Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-01
TOL. XiS.---No. ~.

L '
for wsrlihe purposes. 20 depart f.on the ,.
ted States, 6f which thc CAIRO shall pr,ur,nal,v s,
81 arnts and munitions " gar when the nniuer an 49,,
shipped an boatd other circV1sfaAcss shall REAR,
q probable that such vessel is intended enlpoy.
by The owner or owBers cruise commit ho>tiif,
upon the subjects, citizens property au Prince or
state or OF any colony. district, people wnh whom
tie United States are at peace, until the decision Of s
President he had tlerenpon or until The ovuer snrrs H.,
10 bond and surSie In the Uuled States prior TO c-ars
out the same, ia dorbie The ainount e yslue OF d.
vsssft and cargo GA 6oaTd including her armament
that The said ship vessel shall epIuye be- IA.
owner OF owners. Ia cruising or eonnitins hosii,es
VI III aiong or cooperating IA any w3rke nle1srtr q,
eaist the SUBJECTS citizens property of any prince or
state OF of any colony, distic people with when
The united States are az peace
Sec 4. AaG be it further rnseted That n any peisa.
shii within The ierrllofy jurisdiction the uni.d
States, fRcreGSF or darasat or.foenre TO be
or augmented shall be kaosrisgiv rsNceryrd ia IN
cre:sins or augmenng the force OF any ship Of
ser, or other armed vessel, wh'a The lure Ut her
Val ~ lie United states, was shp of war cruiser ar
armed vessel Va The service OF foresu prince OF iae
or Of any coo'ag district people of besag,n- 10 he
subjects OF Citizens OF amy sEc, pIitcc STATE coiry
dstriei or people. the being war rik svy "a,
reign prtcc or sfste au wkoni the CRitsa ststrs ,s
NJ n-rce 10y adding 10 The unIber size OF se pans OF
wa vessels ~ pared ioT use, NJ the ~ IA y.,
OF any equipment, solely Applicable war every .c3,
etson so offending shall, npen Conviction he rdjured
kalY OF ainsdein,aior and siSb tued ,inpi san.
ed, a the discretion 9th. which the oorti.ion
shall he had as that such shalt not exceed ane
thousand d"ars, nor the term OF imprisonment he ise
than one year.
sec, s. Aud be il further enacted, Tbn, this act sss.i
o0-d''"e IN force iOr the tenn oftwo years.
Speaker OF the House If Representatives
JOHN GkiLLkkD.
President OF the Senate pln is,rpoye
Approved March y, 1917. JAMES MADISON.
Ia the first place my dear Sir, You win per-
celve that the title Of this act tells az that its
opect IS, more etfectuaily te preserre the s,u..
irM rc'att"ns OF the United States" Now, tho
am well aware that IL has been the custom OF
nauonS TO issue proclamatiops, edcts. orai-
nanceS, or acfS in order TO prevent their snh.
lectS CT ctliZenS from taking part in wars oo.
ing on heiween other friendly nations Ii il a
perfect novelty IN the history of naiions for a
neutral State 10 assume, as one Gifts duties OF
neutrality, that of Furnishing its own citizens
or subjects for supplying With Dsagi ioHs of ,ca,
eifher Of the parties engaged in a warlike con.
test. The laws ofnatioDs reouire fronn neutral
states, that they take effectnal measures for
preventing arniaments being fitted ont, trocus
being raised, and part taken in the war by
theIr owncitlzens or subjects. The lass of ma.
ttohs aiSo require ot neutral states, that they
ehec'uaily prevent either of the beligereut
States from emhodying troops within their IL
mlts, aud sending forth aFIIIaineniS and expedi.
tons, against the other s,eligerent State. Ard
the reason is this that, to do any of these
things, or to permit any of these things to be
done, would, in fact, be to take part in the
war 1t would be TO make the territories and
tue population OF theneutral State aid and as
slSt IN carrying ON the war against one or the
OthSi VI NiS hStiStIeHt states. And. the la
or nations require that the neutral St1tes
should prevent this, because she has il q N.
