The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-06-18
THE ENQUIRER.
BRITISH BLOCKADE.
RICHMOND, JUNE Is. 1914.

The British have undertaken by one
stroke OF the pen to place the whole coasts
of the United States, from the Mississippi
20 the Province of Maine in state of BLOCK
ade.
In the first place, is this right ?-rhere
are two sorts of Blockade one which is
fair, and canformable to tue laws OF nations
the other. which is unfair, Ubiquitous, add
expressly contrary to every principle recei-
we'd among nations.
For instance ; ii you station a navy off
BreSt, so near aud so nuTner ous, as to rem
der it manifestly dangerous for any neutral
ship to enter the harbor, the block adc is a
faic one-if you catch such vessel, going in
TO or even destined for Brest, she is good
pre-. Wheresoever you catch her whethe,
she be taken off Bress, or upon the high seas
---by the block ding o. aay other force.
makes no distinction, Il is the circumstance
uf a veasel's being bound into a harbour,
blockRded By an efficient force, which gives
you the right 20 capture and Condemn her.
But If Jou sit DOM in your Cabin, or vour
Cabinet. and write down upon a piece Of
paper that Brest is in a state CT blockade
without stationing single ship, or, if a
few Ships, still too te W ships 30 execute yonr
orders With proper sfect--if, after this mis-
cradle burleSqGe, you proceed to catch eny
vessels upon the high seas, wheresoever you
may And them, that are destined for Drest,
SOu are SuiltN Ot an aO )YnInsDle VlOlA1On OF
I'll the avs or ratons. 1t is an errant fraud
1t is a gross imposition upon the rights of
neutrals. under the pretext of name. 1t has
pot single feature Of tie 6lockade in it.
4 on call IL blockade and thar IS ali. The
Hiehw aymans VINO robs you upon the high
road, is quite IS ju3,is76ie--Ife is more fair
he calls 1t, whatit really is, 4 Highway
Robbery
Such is the Ruis-Ncw. whet is the Elct ?
a S-air aI -, ~ n
dale SEXES pen, and indites A Procia
Ina'Ion, declaring the whole coasts of the
Unrcc States to be in a state of blockade
let he stations 10 competent force OF every
harbur in this FIX ensiye coast There are
large ranges Of sea coast, where there are
no armed ships numerous ports where oar
own vessels and those Of neutrals are daily
coming IN and going out.---As proof Of the
manner IN which this ECttious rneasure is en-
forced, you will see the same British squadron
IS or vessels only,l az one moment before
ot. M&ry's. then before Savannah. at another
before Charleston, and a week or two a f.
ter CIT the coast OF n Carolina. The coast
IS Just as much clear for our rational vessels
andPrivateers, as ifthere were no such enc
my of it. To-day the Adams enters Sa
Vannah-a few days after the Epervier-
ana men the Peacock-the Adams goes out !;
the Peacock follows her--there is no inter.
rnption no stationary force and yet the
whole coast IS said tn be under bloc kade.
IL is IN vain Admiral Cochrane answers
that "a force shall be acknowledgements
II IS that very circumstance which consti-
tntes the blockade. There is no blockade
HiHH me force has been actually stationed
And IN truth, the qUboIe naUy of G. Britain
isiucOmpetent to blockade tae 4v6ole cons
of the u s -ateg that is, to seal all our har-
bors. 1t is as fhysicaHy impossible tn do II,
as 1t 10 morally wrong 70 pretend to do it.
AZ IS true that this is not the first paper
oiockahe which she has attempted. There
is scarce page Of her annals for several
years past, which is not staiped with VIC
ience or traud. During the present war with
france, what haze We seenS 4 series of Or
uer' OF Council, which has swept more than
nine huHdr d American vessels from rho
seas. She declared under block sfle tine whole
cast from Brest 70 the mouth of ~ !.
Elce' She then took a more gigantic STRIDE
AMI by the Orders Of November, 1907
declare almost the whole uf garoue IN ?,
state Of blockade. She was indeed obligrt
q confess indirectly that this measure wa, ab
stractly wrong for how did she pretend To
justify It Why, on a FLEA ofretaiiatio7! she
sad, she did 20 more than France had at
tempted to do before her France issuad
her Decrees--sud she forsooth issued her
Orders. The plea was worthy of the cause
which 1t supp1rted--as false as the measure
itseIf was infamous.
But contemp'ible as this pretext was in
the O;heT inst ,acC, there is not even a cha
dow OF It IN The case before US. How viii
'he plea ofRetalltir b., 7ail them Amer;
q has not declared the coasts of EneAo il,
oIoci ade and therefore England has no
such excuse to plead. Admiral Cochrane
does not preface his late blocksding Order
N MS style; I" Whereas the Government
y the = s. has declared the British isles