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Confod.

Staaten,

20 Juli 1861.

our soil, in all parts of our Confederacy. ¶ It is the more gratifying to be No. 56. able to state this fact, because, in need of large and increased expenditure, in support of our Army, elevated and purified by a sacred cause, they maintain that our fellow-citizens, of every condition of life, exhibit most selfsacriticing devotion. They manifest a laudable pride of upholding their independence, unaided by any resources, other than their own and the immense wealth which a fertilized and genial climate have accumulated. This Confederacy of agriculturists could not be more strongly displayed than in the large revenues which, with eagerness, they have contributed at the call of their country. In the single article of cotton, the subscriptions to the loan proposed by the Government, cannot fall short of fifty millions of dollars, and will probably exceed that sum; and scarcely an article required for the consumption of our Army is provided otherwise than by subscription to the produce loan, so happily devised by your wisdom. The Secretary of the Treasury, in his report submitted to you, will give you the amplest details connected with that branch of the public service, but it is not alone in their prompt pecuniary contributions that the noble race of freemen who inhabit these States evidence how worthy are those liberties which they so well know how to defend. In numbers far exceeding those authorized by your laws, they have pressed the tender of their services against the enemy. Their attitude of calm and sublime devotion to their country, the cool and confident courage with which they are already preparing to meet the invasion, in whatever proportions it may assume the assurance that their sacrifices and their services will be renewed from year to year with unfailing purpose until they have made good to the uttermost their rights to selfgovernment; the generous and almost unequivocal confidence which they display in their Government during the pending struggle, all combine to present a spectacle such as the world has rarely, if ever, seen. To speak of subjugating such a people, so united and determined, is to speak in a language incomprehensible to them, to resist attack on their rights or their liberties is with them an instinct. Whether this war shall last one, or three, or five years, is a problem which they leave to be solved by the enemy alone. It will last till the enemy shall have withdrawn from their borders; till their political rights, their altars and their homes are freed from invasion. Then, and then only, will they rest from this struggle, to enjoy in peace the blessings which, with the favor of Providence, they have secured by the aid of their own strong hearts and steady arms. Jefferson Davis.

No. 57.

GROSSBRITANNIEN.

Victoria R.

Neutralitätserklärung vom 13. Mai 1861.

Whereas we are happily at peace with all Sovereigns, Powers, and No. 57. States: And whereas hostilities have unhappily commenced between the GrossGovernment of the United States of America and certain States styling 13. Mai 1861.

britannien,

britannien,

No. 57. themselves "the Confederate States of America": ¶ And whereas we, being Gross- at peace with the Government of the United States, have declared our 13. Mai 1861. Royal determination to maintain a strict and impartial neutrality in the contest between the said contending parties: ¶We therefore have thought fit, by and with the advice of our 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 behalf, or the law of nations 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 59th year of His Ma. jesty 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 Licence," it is, among other things, declared and enacted as follows: "That if any natural-born subject of His Majesty, his heirs and successors, whitout the leave or licence 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 otherwise enter into the military service as a commissioned or noncommissioned 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, States, Potentate, colony, province, or part of any province or people, or of any person or persons exercising or assuming to exercise the powers of government in or over any foreign country, colony, province, 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, without such leave or licence as aforesaid, accept or agree to take or accept any commission, warrant, or appointment 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 warlike purpose, in the service of or for or under or in aid of any foreign Power, 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 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 licence as aforesaid, engage, contract, or agree to go, or shall go, to any foreign State, country, colony, province, or part of any province, 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 ope

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ration whatever, whether by land or by sea, in the service of, or for or No. 57, under or in aid of any foreign Prince, State, Potentate, colony, province, Grossor part of any province or people, or in the service of or for or under or 13, Mai 1861. in aid of any person or persons exercising or assuming to exercise the powers of government in or over any foreign country, colony, province, or part of any province or people, either as an officer or a soldier, or in any other military capacity, or as an officer or sailor, or marine, in any such ship or vessel as aforesaid, although no enlisting 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 whatever, 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 belonging to or subject to His Majesty, shall hire, retain, engage, or procure or shall attempt or endeavour to hire, retain, engage or procure, any person or persons whatever to enlist, or enter or engage to enlist, or to serve or to be employed in any such service or employment as aforesaid, as an officer, soldier, sailor, or marine, eather in land or sea service, for or under or in aid of any foreign Prince, State, Potentate, colony, province, or part of any province or people, or for or under or in aid of any person or persons exercising or assuming to exercise any powers of government as aforesaid, or to go or to agree to go or embark from any part of His Majesty's dominions, for the purpose or with intent to be so enlisted, entered, engaged, or employed as aforesaid, whether any enlisting money, pay, or reward shall have been or shall be actually given or received, or not; in any or either of such cases every person so offending shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanour, and upon being convicted thereof, upon any information or indictment, shall be punishable by fine and imprisonment, or either of them, at the discretion of the Court before which such offender shall be convicted."

