The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-05-15
THE DECLARATION OF WAR BY THE
CONFEDERATE STATES.
An Act Recognizing the Existence of War
Between the United States and the COnfetle-
rate States. and Concerning Letters of
Marque, Prizes and Prize Goods.


An Act ISeSo%riathSS .ne F1is'Shce en-, Oh w
rote Stotes and Coucerning Letters of
NJaroue Prizes and Prize C:ooJS
,,, ~, -,
h"e'eoS' Ine raL nest eIoI ts uaue oy tuls "n'-
e E, n " " r. - i ie"If e'a'lonS pe'Ee ecu ''ie
"o'et hne"' VI 'ne oh'eu o'''es a"u 'ne Coh'eue-
rate otates anu 10 setlIe all questions OF dlsagee-
ment between the Two governments upon prlnci-
pies OF rght justice, equity ana good falth, have
pi"Neu uhaEain% <, pE reason oi Tue rtiusal OF tue
uoVern"eHt o' t'e oh'eu states 10 hoid any IN
5e'cou'se WIN ''e commissioners appointed Dy lhls
uNeI lneht ~, t'e Pu P"SSs ai esau, or u llsteI
to any proposal they mad to make Tor the peaceful
s"'u'o Vi an causes W u'iicu ties between 'ie Two
no.e' % nnen's' hhu' V"c'c"S' 'ne iieS!uGnt VI lne
chteu Htates OF America mas lsSueu Hls trocIsuia-
I',,h' !NiTS GOO ppm tne S'ates vi 'Ie
"a % ~ 1:t ~ " 'VoN -, ~ | P P 90
tnerelh iIuIcateu %. eaP.utins .olt anu 1lnef
stl s siu'ua n ~ " - e ee ~ .e ~ VI, ~ oS
s ~ 'ne ave ". "iir t %
", Heta.'su nd'"t a., " mo "P e o,' VI .ne
~, 80 ~ 1;I = - - -, IA, IT,. O ta -. - ~ W - = 49,,
"a ~ - ] nr dPt ~ Paro~oso;d ~ " and nos 1;snad H. oth
prooIrarnsstion onnonncinn HE nmrnosa to sot
On foot a blockade of the ports of the
Confederate States. and ,rbereos the State of
Virginia has seeded from the Federal Tninn and
entered into convention of alliance ofFansiva and
defensive with the Confederate States and hos
adonted the Provisional Constitution 0f the said
states. and the States of MARYLAND North Carolina
Tannosssaa KartrcLr srtonsos "a M;ssori ha1
rar,sod ond - i hai;ered thor Tho Stato of RIa
Voc I'd tb ;,h ohitonis of tha Tarr;tor;s Of A.
1ona and Vaw Npvico and The Indian Terr;tnrr
south nf Kansas will refuse to coonarata Win tba
Government of tine Tinted States in tbasa acts of
Lootil;t;as anJ ronton orrrass;,n wb;ob or, I;I,,
intar ded r" nrerae onnraSs ani fall subimrats
tba neone of the Con ntldarate Statns and ,c2cEcaa
Tue PeoPe Vi ule ave ,olates anu o"eFe"S,
DY tne ac's ana means aoIesau war eHlstS between
Tue cGh'roeFaIe states anu .he Government m oi the
Oh'teu states, anu the ctateS anu terIi'uIieS
tnereo except Tue Itates oI mary lahu' N"r!n oa!
~.
anu De,a"d'e' anu tne % aeS y, a. 'Aonn "nC
ne" mexico, anu the luuian ietiltoty sou'u Vi
hansas therefore,
SEC l. The Congress of me Confederate States Of
Amer'ca do enact, That the President OF the Con-
federate States Is hereov authorized 10 use the
whole land ana naval force OF the Confederate
States to meet the war thus commenced and to is
sue to private armed vessels commissions, or let
ters OF marque and general reprisa, in such form
as he shall think proper, under the seal OF the
Confederate States, against the vessels, goods and
effects OF the Government OF the United States and
of the citizens or inhabitants OF the States and
Territories thereof, except the States and Terrific
ries hereinbeore named. PrOrided, however, that
property of the enemy (unless it be cOntraband Of
war) laden on board neutral vessel, shall not be
subject to seizure under this Act And pr0Uided fur
Her that vessels OF the citizens or inhabitants Of
the United States in the ports of the COnfede.
rate States except such have been since the 5th
of April last, may hereafter be- in the service of
the Government OF the United States shall be al
lowed thirty days after the publication Of this Act
to leave said ports and reach their destinations and
such vessels and their cargoes, excepting articles
contraband of war, shall not be subject to capture
under this Act, during said period unless they
shall have previously reached the destination for
which they were bound on leaving said ports.
SEC 2 That the President OF the Confederate
states snal oe'ahu ne Is us' au'Io'l%eo anu en-
poWeTeu to reVohe anu annuI dC pressure, All let
ters OF marque horepr1sal Whlch ne may.at any
lme grant pursuant 10 thls ACT.
