University of Virginia Library

5889. NEUTRALITY PROCLAMATION, History of.—

The public papers giv

ing us reason to believe that the war is becoming
nearly general in Europe, and that it has
already involved nations with which we are in
daily habits of commerce and friendship, the
President has thought it proper to issue the
Proclamation of which I enclose you a copy,
in order to mark out to our citizens the line of
conduct they are to pursue. That this intimation,
however, might not work to their
prejudice, by being produced against them as
conclusive evidence of their knowledge of the
existence of war and of the nations engaged in
it, in any case where they might be drawn into
courts of justice for acts done without that
knowledge, it has been thought necessary to
write to the representatives of the belligerent
powers here, * * * reserving to our citizens
those immunities to which they are entitled, till
authentic information shall be given to our
government by the parties at war, and be thus
communicated, with due certainty, to our citizens.
You will be pleased to present to the
government where you reside this proceeding of
the President, as a proof of the earnest desire
of the United States to preserve peace and
friendship with all the belligerent powers, and
to express his expectation that they will in return
extend a scrupulous and effectual protection
to all our citizens, wheresoever they May
need it, in pursuing their lawful and peaceable
concerns with their subjects, or within their
jurisdiction. You will, at the same time, assure
them that the most exact reciprocation of this
benefit shall be practiced by us towards their
subjects, in the like cases.—
To Messers. Morris, Pinckney and Short. Washington ed. iii, 543.
(Pa., April 26, 1793)