the Republic, and thus to seize its ships destined for one of the belligerent Powers, together with their belongings, from the pretended contradiction of the neutrality of the Republic with its engagements. The same reason for His Great Britannic Majesty's action toward the Republic: hatred for its accession to the above-mentioned alliance, can also be seen clearly in the manifesto itself, in so far as the latter impugns the Republic for facilitating the departure of ammunition ships to France through the revocation of domestic laws. While there is no need to demonstrate the self-evident truth that up to the present no laws have been thus revoked by the Republic to facilitate such transportation, the accusation again shows that the stumbling block is found in the right of neutrality which permits the transportation by ship of ammunition to the belligerent Powers; and upon this right rests the alliance between her Imperial Russian Majesty, Their Royal Majesties and the States-General of the Netherlands, the which has been evidenced and affirmed as lawful and notified by declarations to the belligerent Powers, and from which arose the hatred toward the alliance. At present the States-General has no intention further to discuss the said manifesto or to make answer to the same, confident that Her Imperial Russian Majesty and Their Royal Majesties are well able to appreciate it, and that their Ministers and Envoys are sufficiently familiar with both the treaties and the acts of the States-General so as to enable them to disprove by strong verbal argumentation the reasons specified in the manifesto and to establish convincingly that from the outset of the difficulties-even by restricting the commerce of its inhabitants in its own colony, and by holding one of its governors in the West Indies responsible because of complaint lodged against him,— the States-General has shown its unwillingness to do anything to the advantage of the colonies in America and that it has constantly upheld that principle; it is therefore evident and clear that His Great Britannic Majesty's displeasure toward the Republic and the consequences thereof are to be found in the effects of the hatred for the abovementioned alliance, and on that account finds justification for insisting upon the true meaning of Articles 7, 8 and 9 of the alliance with Her Imperial Russian Majesty and Their Royal Majesties; that the States-General-though it had reason to feel aggrieved because of a single act which upon the intervention of the allies was repaired.— before resorting to armed force had asked the allies to afford it help for reparation thereof, but that the States-General having been attacked in hostile manner by His Great Britannic Majesty, because of and out of hatred for the convention with Her Imperial Russian Majesty and Their Royal Majesties, and not being in direct relations. with His Majesty, has been compelled to defend itself and to resist the attack in the same manner as it had been attacked and to meet hostilities with hostilities,-believes, if ever it had reason so to believe, that it may expect that the allied Powers will be pleased to make an actual and common cause with it and to secure for it full satisfaction, and that the allied Powers will be pleased to assume such further obligations as may be required by the circumstances; the States-General requests this most earnestly and expects this help with all the more confidence, because it feels quite certain that Her Imperial Russian Majesty and Their Royal Majesties will not permit that the States-General and the Republic shall become the unfortunate victims of their trust in the generosity and the zeal of Her Imperial Russian Majesty and Their Royal Majesties for the maintenance of the right of neutrality, against the power of Great Britain, especially in the present circumstances when that realm is everywhere in arms, and the States-General with the ample navigation of private individuals, and the employment of a large number of sailors is not equal to the task of operating the sea power of the Republic, small or large as it may be. The Ministers Plenipotentiary and Envoys at the Courts to which they are accredited shall insistently and urgently request a prompt and sufficient assistance from the allies, so that the States-General may not, without their help, before and at the time of the first onslaught, have to bear the weight and force of the attack of His Great Britannic Majesty, and that in consequence it may not be exposed to the danger of becoming useless to the alliance. They shall hold themselves ready to enter into such further engagements as the high allies might deem necessary for the furtherance of the common cause and mutual defense. They shall endeavor to find out if there is a disposition on the part of some of the allies to place at the service, for the account of the States-General, but for the common defense, some of their armed ships, or if there is willingness to transfer such ships, on the basis of a suitable subsidy, to the States-General which will ever be found prepared to perfect such an arrangement, and, finding that there is such 89 isposition, they shall do their utmost to strengthen it, and, the sooner the better, to report to the States-General anything definite and agreeable to the great need of the Republic. Netherland Ordinance concerning Commerce and Navigation, The States-General of the United Provinces of the Netherlands to all those who shall see these presents or hear them read, greeting: We announce that, the King of Great Britain having seen fit to make a hostile attack on this State without any valid reason, we find ourselves compelled to do all that can help our defense and to exercise the right which the conduct of the said King gives us to act against him in the same way as he is acting against us. And to prevent any injury from that direction, we are obliged and constrained, in so far as it lies in our power, and