DEC. >. Ihac al! persons appiylng LOT letters OF
marque ana reprlsal, pursuant to tins Act, shall
state IN Wrlthg the name, anu suitable uescrlp-
ton OF the tonnage and iorce OF the vessel and the
name ana place OF residence OF each owner CON
cerneu herelh' anu the intended NUMBER OF the
crew; which statement shall be signed by the per-
son or persons making sucn appication, an1 hled
win the o7cretdry VI otdte' OF shai oe aellVerea
10 any other "lEcer OF person VINO ShaIl De en-
pIoyeu 10 denver OUT such commissions, TO De by
MN transmitted 10 tue secretary o! state
SEC. t. Ihat before any commission or letters OF
marque ana reprisal shail De issued as aforesaid,
the owner or owners OF te snip or vessel lot which
the same shaii De requested, and the commander
thereoi lor the tme Delng, snail give oond to the
Confederate states, win at ieast Two responsible
sureteS not Interested IN such vessel In the penal
sum o5 nVe tnousanG u"ilars; OF II such vessel De
p =, " 80 y, " nm " n.y. y - ~ oo ~ .Auui Gu anu MY men,
tnen III 'ne PtnH' SUN VI ten ,rousdnu uoars; win
cpnu',i"n t"@t 'ns o"ueIs >, "nceFs anu crew, VINO
sna!i oe ethpioyeu on poara such commissioned yes
sell su".l ah" WI We tue laws Vi tne Coned-
crate states anu tne inS u uctions "hlch sha be
- - -. = Tn - ~ "
@I' a. s"',Sn' al eS anu IN
- ~ go tLanor b. .,,oh .a-.I J; 80 %
10 1ne TENOR taerepl, py sucn ttSsei, curing her
e" IN a. " " ~ :, uP ~ 0 ei t'-
'oHeu W me 'eSue"' Vi tne OSn'euei ate ota'eS
SEC. D. nat aii captures ana prizes OF vessels
ana property snail pe IoTIelted ana shali accrue
TO the owners, oIcers ana crews OF the vessels by
whom such captures ana prizes snail De made; ana
on Que condemnation had, shaiI De dlstrpnttd ac-
cordlng to any written agreement which shall be
made between them; and II there be no such
written agreement, theh one mOietY TO the owners,
and the other molety TO the ollicers and crew, as
nearly as may be according TO the rules prescribed
Tor the dlstrouuon OF prize money by the laws OF
the Con' n'eGerate I9ta'eS'
DEC. u. Ihat al Vessels SoouS ana eHects, the
properly o any ci'lHeh u Tue confederate states,
OF Oh persons resIueuC "lIhih anu uhder the pro-
tecuoh OF tne Coh euerate states, or OF persons
permanently wlthln the territories, ana under the
protecton ei any iorelSn prince, government, or
state IN amity with the Confederate states, which
shai nave oeeA caPtuFeu oy tne ohlteo Htates' ana
"hlch sha De reGaptu'eu oy EeSSeS commissioner
as aoFesaiu' sna ue estoreu ~ the la"iul owners
upon payment py tpeih OF Just ana reasonable
70 oe utsei at w tnG mutuaI agree
meht OIL the pat'es c"nceIheu' or w tue decree OF
any court having Jurlsdlction, according to the
nature OF each case, agreeaDly TO the provisions
estaollshed oy law. Ahu such savage shal be dis
triouted among the owners, olhcers, and crews OF
the vessels commissioned as AFORESAID, and making
such captures, accoroing TO any written agreement
which snail De mace between them; and IN case OF
no Such agreement theh IN lhe same manner ana
upon the principles herehoeiore PROVIDED in case OF
capture.
SEC. T. Ihat before breaking bulk OF any vessel
when shaii De captured as aforesaid or other DIS
p0Sai OF conversion thereoI' OF OF any arucles
Whlch shhn oe Iounu on pnard 'he same suGh
caPtuIeu vessel souus W rhTcts, snalt oe orougnt
nv sonie pC' VI e IN 80 ave - es' "i VI
S1aton and shol ha nIncssdad arainst beGors q
nrn,oa,ant tr;hrnoI. and sfter onpda,nnotinn arG
frfitnra tberaof shall baIong IN tho orrner. on
cars and craw of the vessel canturing the sama
ond ha distribpted as hecora nrnvi;ad. and in tbe
cosa of oil cantnred vacsaIs goods and ffaots rbicb
III - " kPL. I'll; ~ ;;d;ti ~ e - -
1e thn Won. W ,ho h
Cfdt Statas shaII bo,a ao,,ls; ~ ;;I
,-niaa.oo tbaraof os =; o;;i oa,,Sas f d; 80, - ,
and ,'aritima inrisdic,ion. and ,ha saiS onnrtsy
or tba conrtS haipp conrts Of Tho Cnnfdarata
states into which such cases shall he removed and
! in which thpv shall he finally decided shall and
NAV dncrae restitution in Who'll mr. in nsrt whan
! the cantnra shall have bean made withont inst
cause And if made without probable canse. NAV
80 o,d denraa damoras ond costs ~ ,ba narty
;;od cor ub;cb Tho o,rnoro ond non,nadrs ~
~ rass aking encb canturas and also tho yasseIs
shal ba IiohIe
g. mat oil narsone found on hoard onr can-
! ,rrad vessaI mr. nm hoard anv recantnred Vessel
Ill ho ronorted to tho CoIIsc,or nf ,bo rort i;
,ba Confedsrate States in which tbav sbau 6rst
ia 80 sbaII ba daii iverad into tbe oms,od- - :
tbe MarsbaI Of tbe District mr. snma cont or niii
tary officer of the Confederate States, or of anv
State in or near such port who shall take charge
of their safe keepinq and support at the exnensa
of the Confederate States
SEC O. That the President of the Confederate