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

hhetSO Ol ICT IrICuNSs 10 TIL
consideration it may be added, the
the real object Of a blockade is, t,
subject The enemy TO privations
which may cooperate with externa
force in compelling them to sur
render !; an object which cannot b,
alleged in case, where it is wei
known that Great Britain can ane
does at all times by her command
OF the sea, secure 10 the garrison
OF Gibraltar every supply which i,
wants. =
g 9Th. 1t is observable that the
blockade of Gibraltar is rested by
the proclamation on two considera.
tons, one that it is necessary to pre-
vent Illicit traffic by means efneutra]
vessels, between Spanish subjects
and the. garrison there; the other.
that it IS a just reprisal on Great
Britain for the proceedings Of her
naval ornaments against Cadiz and
st. Lucar. The first can surely
have no weight with neutrals, but
on a supposition never to be allow
ed, that the resort to Gibraltar un-
der actual circumstances is an indul-
gence from Spain, not right of
their own: the other consideration,
without examining the analogy be-
tween the cases referred to, and
that of Gibraltar, is equally without
weight with the United States, a.
gainst whom no right can accrue to
Spain from Its complaints against
Great Britain, unless it could be
shcwn that the U. States were in an
unlawful collision with the latter;
a charge which they well know that
Spain is too Just and too candid to
1t cannot even be said
thar the United States have acqui-
csced in the depredations commit
ted by @. Britain, under whatever
pretexts, on the lawful commerce.
Had this indeed been the case, the
ought to he regarded
as sacrifice made BY prudence to
love of peace, ofwhich all nations
furnish occasional examples, and as
question between the
.. States and G.. Britain, of which
no other nation could take advan-
tage against the former. But it
may betruly affirmed, that no such
acquicscence has taken place. The
u. States have sought redress for
injuries from G. Britain as well as
from other nations. They have
sought it by the means which ap-
peared to themselves, the only right
rnl Judges, to be best suited to their
object; and it is equally certain that
redress has In some measure been
and that the pursuit Of
complete redress is by no means a.
bandoned.
:" 9Th. Were it admitted that the
circumstances OF Gibraltar In Fe-
bruary, 1900, the date Of the Span
ISL proclamation, amounted to a re-
al blockade, and that the proclama-
ton was therefore obligatory on neu-
trails /; and were it also admitted
that the present circumstances of
that place amount to arcal blockade,
(neither of which can be admitted
still the conduct of the Algesiras
cruisers, is altogether illegal and
1t is Illegal and un-
warTantable, because the force of
the proclamation must have expired
the blockade was actually
raised, as must have been unquesti.
onably the case, since the date of
the proclamation; particularly and
VIGOROUSLY when the port Of AIge-
siras itself was lately entered and
attacked by British fleet; and be-
cause, on renewal of the blockade,
either new proclamation ought to
have issued, or the vessels making
for Gibraltar ought to have been
premoDishcd Of their danger and
permitted TO change their course,
as they might think proper. ~