Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-02-04
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY A. 1925.

same; you always capture and condemn
MN as traitor, holding intercourse
with the enemies of his country contrary
10 ms allegiance, and never as a mere
Observation-Disclosures. AS, then, the insti-
tuition OF blockade produces no effect
upon the subjects OF the nation declaring
1t, will it act upon the power whose ports
are blockaded? This is fallacy still
greater than the other. In war, you cap
ture and condemn your enemy, it is true,
not because he is attempting to break
the blockade, however, but because he is
your enemy. You assign no other rea-
son but that. You say he is YOUR enemy;
therefore you have right to seize his
person as well as his property, wherever
you find either out of the protection Of a
neutral state. This right existed before
the blockade was instituted, and exists
In equal force after it was taken of: and
during Its continuance, wherever YOU
lind your enemy beyond the limits of a
neutral state, although not attempt
ing to violate your blockade. If so. a
blockade which bestows no right, and
imposes no new disability. cannot be
considered as acting in any manner di-
rectly upon him; your right of action on
hun is derived from public law; it was
perfect the instant war existed between
you. and is right entirely independent
OF blockade.
Now, Mr.. President, if the blockade
does not act on your own citizens or on
your enemy, on whom can ii act? If il
act at all, it must act upon none but neu-
trails. l know very well, sir, that al
though the direct action of a blockade is
| upon the neutral, yet the consequences
may be lett by the enemy, and perhaps
by yourselves; but that is merely an Incl
dent. mere consequence, of tue direct
action, and you entitle yourself to the
chance of iniicting this indirect injury
upon your enemy, by emitting Yourself to
the right of acting directly upon neutrals.
Ii such be the operation Of a blockade in
stltutcd Jure 6eii, as fixed and settled by
the public law, and if peace blockade
can bestow no other rights, then. as it
is measure designed to act not against
the y. States and Spain, but upon all the
other nations of the civilized world, the
question IS, are we prepared to act thus
upon them? The advocates of this mea-
| sure seem to have looked only on one
side OF 1T: but this is not right The effect
OF blockade Is. 10 shut out all who are
out, and keep In all who are in 1t pre-
vents eSrcss as well as ingress. The
neutral can no more go in than ne can
come out; and the only exception to this
rule is, that he may, if he chooses, quit
the port the moment he is notified Of the
blockade, provided he leaves it in the
I no
received, iii ballast or half loaded. if sue n
was his situation, at that time. And if
he dares TO put the smallest article on
board after he is notified, he then acts as
an enemy, by assisting the enemy in his
commercial purposes, and subjects him
sell to contiscation thereby. Perhaps the
advocates OF this measure can explain
why it is that neutrals are thus to be
made to suffer, all of whom feel as we
feel upon this subject, and some of whom
have done theft utmost to put down pi-
racy, and whose efforts, 1 grieve to be
compelled to say, have been much more
efficacious than our own.
| can imagine many arguments that
might be suggested by ingenuity in favor
OF blockade Of ingress, but for block
SlSlC vi C9S IliCIt Can BE none.
When you see your friend about. to
run into unknown ways, and press to-
wards precipice, which, ii oyerstepDed,
must bring him to destruction, you may,
nay, it is your duty, to warn him of his
peril, to advise, to entreat, perhaps, in
some mdiUHluat cases, to prevent him
from rushing upon dcstru ton But
surely you act not a friendly part tow ards
him, when 'you find him suddenly and
unexpectedly surrounded by appalling
dangers, if you require and compel him
to continue in this situation, from which
he would and has the means to escape, if
you would permit him to do so. But vet
/ this Is the very course you will pursue, if
YOU adopt this bill in its present shape.
You blockade the port to which YOU have
| pursued the pirate, and will suffer none
TO enter there, because it contains the
monster; and while you do and say this,
! you prevent all from escaping thence,
although it contains the very best Of
| prey whom you have thus hunted into
these formerly peaceful reCesses.
The Dominican friars of old, when
( they clothed their victims in the habit Of
San Benito, and led him to the auto-de-
{ tc, while ne wriihed i'm the midst of the
consuming flames, Calmly told him it was
for his own good. We seem disposed to
act the same part, and arrogating to our
selves these inquisitorial rights, wish to
clothc every neutral power in such gar
mcnts, and leading them to the flames,
tell them we do so for their good But
will they believe us? If it is true, as