may misconduct themselves in the premises, will do so at their peril, and that they can in no wise obtain any protection from the Government of the United States against the consequences of their misconduct. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this twenty-second day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy, and of the independence of the United States of America the ninety-fifth. [SEAL.] U. S. GRANT. By the President: HAMILTON FISH, Secretary of State. No. 2. BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A PROCLAMATION. [REGULATING THE CONDUCT OF VESSELS OF WAR OF EITHER BELLIGERENT IN THE WATERS WITHIN THE TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES.] Whereas on the 22d day of August, 1870, my proclamation was issued, enjoining neutrality in the present war between France and the North German Confederation and its allies, and declaring, so far as then seemed to be necessary, the respective rights and obligations of the belligerent parties and of the citizens of the United States; and whereas subsequent information gives reason to apprehend that armed cruisers of the belligerents may be tempted to abuse the hospitality accorded to them in the ports, harbors, roadsteads, and other waters of the United States, by making such waters subservient to the purposes of war: Now, therefore, I, Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim and declare that any frequenting and use of the waters within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States by the armed vessels of either belligerent, whether public ships or priva teers, for the purpose of preparing for hostile operations, or as posts of observation upon the ships of war or privateers or merchant vessels of the other belligerent lying within or being about to enter the jurisdic tion of the United States, must be regarded as unfriendly and offensive, and in violation of that neutrality which it is the determination of this Government to observe; and to the end that the hazard and inconvenience of such apprehended practices may be avoided, I further proclaim and declare that, from and after the 12th day of October instant, and during the continuance of the present hostilities between France and the North German Confederation and its allies, no ship of war or privateer of either belligerent shall be permitted to make use of any port, harbor, roadstead, or other waters within the jurisdiction of the United States as a station or place of resort for any warlike purpose, or for the purpose of obtaining any facilities of warlike equipment; and no ship of war or privateer of either belligerent shall be permitted to sail out of or leave any port, harbor, or roadstead, or waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States from which a vessel of the other belligerent (whether the same shall be a ship of war, a privateer, or a merchant ship) shall have previously departed, until after the expiration of at least twenty-four hours from the departure of such lastmentioned vessel beyond the jurisdiction of the United States. If any ship of war or privateer of either belligerent shall, after the time this notification takes effect, enter any port, harbor, roadstead, or waters of the United States, such vessel shall be required to depart and to put to sea within twenty-four hours after her entrance into such port, harbor, roadstead, or waters, except in case of stress of weather or of her requiring provisions or things necessary for the subsistence of her crew, or for repairs; in either of which cases the authorities of the port or of the nearest port (as the case may be) shall require her to put to sea as soon as possible after the expiration of such period of twenty-four hours, without permitting her to take in supplies beyond what may be neces sary for her immediate use; and no such vessel which may have been permitted to remain within the waters of the United States for the purpose of repair shall continue within such port, harbor, roadstead, or waters for a longer period than twenty-four hours after her necessary repairs shall have been completed, unless within such twenty-four hours a vessel, whether ship of war, privateer, or merchant ship of the other belligerent, shall have departed therefrom, in which case the time limited for the departure of such ship of war or privateer shall be extended so far as may be necessary to secure an interval of not less than twentyfour hours between such departure and that of any ship of war, privateer, or merchant ship of the other belligerent which may have previously quit the same port, harbor, roadstead, or waters. No ship of war or privateer of either belligerent shall be detained in any port, harbor, roadstead, or waters of the United States more than twenty-four hours, by reason of the successive departures from such port, harbor, roadstead, or waters of more than one vessel of the other belligerent. But if there be several vessels of each or either of the two belligerents in the same port, harbor, roadstead, or waters, the order of their departure therefrom shall be so arranged as to afford the opportunity of leaving alternately to the vessels of the respective belligerents, and to cause the least detention consistent with the objects of this proclamation. No ship of war or privateer of either belligerent shall be permitted, while in any port, harbor, roadstead, or waters within the jurisdiction of the United States, to take in any supplies except provisions and such other things as may be requisite for the subsistence of her crew, and except so much coal only as may be sufficient to carry such vessel, if without sail power, to the nearest European port of her own country; or in case the vessel is rigged to go under sail, and may also be propelled by steam power, then with half the quantity of coal which she would be entitled to receive if dependent upon steam alone; and no coal shall be again supplied to any such ship of war or privateer in the same or any other port, harbor, roadstead, or waters of the United States, without special permission, until after the expiration of three months from the time. when such coal may have been last supplied to her within the waters of the United States, unless such ship of war or privateer shall, since last thus supplied, have entered a European port of the government to which she belongs. