The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-07-13
The Neutrality Proclamation.

The Hawaiian Government has, it appears.
found a pen bold enough to attempt the ~justifci-
ton of the proclamation of neutrality issued by
it in 1851, ut the instance of Il Minister whose
hatred of the country ut which it was aimed
was a sufficient guarantee of the intent and pur-
pose of the proclamation. Ii was the weak and
hasty expression of a hostility which manifested
itself rs far as it dared and its author, if alive.
would doubtless, in view of the present position
of the United States, have asscnted 10 the un-
blushing assertion that it :. recognizes no bclliger-
cnt rights"
rs 1t Will be necessary to n clear understand
ing of the discussion, we quote the proclamation
in full
PRocLAuArIox-KAMEHAMFH, w, KING or TIE
HAWAIIAN IsLASDs-Be it Known, To all whom it
may concern, that We, KANEHANEuA w, King of
the Hawaiian Islands, having been officially notified
that hostilities are now unhaPPily pending between
the Government Of the Unite,l States, and certain
States thereof styling themselves The Confederate
States Of America" hereby proclaim Our neutrality
between said eontenIing parties
That Our neutrality Is To be respected To- the full
extent Of Our jurisdiction, and that AL captures, and
seizures made within the same are unlawful, and in
violation Of our rights as a Sovereign.
And be it further known, that We hereby strictly
prohibit all Our subjects, AMI all VIII reside OF may
be within Our jurisdiction, from engaging either
directly or Indirectly in Irivateering against the
Shipping OF Commerce Of either Of the contending
parties, or Of rendering any all to such enterprises
whatever; anil all persons ~ offending will he liable
to the penalties imposed by the laws Of nations, as
well as by the laws Of said State, and they will in
no wise obtain any protection from Us IS against any
penal consequences which they may incur.
Be il further known, that nO adjudication Of prizes
viii be entertained within Our jurisdiction, nor will
the sale Of goods or other property belonging TO prizes
be allowed.
BE it further known. that the rights Of asylum
are not extended TO the Privatecrs or their prizes Of
either Of the conteEding parties, excepting only III
cases Of distress or Of compulsory delay by stress of
weather OF dangers Of the sea. or in such cases as
may be regulated by Treaty stipulation.
Given at Our Marine Residence Of Kailua,
this 18th day Of August, \. ID. 1861,
aud the Seventh Of Our Reign.
By the King. K~AMEHAMEHA-
BY the King and Kuhina Nui.
X G. WYLLIE.
The above document WAS understood, ut the
time of its issue, to be in nearly the same Ian
guage a. the neutrality proclamation Of England,
issued in May, IS6l, and which will probably be
found ON file in the archives of the foreign office.
Similar p~rOclamations were Issued by France and
Spain and adhered TO throughout the war. One
or two other European powers issued them also,
but Immediately revoked them. The &. instrUc-
tons published in the last number of the Ga
=ene, were promulgated by the British Govern
ment, eight months after the proclamation, and
were supplementary to it, but we believe We're
not adopted by any other power, unless it was
France.
The writer in the Ga=ene says " Any super
fetal reader can see that this proclamation. al
though it asserts neutrality, recognizes no 5eLiger-
eHt rights" This extract briefly emboiies the sub
stance Of his argument-a denial of the concession on
the part of this government of any belligerent rights
whatever. We consider the position taken as wholly
untenable. Neutrality implies impa,tiaijty in all deal
ings with the parties referred to. \ proclamation of
neutrality recognizes equality between them. This
the writer himself grants Now, if any rights are
possessed by one party, 4 neutrality proclamation ne
cessarily comedies them to the other. In this case.
the Unitel States, being AN acknowledged power.
possessed. Ly ;aherc.t right, certain benigercnt