The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-07-28
e3ilhupu6 iaIspa!th:.
Neutrality-suspicious. U.s. 1870 1870

pNAd F.fs .
The People TN sympathy, she e so.
yeru.aeut NcusrnI-Priyate Proper
w ON tho High Seas-Ofziciai Dis
patches.
w.su,sGToy, July 26.-Baron Gerolt has
,oco;yy.d the following dispatch from his
Government "Public opinion III England
* favorable to North Germany. The Go
,rrnment is not favorable. 1t acts With the
neutrality laws against North Germany a. IL
did against America with the Alabama"
The Baron has also received the following
letter from the Secretary Of State:
department Of State, Washington, July
o9. 1870 II have the honor to acknow-
ledge The receipt of your letter OF the 10th
instant, communicating TO this Government
the text of a dispatch from Count Bismarck,
Ia the effect that private property on the
hirh seas win be exempt from seizure by
the ships of his Majesty the King of Prussia,
without regard to reciprocity. In eompli>
ancc with the request contained In your
note, the communication has been officially
made public from this Department. as. ~
It is d ow nearly century since the
United States, through Thomas jefferson,
Rcnjan m Franklin, and John Adams, their
plcuir nicptiarics, and under the guidance
ct q Great Frederick, Prussia entered
int . a treaty Of amity and commerce, to be
IL force for ten years, whereby it has agreed
.hs, if war should unhappily arise be-
tur,n the two contracting parties. all mer
.hant and trading vessels employed i'll en-
hanging the products Of different places
and thereby rendering the necessaries, con.
,rnences, and comforts of human life more
r,.y 10 lie obtained and more general,
should he allowed TO pass free and unlno-
Ir>tcd. and that neither Of the contracting
Powers should grant or iSSlle any commits
sion 20 any private armed vessel, empower
inc them 10 take or destroy such trading
vessels, or interrupt such commerce.
The Government of the United States re-
rciyes with great pleasure this renewed adj
hrrcncc of Il great and enlightened German
Government to the principle temporarily
established by the treaty OF 1875, and since
then advocated by this Government when
ever opportunity has offered. In 1851,
President Pierce, in his annual message to
Congress. said ''Should The leading Pow
cr> of Europe concur in proposing as Il rule
Of international law to exempt private pro-
pcrty upon the ocean from seizure by pub
lie armed cruisers, as we'll rs by privatccrs,
the United States will readily meet them on
that broad ground"
In lSj6 this Government was asked to
eve its adhesion to the "declaration of
Paris" Mr.. Marcy, then secretary OF State,
rcpi cd:
The President proposes to add to the
Fl st proposition in the declaration Of the
Congress at Paris the following words !:
And that private property Of the subjects
or citizens OF u bclhgcrent on the high seas
shall he exempted from seizure by public
armed vessels of the other belligcrent, I'M
less it be contraband.' Thus amended, the
Government of the United States will adopt
il, altogether with the other three princi-
pies contained in that declaration"
And again, in 1861. Mr.. Seward renewed
the offer to give the adhesion of the United
States to the declaration Of the Congress of
Paris, and expressed 4 preference that the
same amendment should be retained.
Count Bismarck's dispatch, commune
Gated in your letter Of the 10th instant,
shows that North Germany is willing to re-
r"gnize this principle, even without reci-
prority, in the war which has now unhap-
ply broken out between that country and
France. This gives reason to hope that the
Government and people of the United States
may soon be gratiiicd by seeing it univer-
sally recognized as another restraining and
humanizing influence imposed 10y modern
civilization upon the art of war. Accept,
sir, the renewed assurance Of my very high
consideration. HAMILTON FISH,
TO Baron GpTOlt.