And it is in and by the said Act further enacted, "That if any person, within any part of the United Kingdom, or in any part of His Majesty's dominions beyond the seas, shall, without the leave and licence of His Majesty for that purpose first had and obtained as aforesaid, equip, furnish, fit out, or arm, or attempt or endeavour to equip, furnish, fit out, or arm, or procure to be equipped, furnished, fitted out, or armed, or shall knowingly aid, assist, or be concerned in the equipping, furnishing, fitting out, or arming of any ship or vessel, with intent or in order that such ship or vessel shall be employed in the service of any foreign Prince, State, or Potentate, or of any foreign colony, province, or part of any province or people, or of any person or persons exercising or assuming to exercise any powers of government in or over any Foreign State, colony, province, or part of any province or people, as a transport or store ship, or with intent to cruise or commit hostilities against any Prince, State, or Potentate, or against the subjects or citizens of any Prince, State, or Potentate, or against the persons exercising or assuming to exercise the powers of government in any colony, province, or part of any province or country, or against the inhabitants of any foreign

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No. 57. colony, province, or part of any province or country, with whom His Gross Majesty shall not then be at war; or shall, within the United Kingdom, or 13. Mai 1861. any of His Majesty's dominions, or in any settlement, colony, territory, island or place belonging or subject to His Majesty, issue or deliver any commission for any ship or vessel, to the intent that such ship or vessel shall be employed as aforesaid, every such person so offending shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanour, and shall upon conviction thereof, upon any information or indictment, be punished by fine and imprisonment, or either of them, at the discretion of the Court in which such offender shall be convicted; and every such ship or vessel, with the tackle, apparel and furniture, together with all the materials, arms, ammunition, and stores which may belong to or be on board of any such ship or vessel shall be forfeited; and it shall be lawful for any officer of His Majesty's Customs or Excise, or any officer of His Majesty's navy, who is by law empowered to make seizures, for any forfeiture incurred under any of the laws of Customs or Excise, or the laws of trade and navigation, to seize such ships and vessels aforesaid, and in such places and in such manner in which the officers of His Majesty's Customs or Excise and the officers of His Majesty's navy are empowered respectively to make seizures under the laws of Customs and Excise, or under the laws of trade and navigation; and that every such ship and vessel, with the tackle, apparel, and furniture together with all the materials, arms, ammunition, and stores which may belong to or be on board of such ship or vessel, may be prosecuted and condemned in the like manner, and in such courts as ships or vessels may be prosecuted and condemned for any breach of the laws made for the protection of the revenues of Customs and Excise, or of the laws of trade and navigation."

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And it is in and by the said Act further enacted, ¶ "That if any person in any part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, or in any part of His Majesty's dominions beyond the seas, without the leave and licence of His Majesty for that purpose first had and obtained as aforesaid, shall, by adding to the number of the guns of such vessel, or by changing those on board for other guns, or by the addition of any equipment for war, increase or augment, or procure to be increased or augmented, or shall be knowingly concerned in increasing or augmenting the warlike force of any ship or vessel of war or cruiser, or other armed vessel, which at the time of her arrival in any part of the United Kingdom, or any of His Majesty's dominions, was a ship of war, cruiser, or armed vessel in the service of any foreign Prince, State, or Potentate, or of any person or prsons exercising or assuming to exercise any powers of government in or over any colony, province, or part of any province or people belonging to the subjects of any such Prince, State, or Potentate, or to the inhabitants of any colony, province, or part of any province or country under the control of any person or persons so exercising, or assuming to exercise, the powers of Government, every such person so offending shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanour, and shall, upon

being convicted thereof, upon any information or indictment, be punished No. 57. by fine and imprisonment, or either of them, at the discretion of the Court Grossbefore which such offender shall be convicted."

Now, in order that none of our subjects may unwarily render themselves liable to the penalties imposed by the said statute, we do hereby strictly command, that no person or persons whatsoever do commit any act, matter, or thing whatsoever contrary to the provisions of the said statute, upon pain of the several penalties by the said statute imposed and of our high displeasure. And we do hereby further warn all our loving subjects, and all persons whatsoever entitled to our protection, that if any of them shall presume, in contempt of this our Royal Proclamation, and of our high displeasure, to do any acts in derogation of their duty, as subjects of a neutral sovereign, in the said contest, or in violation or contravention of the law of nations in that behalf-as, for example and more especially, by entering into the military service of either of the said contending parties as commissioned or non-commissioned officers or soldiers; or by serving as officers, sailors, or marines on board any ship or vessel of war or transport of or in the service, of either of the said contending parties; or by serving as officers, sailors, or marines, on board any privateer bearing letters of marque of or from either of the said contending parties; or by engaging to go or going to any place beyond the seas with intent to enlist or engage in any such service, or by procuring, or attempting to procure, within Her Majesty's dominions, at home or abroad, others to do so, or by fitting out, arming, or equipping any ship or vessel to be employed as a ship of war or privateer or transport, by either of the said contending parties; or by breaking, or endeavouring to break, any blockade lawfully and actually established by or on behalf of either of the said contending parties; or by carrying officers, soldiers, despatches, arms, military stores, or materials, or any article or articles considered and deemed to be contraband of war according to the law or modern usage of nations, for the use or service of either of the said contending parties, all persons so offending will incur and be liable to the several penalties and penal consequences by the said statute, or by the law of nations, in that behalf imposed or denounced. ¶ And we do hereby declare that all our subjects and persons entitled to our protection who may misconduct themselves in the premises will do so at their peril and of their own wrong, and that they will in nowise obtain any protection from us against any liabilities or penal consequences, but will, on the contrary, incur our high displeasure by such misconduct. ¶ Given at our Court at the White Lodge, Richmond Park, this 13th day of May, in the year of our Lord 1861, and in the 24th year of our reign. ¶ GOD save the QUEEN.

No. 58.

FRANKREICH Neutralitätserklärung, vom 9. Juni 1861.

britannien, 13. Mai 1861.

Sa Majesté l'Empereur des Français, prenant en considération l'état No. 58. de paix qui existe entre la France et les Etats-Unis d'Amérique, a résolu Frankreich,

9. Juni 1861.

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