Distance Provisionally Fixed as the Limit of the Protection of the United States
Item
Type
Letter Signed
Title
Distance Provisionally Fixed as the Limit of the Protection of the United States
Description
Knox establishes the distance of one league from the coast as the limit of the protection of the United States from foreign belligerents interfering with neutral vessels.
short description
Ltr, dis policy toward prizes.
year created
1793
month created
11
day created
12
author
sent from location
Germantown
recipient
sent to location
Governor of Delaware
in collection
in image
note
Circular letter from the Secretary of War to the State Governors. See Knox to Clayton, 11/12/1793, Knox to Clinton, 11/12/1793, Knox to Mifflin, 11/12/1793, Knox to Fenner, 11/12/1793 and Knox to Lee, 11/12/1793.
notable person/group
Joshua Clayton
Henry Knox
President [Washington]
jurists
witnesses
attorneys of the respective districts
privateers
notable location
Germantown
United States
coasts
our ports
Delaware
notable item/thing
existing war between some of the European powers
capture of vessels on our sea coast
our shores
limits of the protection of the United States
principles of moderation
negotiation
executive powers
margin of one Sea League
treaty between some of the belligerents
American miles
hostilities
rivers and bays
capture
laws of the Union
commercial vessel
allegation
examination of necessary witnesses
warlike equipments
repairs
notable phrase
President of the United States in determining what this distance should be has been guided more by the principles of moderation and a hope that it may here after be extended by negotiation with the different powers who may be concerned in the question than by the opinions of some jurists who are for a greater distance
influence as to fix any general standard among the European powers
conceived it best as far as shall concern the executive powers to take the distance of a sea league for the limits of the protection of the United States
distance being settled by treaty between some of the belligerent powers and as little as any of them claim on their own coasts can admit of no reasonable opposition on their parts
directed me to request that your excellency will consider a margin of one sea league being a very small fraction less than three and an half statute or american miles on our coast as that in which all hostilities are interdicted
rivers and bays as being land locked are of course by the laws of nations and it is presumed by the laws of most of the states within the body of the United States and under the same protection from hostilities
capture has been made within the limits
question of fact to be decided by witnesses
take measures for the examination of the witnesses
laws of the union having as yet made no provision for this purpose
duty ought for the present to be performed by the attornies of the respective districts
take possession of any vessel upon an allegation of her having been captured within our limits
cause the attorney of the United States within your state to be notified
proper steps for the examination of the necessary witnesses
Privateers which have been illegally fitted in any of our ports should by any circumstances be constrained to come into any of the ports
permitted to make no repairs
condition of divesting themselves of all warlike equipments
permitted to make any repairs belonging solely to a commercial vessel
existing war between some of the European powers having occassioned the capture of vessels on our sea coast
certain distance from our hsores should be provisionally fixed as the limits of the protection of the United States
document number
1793111200001
page start
1
number of pages
4
Item sets
Transcribe this document
Document instances
| In image | In source | Location in source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| [view document] (4 pages) | RDC02 (4 pages) | Collection: RG 1300 Executive Papers | 1793 Corresp. Reel 8 |
Document names
| Type | Name | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Henry Knox | Germantown | [n/a] |
| Recipient | Joshua Clayton | Governor of Delaware | [n/a] |