The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1812-10-08

cans I; and the principle oftbe f1sp pro,.c,;r,,
the mariner can, alone, give sufficisn, ,nrs,s,
against impressment:
There remain 10 be considered. IN. .,,,
iect of Bloekaoee, md that Of the Oyd>r. :,
Council. These / shall treat OF ,op.,h.r
They are Of tho same family and ourh, mo-,
to be separated.
The law OF Blockade has been well defined
by the British government. The instructions
10 commodore Hood of the 5th oil January.
1904, which were issued expressly in conse-
quence the remoDstrancc OF the American
Secretary of State, as sppears from Mr. Mer-
rvs letter 10 Mr.. Madison OF the 18th Of April
OF that year, give the legal definition in theso
terms
"Not to consider ary blockade as existing, un.
less in respect of particular ports which may be
tuay iarested and then capture vessels bound
to suc ports unless they shall previously have been
warned not 10 enter them" Px5ic Documents, Sec
ond Session, Tenth Congress.
Mr. Foster, the late British minister, in
letter TO Mr.. Monroe of the Sd of July, 1911,
lays down the rule as admitted by Great Bri-
tain in the following words .-, - ass@--.,.
No blockade can be iusti6able or valid, unless
rain 81 and espoxe 20 hazard all vessels attempting
TO e,sde its OPERATIONS Public Doci1aenfs, Firss
Session, Twelfth Congress.
In fact, no nation understands the law oc
blockade better than G.. Britain, and none OBJ
serves It's prescriptions less.
Z" In theory (say the Addressers) the principle is
admitted by Great Britain 1t is alledged, however,
that practice she disregards that principle" p. i2
With this remark the pamphleteers content
themselvc And changing The question from
that Of general disregard, in practic, oil the
principle OF bockades, 10 an enquiry into the
effect ef particular blockade, they do not
once touch the evil that is The great cause of
complaint.
1t is quite clear, that il is not of the least
importance what the British admit the law 20
be in theory, SO long as their practice rs
contrary 10 law. Concessions of right upon
paper, are no satisfaction for actual wrongs
committed at sea. k5s
The circumstances that have marked ,tc
deviatione OF G. Britain from her own doctrine,
arc chiefly these J.. Capturing our vessels
without due notice of blockade Q. capturing
them without warning, after notice: s. Capiur-
ins them al places remote from the scene of
blockade, when our vessels were not attempts
ing to violate the blockade that is to say, DUR
Ing blockade ofa particular port, seizing, in
virtue OF it, American vessels in the Atlantic
ocean.
The wrong is not Of new date. II was
felt, and sharply repro6afed, at least as ioug.
ago as the year 1899, by the federalis,s Mr..
King, writing from London to the Secretary
OF State on the subject on the l5th Of July of
that year, makes the following representation
/" Seven or eight of our vessels, laden with valua-
BILE cargoes, have been lately captured and are still
detained for adjudication These vessels we're met
an their roydge 10 and from the Dutch parts declared to
be dockaded Several notes have passed between
Lord Greenville and me upon this subject with the
view, on Oy part. of establishing more limited and
reasonable Interpretation of the law of blockade than
is attempted TO beenforccd by the English govern.
ment.' Pre-. Doc. Sd See. 1lM Congress.
Judge Marshal. one of the ablest federal
lawyers in the country, wrote, as Secretary
OF State, TO Mr.. King, on the Goth Of Sep
tender, 1900, thus
-"This is vexation proceeding directly from the
government, and which may be carried, If not re-
sisted, TO very injurious extent Our merchants
nave greatly complained of it with respect to Cadiz
ana the ports of Holland. If the effectiveness of
the blockade BE dispensed With, then ere,y port Of aK
me oeHSere posvers may, at ali times, be declared in
Mas sf9fe' and the commerce ef neurais be thereby
SUBJECTED TO uuiucrsai capture. Public Documents.
od Session, llth Congress
What Judge Marshall predicted might hap
pen' has Come to pass. The British Orders in
Council arc a blockade Of nearly all Europe,
and they send their ships of war to capture
Cur merchant vessels as they depart from our
own shores. This, in effect, is a blockade Of
she ocean.
1t appears, then, that the present admins
tration view this subject as their predecessors
and some OF their present opponents viewed il.
IL is, therefore, no new pre,cnsion no limo.
vaiion; no newly invented maxim olthe French
code. H..