Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-07-27
Position Of England Towards Prus
sia-The People I'm Symp ,thy; tIls
Government Neutral-PrivateP Prop
erty ON the High Seas Official DIS
matches.

sfa-The People In Sym sthy: the
Government tNeutral-PrivateP Prop
erty ON the High seas Oniciai DIS
patches.
Baron Gerolt has received the following dis
patch from his government:
Public opinion in England is favorable
to North Germany. The government is not
favorable. 1t acts with the neutrality laws
against North Germany as it did against Amer
ica with the Alabama
The Baron has received the following letter
from the Secretary of State:
"DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON
July -, 1S1O.-Sir: 1 have the honor TO ac-
knowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th
instant, communicating to this government the
text of dispatch from Count Bismarck, to the
erect that private property on the high seas
Majesty the King OF Prussia, without regard to
reciprocity. In compliance with the request
contained in your note, the communication has
been officially made public from this Depart
ment.
1t is now nearly century since the United
States, through Thomas Jefferson, BENJAMIN
Franklin, and John Adams, their plenipoten-
tlaries, and under the guidance of the Great
Frederick, Prussia entered into a treaty OF
amity and commerce, to be in force for ten
years, whereby it was agreed that if war should
unhappily arise between the two contracting
parties, all merchant and trading vessels elm
ployed in exchanging the products of different
places and thereby rendering the necessaries
cOnvtDieBces and comforts OF human life more
easy to be obtained and more general should
be allowed TO pass free and unmolestei and
that neither of the contracting powers should
grant or issue anv commission TO any private
armed vessels, empowering them to take or de-
suoy such trading vessels, or interrupt such
commerce.
The government of the United States receives
with great pleasure this renewed adherence of a
great and enlightened German government to
the principle temporarily established by the
treaty of lae5, and since then advocated BY this
government whenever opportunity has offered
In 1854, when President Pierce, in his annual
mtssage to Congress, said "ShOuld the lead
ing powers OF Europe concur in proposing As a
rule OF international law to exempt private
property upon the ocean from seizure by pub
lie armed cruisers, as well as by privateers, tha
United States will readily meet them on that
broad ground"
In 1856 this government was asked to give its
adhesion 10 the declaration of Paris" MI
Marcy, then Secretary of State, replied:-"The
President proposes to add to the first proposition
IN the declaration Of the Congress az Paris the
following words And that private property
OF the subjects Or citizens of a beliigerent on
the high seas shall be exempted from seizure by
public armed vessels of the other bell gerent
unless it be contraband.' Thus amended the
government of the United States will adopt IL
altogether with the other three principles con-
taiDed 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 a preference that the same amend
ment should be retained.
Count Blsmarck's dispatch, communicated in
your letter of the 10th instant, shows that North
Germany is willing to recognize this principle,
even without reciprocity, in the war which has
now unhappily broken out between that country
and FRANCE. This gives reason to hope that the
government and people of the United States
may soon be gratitiCd by seeing it universally
recognized as another restraining and human
iziDg influence imposed by modern civilization
upon the art OF war.
,;e ;Accept, sir, the renewed assurance OF my very
high CONSIDERATION. HAMILTON FISH.
To Baron GcrOlt.