Proclamation Of Neutrality Analysis

Jaz Mitts
Dr. Craig Smith
HIS 103
3 March 2018
The Proclamation of Neutrality The proclamation of neutrality concisely covers the fact that there is a war happening between, in short, most of Europe and France, and that America was not going to side with either party in that war. It goes on to state that any citizen found helping or harming either side (probably referencing American ships supplying either side with ammunition) would be punished severely by the law . The document was written in 1793, less than 20 years after the country had earned its independence. This fact made it very dangerous for the country to have gotten in a war, due to its very small army and the debt they had accrued from the independence war. The neutrality proclamation

He wrote the document in order to fulfill the duty of preserving peace until war was declared. He wanted as much as anyone else to stay out of the war. It would be too costly in men, money, and security to risk. Its purpose is to announce the neutrality of the country as well as to warn citizens against doing anything to side with either of the participating powers, mainly American warships supplying either side with supplies. Before writing the document, Washington had influences from multiple points of view. Hamilton and his supporters consoled Washington by reminding him that France helped in the United States’ revolution because they would benefit from winning that war. Because this new war was entirely in Europe, America had nothing to gain from it. While the document did succeed at its primary purpose, there was disagreement within Washington’s cabinet members both before and after the proclamation was

Hamilton wrote under the pseudonym Pacificus, defending the proclamation by addressing many of the Jeffersonian’s arguments against it. His arguments included the fact that the declaration was constitutional, because congress had both the power to declare war and the duty to preserve peace; because France had declared the war, the defensive alliance had no bearing on American’s part in the war; and that taking part in the war would leave America’s land borders open to attack from native tribes under British and Spanish influence. These essays, seven in total, angered Jefferson, who urged James Madison to reply. After some persuasion and many excuses from Madison’s part, he wrote five essays in reply under the name Helvidius. Madison was much less professional, attacking the Federalists and calling them, among other things, “…degenerate citizens…who hate our Republican government and the French Revolution.” . He also accused anyone who supported the proclamation of being a secret monarchist. This tit-for-tat undeniably shows the unrest between the two parties of the time, and the animosity that the proclamation