Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-12-18

,veU ss some OF ours, x;t,, of
H.. ,o,,,sc OF the wiuter the seSs''y
mb;rh obIiged the English asets 10 ie.u' -
- heir ports, leaving few t'iga'es -
- .bn,t cruises off the TeKei, as the
season might allow.
NV object has been to prove, thae III
,h;s situation Of the investing fleet, there
can be no effective blockade which, IN
nv opinion, cannot be said to exist, with
OUT competent force stationed and present
at or near tbs entrance OF blocHadsd
port"
Eatract of litter jyom Mr.. King to !ora
Gfe4vlAe, dated Dozvaing street, LS7a;R,
nay Esd, 1899.
8 It seems scarcely necessary to observe,
that the presence Of competent force is
essential to constitute bloc kade; and al
though it is usual for the bslIigerent to give
nc,,lce 10 neutral nations when ne institutes
Blockade, il is NOT customary TO give any
notice of its dscontlnuance and that, con-
ssquen,iy, the presence OF tbs blockading
force is the natural criterion by which the
neutral is enabled to ascertain the existence
of the blockade in like manner, as the &C.
4,aal investm of besirged place is the
ouly evidence by which we decide whether
the siege is continued or raised. a siege
may be commenced, raised, recommended,
and raised again; but Its existence, at any
precise time, must always depend upon the
fact OF the presence OF an investing army.
This Interpretation Of the law Of blockade
is Of peculiar Importance to natl3ns situated
at q great distance from each other, and be-
tween whom considerable length Of time
is necessary to send and receive inlorma-
,ioI."
Extract Of letter trom mr.. MarshaA Sc.
cretary Of state, to mr.. King, dated Sept.
goth, 1900.
g The right to confscate vessels bound
to b!ockaded port has been unreasonably
extended to cases not coming within the
su'c, as heretofore adopted
o. principle, it might well be question.
ed, whether this rule can be applied to a
place not completely invested by laad as
well as by sea. If we examine the reason
ing on whic5 is founded the right to inter-
cept AID conhscate supplies, designed for a
bockaoe1 town, it will he difficult to resist
the conviction, that its extension to towns
invested by sea only, is an unjust6able en-
croachmenr on the rights of neusrals. But
It is nnt of shis departure from principle, a
departure which has received some sanction
from practice, that We mean to complain ::
Il is, that ports, not efectuallv blockadrd
by force capable of completely investing
them, have yet BEEN declared in state of
blockade +; and vessels, attempting to enter
therein, have been seized, and, on that ac-
count, conGscated.
This is vexation proceeding directly
from the government, and which NAV be
carried, if not resisted, to a very injurious
tx,cnt. Our merchants have greatly com
planned ct it, with respect to Cadiz and the
ports Of Holland.
IF the effectiveness of the blockade be
dispensed with, then every port of all the
belEgerent powers may, at ali times, be de-
clared in that state and all the cornnerce
Of neuirais be thereby subject TO universal
capture. But if this principle BIZ strictly
adhered to, the capacity to blockade will be
limited by the naval force Of the beIlieerent.
and, Of consequence, the mischief to neu-
tral commerce cannot be very extensive.
1t is, therefore, OF the last Importance to
ueusrals, that this principle b. maintains q
! urimpaired.
( observe that you have pressed this rea-
son!ng on the British minister, who replies
| that an occasional absence of fleet from, .
hlockadtd pert, ought not to change the
state Of the rls.ce.
Whatever iorce this observation NAV BE-
snti}ed TO, where that occasional absepc,