, 1870-10-11
BIsMaRK ON NEUTRAL RIGHTS.

lac changed elsewhere, aud other changes
1T Il more alar.EiuE character will follow.
BISMARK ON NEUTRAL RIGHTS.
1t is r1mored Tint PRUSSIA assumes IA
mcnacing attitude, OF, al least, one Of pro-
t">t, against The s:lle Of arn,s and ,auni
fiuns uf wat f,y citizens Of the United
States, md a,y subjects Of the Queen Of
England, within the limits Of their respee-
tive countries, to. agents of tho French
Government. Such menace betrays Il
very different conception, On the part of
tie. r1u>sian lawyers, 10th Of the obligo-
ti"ns OF q neutral during war aud of th+.
power Ut free government over tho trale.
Of its own citizens, fz,,,n tl1at which ,,re-
Tail in England or in our own country.
According to tie standard writer's upon
international lsw, aud to the American aud
English neutrality laws neutral is not
bound, nor is ita Executive, without the
consent Of its Legislature, empowered to
restrict the freet1orn of its own citizens or
residents to trade in what aud with
whom they choose So our Congress Gu
acted in 1sla, aud President Grant, in his
proclamation OF neutrality Of the :.ad OF
August last, issued when i: WINS supposed
that Prussia would have greater need Of
aru.s than France, DECLARED that the laws
Of the United States lido not interfere
with the open manufacture or sale Of arus or
munitions Of was, " and again TINT "all per-
sons may lawfully, and dwithoutrcstriction on
account Of tbs existing state Of waz, man
ufact1zc and sell within. tho United States
arms and munitions Of war, and othe. ar
licles ordinarily known as coutraband of
way"
Ii, however, VIC attempt to ship these
arms md munitious, whether utlor the
American Or any other flag, to French
port, their character as contrnband Of
war attnchcs to them on the high seas,
and gires to German cruisers OF vessels OF
war tho right to search md capture all YES
sells containing them.
This is the extent of tue prussian de-
mana upon principles of international law
which have been supposed to admit Of no
dispute. In accordance with these prInci-
pies, large shipments of Lrcech-1oailing
rifles, ammunition, and cartridges nre now
being naa1s hy English and American
manufacturers to Frauce, generally iu
! french VESSELS From A1nrflca t11ese
shipments began Will, ono Of 5000 rites
by tho Fteuch steamer percirc, On Sep
! te,'bez 8, the day after Nspo!con's surrcu-
der. 1t is reported to have been folio wed
l,y the shipment of l5,vN breech-1oadezs
hy the French steamer Lafayette, on the
eEh, and by near!y ~, 200 rifles on the
Vile de Paris, Oh the ID Of Octo-
bsr. In fact, tie French orders
are limited only by tho capacity
Of our factories to produce the arms, aud
de next scmi-mouthly steamer will take
al she can carry. Against this kind Of
traffic if has heretofore heen held that the
F3nly remedy OF Prussia is to blockade the
{French ports, OF capture such shipments
Hon the high sens.
u Count Bismark, however, on learning
1ecently that 10, 600 Chassepots we're atou,
to be shipped l,y English manufacturer:
to Frauce. sent despatch to tho English
GoTezanent demanding that the e1,
port Of weapons and other NUM-
sious Of war from England shouli
be prohibited, MS it rendered England
virtually an arsenal aud 6torehouse 10,
France This is to demand that a ueutra
power shall put u blocknle on its own ports
And yet there is aune moral force in tht
precedent cited by Prussia, that