Pteteiy an her potCeT 10 prGUejit It. and that S,,
yoa tr,lt observe ,0itk9Ht laying dHg rcs.-s-...t
,Thatsoecer on thetrads, tie commerce, or any OF
tke liberties, Vhici oar citizens ar ssbiects i'll
Ell previously to The 5rcuhiag on of tgSn,-r
But, eith regard 20 the fa51isiat7s, 81 ieLsse.
TeRt nations lcish munitions If liar ;.,st is a mar
ter wholly different. No nation m The yyorli
winch has had the smallest Dretegce for cn,.I
Ing itself independeat, has ever thouSbr ,tssif
bound 10 issue proclamations, or 10 pass acre
imposing restrictions ihe u AIDE Of It's s;ibrcls
or ciiiZens, merely because two neipGbgrin.,
nations happened 10 be at war. Ii is ttauiE.sT
mat tn many cases, II would be impossible 70,
any state completely 10 prevent the trading
win beiHgerent ndtiOnS in the munitions 81
war; and yet ifa nentraI State assume such
prevention as neutral duty, she OF csurse be-
comes responsible for every failure OF hers in
the preventing of such supply. If a nenttni
state thus give the right TO beiiserents to cali
upon her To prevent the supplying OK muui.
TONS OF war TO their adyersarIes such neutral
Stale does, from that moment ackno,s l..,i.,e
the right OF any beilgerent power TO diciaia
oher, not only the passing of laws so p,nish
her snnlectS or citizens, but also to dictate To-
her The measure OF that punishment. ore he'll
hgefent Sht be satisfied with fine and impri.
sCninent, hut another might demand hanpinp
and drawing in quarters. So, that upon ,Ie
principle of this act of Congress the lays az
Inc United states, nnst, to very material de-
gree, depend upon thetaste andthe will Of to-
reign nations. ifa war were now IN hrost our
between England and France; England well
supplied with all the munitions Of war and
wishing 10 prevent them from, being furnished
TO her antagonist, might, upon the ground OF
tnls ACT OF Congress, Justly call npon the co.
TeTnment OF The United States, to punish IFS eli.
tIzens with the utmostSeverity for sending ont
merchant ships To France loaded with mum.
tons OF war such, Sir, is the inevitable effect
OF sueh precedent, aud, whether Snch prece-
u 1e tenn 10 preserve the neutral relations of
the United States whs ther il tend 10 pre
serve the dignity aud high Character of the
United States, leave You and my readers iu
England to jndge. ~
III VIII be said, perhaps, that / have ri
ven TOO large a meaning to the act and thar
the act does not prohibit trading IN fhs nm
hitionS OF war. Bu;, unfortunately foJ5fhOse
VINO snail urge tins Objection there exisfs
another act Of Congress. passed in me
year l1Oi, the object ofwhich was TO nrevent
violation of the neutrality of the II. states
ny persons within their dominons, d,rjnp tbs
war when was then gong ON between In.
gland and France. In that act NOT n sincie
"ora Is sald about the sR2piyi'g Q m tajti,qs OF
t"I' ne Dest way VIII be To compare these
tWo acts with each other, for such comparison
VIII soon convince MS, that the recent acf il
very different indeed, in spjTlt as vcIl - in
terms, from the act Of 1894. Tie act Of 1904
puniSneS persons for accepting commissions or
enlIstiilg into the service of bellis eropfs IL
Furnishes persons for filing ont slijvs AT var 70
make war upon beliigeie6ls; it pun;shes per-
sons Tor getting on feot expeditions for the
purposes OF such war. IL Furnishes persons for
increasing or augmentiug the force ofsI,ins nj
war, belonging TO bclligerents, within the in.
risdicton of the United States. The clause Tor
Furnishing persons for fitting and arilig YES.
sels TO make war npon belligerenis. We NAV
compare with the first clause Or ,eciiou oftl,e
act recently passed, and which have insert.
ed above. 'eiF
This section Of the recent act is in its princi.
PIE just ana proper enough; but it diffet,
from the corresponding section OF ibe forn,e,
act iii the two very essential points, 'CIe for,mt
act contenied Itself npunisbirg men for being
engaged IN hitting ont or armlng any shin 81.
NHlanI tt with InIurlI ll.nL