The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-01-12

tiOn as the laws of war, the usage OF nations,
or special treaties, may impose; and 1t Isl
our sovereign right that our territory and ju-
risdiction shall not be invaded by either Of
the belligerent parties for the transit Of their
armies, the operations of their fleets, the levy
of troops for their service, the fitting out of
cruisers by or against either, or any other act
or incident of war And these undenableI
rights of neutrality, individual and national,
the United States will under no circumstan
Ces surrender.
In pursuance of this policy, the laws of
the United States do not forbid their citizens.
to sell to either of the belligerent powers
articles, contraband Of war, or to take muI
nitions of war or soldiers on board their pri-
vate ships for transportation; and although,
in so doing, the individual citizen exposes
his property or person to some of the hazards
of war, his acts do not involve any breach
of national neutrality, nor of themselves i'm
plicate the government. Thus, during the
progress Of the present war in Europe, our
citizens have, without national responsibili
ty therefor, sold gunpowder and arms to all
buyers, regardless of the destination Of those
articles Our merchantmen have been, and
still continue to be, largely employed by
Great Britain and by France, in transport
ing troops, provisions, and munitions of war
to the principal seat of the military opera
tions, and in bringing home their sick and
wounded soldiers but such use of our mer-
camille marine is not interdicted either by
the International, or by our municipal law,
and therefore does not compromit our neu-
trail relations with Russia.
But our municipal law, in accordance with
the law of nations, peremptorily forbids not
only foreigners, but our own citizens, to fit
ho IL &c IF ho pI at
a vessel to commit hostilities against any
state with which the United States are at
peace. or to increase the force of any foreign
armed vessel Intended for such hostilities
against friendly state.
Whatever concern may have been felt by
either Of the belligerent powers lest private
armed cruisers or other vessels, in the SER
vice of one, might be fitted out in the ports
of this country to depredate on the proper
~ of the other all such fears have proved to
be utterly groundless. Our citizens have been
withheld from any such act or purpose by
good faith and by respect for the law.
While the laws of the Union are thus per-
emptory in their prohibition Of the equip
ment or armament of belligerent cruisers in
our ports, they provide not less absolutely
that no person shall, within the territory or
jurisdiction of the United States, enlist or
enter himself, or hire or retain another person
to enlist or enter himself or to 60 beyond the
limits or jurisdiction of the U States with in
tent to be enlisted or entered in the service OF
any foreign state, either as soldier, or as a
marine or seaman on board of any vessel of
war, letter of marque, or privateer. And
these enactments are also in strict conformi-
ty with the law of nations, which declares
that no state has the right to raise troops
for land or sea service in another state with
out its consent, and that, whether forbidden
by the municipal law or not, the very at
tempt to do it, without such consent, is an
attack on the national sovereignty.
Such being the public rights and the tnu
nicipal law of the United States, no solici-
tude on the subject was entertained by this
government, when year since the British