The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-08-12
The Blockade-Its IneaacisnSy and the
CONSEQUENCES.

On the 18th OF April the President issued MS
proclamation calling QUIT militia to put down
the instruction, and on the 10th of April he
proclaimed a blockade Of the Southern coast
Though four months have since elapsed the
Southern coast is not yet blockaded, for what
is, by way of courtesy, called the blockade Is
but "a mockery, deluslon and snare" and
the consequence is that it will very soon be
broken, as invalid, by the British and French
fleets which have arrived on the coast for the
purpose.
We learn by telegraphic despatch that the
Richmond papers contain semoflical an
lish navy, intends to take his feet into Charles
ton, regardless of Lncoln's blockade" And
we see in the Montreal Herald Of the
9th inst. that:-"There is rumor that
the British feet has left Halifax for the
purpose Of breaking the Southern block
ade. 1t is probable that the purpose is only
the general one of protecting British interests,
which demand that free access shall be had to
the important Southern ports, so long as they
are not blockaded in manner deemed legal
according to the international law" Bearing
| on the same point is another statement in the
| Quebec Chronicle of the 9th inst, which says
"Mr. G. johnson, Queens messenger, has az
| rived in town from Europe, via Washington,
bringing dispatches for his Excellency, which
rumor says are Of an important character, re-
lating to the recognition Of the Southern con-
federacy and the efficiency of the blockade"
Now all this intelligence may be true
or false at present; but if it be not
| exactly true, it is because it is little
premature, and it will only prove too
| true hereafter. These rumors are undoubt-
edly indications of British policy as similar
announcements preceded British recognition of
the belligerent rights of the Southern confede-
racy. Many would regard Prince Napoleons
visit to Manassas and his sleeping in Beaure-
CARDS bed as a matter of little or no conse-
quence; but even straws on the surface of
river show the force of its current. The tone
of the French and English papers is significant.
Take, for example, the London Post, Lord Pal
merstOn's organ. In its issue of the Gath of
July that journal denies that the blockade is eff
| cent, and refers to the fact Of Charleston
| having been left for some time without any
blockading vessels. 1t then quotes the declara-
ton of the Treaty of Paris in 1856, to which our
| government did not object at the time, that
''blockades, in order to be binding, must be eff
| fective-that is to say, maintained by force
sufficient really to prevent access to the coast OF
the enemy" which is in accordance with the
doctrine laid down by all the great jurists and
enforced by the decisions of the Admiralty
| Courts in England In the case of the Stert
Lord Stowell delivered judgment in the follow
ing words:-"The very notion of complete
blockade includes that the bcsieging force can
apply its power to every point Of the blockaded
State. If it cannot, it islno blockade at that
point where its power cannot be brought to
bear"
In conformity with these views, and in obedi-
ence to the orders of his government, the Bri-
| tsh Admiral, Milne, a short time ago issued in
| structiOns to a frigate under his command to
the effect that "no port is to be considered eff
ciently blockaded if any vessel can enter or de-
part from it unknown to or in spite of the block
aiding squadron-that an efficient blockade ne
cessitates the complete cutting off Of all mari
time ingress or egress and the escape of the
third vessel from the blockading squadron sig
nalizes the invalidity of the blockade" Tried
by this test, the blockade of the Southern coast
is found wanting; and that the British feet have
not already broken it is owing to an unwilling
ness to have an open rupture with the United
States and the policy Of waiting to see what
might turn up-whcther our government would
| Ioc. A.. -. ,
get cotton for England, or whether the rebels
would defeat our government and thus impose
on England the necessity of getting cotton for
herself The battle of Bull run and the pro-
| tracted inefficency Of the blockade will proba-
| badly precipitate the action of the British go
vernment. 1t is now less than two months till
the cotton crop will be ready for shipment
and of course it will be necessary for the
English government to give previous notice to
British merchants and shipowners that the
blockade will not be respected by England and
| that they can safely send their vessels for the
| Southern staple. We may therefore, at any
moment hear of royal proclamation in Great
Britain and Ireland declaring the blockade in
efficient, invalid and void. We have only
our own government to blame if England
| should pursue this course. In the history of
the world perhaps, there is no parallel to the
imbeclity of the Navy Department in a great
commercial country like this, and no example
of such utter neglect of vast national interests
clearly imperilled. There is plenty of money
ships, arms and munitions of war; but the vigor
which characterizes the rebel chiefs is wanting
at Washington. The Southern privateers are
emitting up our commerce in the absence or in
the very teeth of our ships of war. Only three
OF them have been captured, and three of their
prizes retaken by our armed vessels The con-
sequence is that English bottoms are doing the
principal carrying trade, and even our own
merchants are giving them cargoes, because
there is no security for any ship bearing the
American flag. Charleston and some of the
other principal ports have been deserted by
the blockadng squadron on several occasions,
and equally in the Gulf and on the coast of