Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-01-08


ade, as collected from the author,
ties referred to, necessarily result.
from the force of those terms /; ant
though it has been sometimes gross
. ly violated or evaded by powerful
nations inpursuit offavorite objects
J it has invariably kept its place in the
code ofpubiic law, and cannot be
shewn to have been expressly re-
nounced iii a single stipulation be.
! tween particular nations.
Esd. That the situation of the
naval force at Aigicrs, IN relation
to Gibraltar, has not the shadow
of likeness to a blockade as truly
and legally defined. This force can
neither be said foinvest, besiege OF
blockade the garrison, nor to guard
'the entrance into the port. On the
contrary, the gun-boats infesting
our commerce have their stations in
another harbor, separated from that
ofGibraltar, by a considerable bav ];
and are so far from beleaguering
their enemy at that place, and rem
dering the entrance into it DANCE
rous to others, THAI they are, and
ever since the proclamation of a
blockade, have been, for the most
part, kePtat a distsnce by a superb
or naval force, which makes it dan.
gerous to themselves to approach
the spot.
"4th. That the principle on
which the blockade of Gibraltar is
asserted, is the more inadmissible.
as it may be extended to every O.
Their place in passing to which YES
sells must sail within the view and
reach of the armed boats belonging
to Algesiras. If because a neutral
vessel bound to Gibraltar can be
annoyed and put in danger by way
laying cruizers, which neither occu-
ply the entrance into the harbor nor
dare approach it, & byreason cfthat
danger is liable to capture, every
part of the Mediterranean coasts and
islands, to which neutral vessels
must pass through the same danger,
may with equal reason be proclaim
ed in state of blockade, and the
neutral vessels bound thereto made
equally liable to capture; or if the
armed vessels from Algesiras alone,
should be insufficient to create this
danger in passing into the Mediter-
ranean, other Spanish vessels CO.
operating from other stations, might
produce the effect, and thereby not
only blockade any particular port,
or the ports ofany particular nation,
but blockade at once whole sea,
surrounded by many nations. Like
blockades might be proclaimed by
any particular nation, enabled by It's
naval superiority to distribute It's
ships at the mouth of the same, or
any similar sea, or across channels
or arms Of the sea, SO as to make it
dangerous for the commerce of O.
ther nations to pass to It's destination.
These monsTous consequences con-
dem the principle from which they
flow, and ought to unite against it
every nation, Spain among the rest,
which has an interest in the rights
of the sea. Ofthis Spain herself
appears to have been sensible in the
year 1880, when she Yielded to
Russia ample satisfaction for sci.
cures of her vessels made under the
PFetext of a general blockade ofthe
Mediterranean, and followed 1t with
her accession to the definition of a
blockade contained in the armed
neutrality.
&C. th. That the United States
have the stronger ground for re-
monstrating against the ANNOYANCE
OF her vessels on their way to Gil.
braltar, inasmuch as, with very few
exceptions, their object is not to
trade there for the accommodation
of the garrison, but merely to seek
advice Or cOuvov ro, tl,<:,. ~.......