What was the Neutrality Proclamation?

On April 22, 1793 President George Washington issued a Neutrality Proclamation to define the policy of the United States in response to the spreading war in Europe. "The duty and interest of the United States require," the Proclamation stated, "that they should with sincerity and good faith adopt and pursue a conduct friendly and impartial toward the belligerent Powers." The Proclamation warned Americans that the federal government would prosecute any violations of this policy by its citizens, and would not protect them should they be tried by a belligerent nation. This statement of policy triggered a fierce reaction from those who considered it a sellout of the nation's revolutionary soul for the financial gain of the merchant class.