in so far as it can be done in conformity with the law of nations and without injury to our allies, friends, and neutrals, to deprive the said King of the opportunity and the necessary means which he might use to injure, more and more, this State and the good people of these Provinces. That is why we have found it advisable and deemed it necessary to issue orders, as well as very severe prohibitions, to all those under our authority, and to inform and advise in a friendly manner all other nations which are in alliance with or neutral with respect to this State, and by these presents we order, prohibit, and advise respectively. ARTICLE 1 That henceforth no one shall attempt to export from these Provinces on any vessels other than their own (or those that they may hire from the East or West Indian Companies, or other vessels that are permitted belonging to individuals in the service of the colonies of this State, after having obtained permission from the Admiralty, under bond of three times the value, to be verified to the satisfaction of the Admiralty Board within a certain period, proportional to the distances 1Translation. French text at Martens, Recueil de Traités, vol. 3, p. 276. of the places, and to be declared on arrival at the place of destination) any arms, munitions or any other war material, fireworks, saltpeter, sulphur, refined or unrefined cannon powder. fuses, cannons, stone mortars, gun carriages, naval carriages, balls, bombs, frames, grenades, muskets, musketoons, guns, pistols, petards, powder bags, helmets, breastplates, shoulder-belts, pouches, pikes, halberds, swords, bayonets, and all other fire-arms or steel arms, among which are included gun barrels, locks, and everything that is used in assembling them, horses, saddles, pistol holsters, and everything that is used in harness for horses; masts, rods, and other turned wood, oak beams and other timber for the construction of ships, sawed or unsawed, the kinds of which are specified and declared to be construction timber by our proclamation of August 1, 1747, as well as canvas, hemp, cordage, string, cables, and furthermore anchors, iron, steel, small iron and steel, all kinds of copper, metal, pitch, and tar, and also flour, wheat, oats, horse beans and pigeon beans, under penalty of confiscation, if an attempt is made to export any of the above-mentioned articles, and in addition a fine of double their value, one-third of which to go to the informer, one-third to the officer making the accusation, and the remaining third to the State. ARTICLE 2 That, moreover, no inhabitant of these Provinces shall attempt to export any of the above-mentioned articles, or to send any ships from these Provinces, or from other countries, kingdoms, places or cities, directly or indirectly, to any ports, islands, cities, or places of Great Britain, or that are under the rule of the said King of Great Britain, whether in Europe or outside of Europe. That no one also, even though a foreigner and not an inhabitant of these Provinces shall undertake to export any of the aforesaid articles from these Provinces to any of those places; all under penalty of confiscation of the said articles, and, in addition, punishment without mitigation as an enemy of the State. ARTICLE 3 And considering that because of the duty that requires every legitimate sovereign to defend and preserve his good subjects and inhabitants by all possible means against all acts of violence and molestation, we can not, and, according to the common law and the practices of all peoples, are not obliged to allow any articles of contraband to be furnished to the said King or to his subjects by any one whatsoever; we desire by these presents to notify and seriously to request and exhort all our allies and friends, neutrals, and, in general, all peoples and nations, not to attempt until further notice to transport from any countries, kingdoms, ports, place or cities of Great Britain or under the rule of the said King, either in Europe or outside of Europe, any articles of contraband, recognized as such in treaties, or, where there are no such treaties between them and us, any munitions of war or arms, artillery and its fireworks, or anything thereto appertaining, pistols, bombs, grenades, cannon powder, fuses, balls, pikes, swords, lances, halberds, helmets, breastplates, or other similar arms, as well as soldiers, horses, equipment for horses, or any other war material; since it is our intention to consider as a legitimate prize and to confiscate the aforesaid contraband goods found on board vessels in contravention of our present notice and ordinance, for transportation to the places mentioned. ARTICLE 4 We order, furthermore, all our inhabitants and subjects, notifying and exhorting all our allies and friends, neutrals, and, in general, all peoples and nations that desire to navigate toward any kingdoms, countries, cities, or places of this State, situated in the Orient, in the Occident, or toward the north, or that wish to sail from those regions in this direction, to choose and keep to the open sea, since it is our intention, and we so declare by these presents, that every vessel sailing along the coasts of England, or other countries, islands, or places that are under the rule of the King of England, and all vessels that happen to be in shoals or shallows, thereby not being beyond suspicion. of meditating some act in violation of our ordinance and notice, when loaded wholly or partially with any of the above-mentioned articles of contraband, shall be seized and brought in by captains or other naval officers, as well as by the privateers of these Provinces, to be adjudicated by the counselors of the Admiralty, as set forth in Articles 2 and 3 hereof, unless the said vessels should be driven into port by stormy weather or some other great necessity and from the circumstances it should be thus interpreted and decided in this way by the aforesaid Admiralty Board. |