_Washington, March 14, 1865_.
The President directs that all persons who now are or hereafter shall be
found within the United States who have been engaged in holding
intercourse or trade with the insurgents by sea, if they are citizens of
the United States or domiciled aliens, shall be arrested and held as
prisoners of war until the war shall close, subject, nevertheless, to
prosecution, trial, and conviction for any offense committed by them as
spies or otherwise against the laws of war. The President further
directs that all nonresident foreigners who now are or hereafter shall
be found in the United States, and who have been or shall have been
engaged in violating the blockade of the insurgent ports, shall leave
the United States within twelve days from the publication of this order,
or from their subsequent arrival in the United States, if on the
Atlantic side, and forty days if on the Pacific side, of the country;
and such persons shall not return to the United States during the
continuance of the war. Provost-marshals and marshals of the United
States will arrest and commit to military custody all such offenders as
shall disregard this order, whether they have passports or not, and they
will be detained in such custody until the end of the war, or until
discharged by subsequent orders of the President.
W.H. SEWARD,
_Secretary of State_.
GENERAL ORDERS, No. 50.