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington this 8th day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy, and of the independence of the United States of America the ninety-fifth. [SEAL.] By the President: U. S. GRANT. HAMILTON FISH, Secretary of State. Austria declines alliance proffered by France. War preparations and fortifications' continue, but only as precautionary and for defense. JAY. No. 4. Mr. Jay to Mr. Fish. [Telegram.-Received at Washington August 22.] FISH, Secretary, Washington: AUGUST 21, 1870. England, Italy, and Russia have mutually agreed to rest neutral, and not to change their position without notice and statement of reasons. Austria, asked to join neutral league, will consent with the additional understanding that efforts for mediation shall be made, not separately but jointly. JAY. No. 162.] No. 5. Mr. Jay to Mr. Fish. UNITED STATES LEGATION, Vienna, October 3, 1870. (Received October 26.) The visit of M. Thiers to this court, on behalf of the government of the national defense at Paris, left behind it no marked impression. He remained but a few hours, and what he said had relation, as the chancellor remarked, rather to the blunders committed by the last dynasty, than to the plans and hopes of that which has succeeded it. He expressed, as I understand, his belief that France was republican in her feelings, and that the national convention when elected would sympathize with the present government at Paris, and he urged the propriety of a recognition of the government of national defense by the powers of Europe. He was answered that this cabinet was inclined to the same view, but that it seemed proper that recognition of the new government by France herself should precede its recognition by foreign governments. He was assured of the continued friendly disposition toward France of the court of Austria, Hungary, and of its readiness in the future, as in the past, to unite in any effort at mediation. * * * * The growing importance of American opinion on the continent, of which I have frequently spoken, is shown in the efforts made by the German press to deprive American recognition of the republic of all moral power by intimations that the Government at Washington were deluded into the step by the deceptive representation of their envoy at Paris. A dispatch, of course fictitious, intended to produce this impression, I find in the Vienna press of the 27th of September, as follows: NON-APPROVAL OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.-Glassbrenner's Monday's paper says: "The American envoy at Berlin, Mr. Bancroft, immediately after the expression of his colleague in Paris in favor of the proclamation of the republic, had submitted a memorial to his Government, relating to the insignificance of the French republican movement and warning his Government against any illusions in that direction." * No. 54.] BELGIUM. No. 6. Mr. J. R. Jones to Mr. Fish. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Brussels, August 11, 1870. (Received August 24, 1870.) Mr. Motley telegraphed me yesterday, as follows: Please inform Generals Sheridan and Forsythe that Count Bismarck informs Count Bernstorff that they will be welcome at headquarters. J. R. JONES. No. 56.] No. 7. Mr. J. R. Jones to Mr. Fish. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Brussels, September 1, 1870. (Received Sept. 15, 1870.) I have a letter from General Sheridan of the 24th August, saying, "I reached this place, (Point-à-Mousson,) the headquarters of the Prussian army, on the 17th, after much delay. On the 18th witnessed the battle of Gravelotte, just west of Metz. The battle was sanguinary, and resulted in favor of the Prussians, who forced the French army back on Metz and cut off all the roads leading to Paris. The loss of the Prussians was very great, perhaps double that of the French, as the latter held a very strong position and defended it with skill and tenacity. A battle took place also on the 16th for the possession of the Verdun road, at a little village called Reazonville, west of Metz, in which the losses were very heavy on both sides, the battle going in favor of the Prussians, and with fearful loss to the French." There was very hard fighting yesterday and the day before near Beaumont, and McMahon was driven nearly to the Belgian frontier. The greater portion of the Belgian troops are stationed near the southeastern frontier, and there is a good deal of fear that the combatants may cross the line. The government has refused to allow the wounded of either side to pass through Belgium, and ordered that none of the wounded shall be carried on the Belgian railroads. The chambers have done but little, except to vote the money required for war purposes. A proposition favoring a line of steamers between New York and Antwerp has been before the chambers, though I see no disposition on the part, either of the government or private individuals, to furnish any considerable sum of money for the purpose. During the last few days a great many Americans have come to Brussels, mostly from Paris. I can see no reason why the Crown Prince may not reach Paris within a very few days. J. R. JONES. |