New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-08-21
DtsCONTINUrNG PORTS OF ENTRY.
The following section Of the recent act Of
Congress to provide for the collection of duties
relates to the closing Of ports Of entry:


"sEcros4 Andbs further eraefsd. That IT, ia the juas
ment Of the President om the mentioned IN ke hfs
q this act y unlawful oombnsiions Of persons
port. any collection district cspn be eaecia,y collected By
the ordinary ard In the eda.y way or a. Tie mode AID
IN % r. Ss s 81 10 o. the po
Po Of es In said district and 10 .pss e.s si,s .oeo
w.rehOuaT other privilege. incident % port. q siIy .a
the order q the President he ton q such oec,leR.
and H. while sid ports arc 40 closed any ship or 'ess o 20
10 de, s enter OF Atemp to enter any ,uch po the
together with m tsei apparel furniture AID cargo 'tsa oe
forfeited 10 tho United states
This act eyinces an enlightened view OF tue
rights of the American people. and of the powers
and duties Of our Government on the subject Of
commercial intercourse by foreign nations with
that portion OF the country now in iDsurrection
against the laws and authority of the United
States. 1t enables the President, by issuing a
proclamation declaring q notorious fact, TO cut
the gordian kno! of all the complicated and diff
cult questions which might arise out of the law
of blockade. This proclamation, closing the ports,
is not to be COMPOUNDED with that issued last
Friday, commanding nonntercourse between
the rebelious and the loyal States that had
eerencs only to domestic traffic, and not to
foreign commerce.
What is blockade Obviously an act Of ose
OF two belligerent nations. the object of which s
to cut off commercial intercourse by and between
neutral nations aud the other bellgerent. 1t may DO
either partial comprehending one or more ports
or general, embracing a whole line of coast
Ii is an act Of war, and is resorted to BY that
belgerent which has or supposes itself to have
an ascendency at sea- Its object is to cripple
the resources Of the other belligeIent and rem.
der il less capable Of maintaining the conflict.
A blockade does not confer on the nation de-
caring it any new rights or powers in respect to
the opposing nation. BY the law Of nations the
ships of an enemy, with their cargoes, are lawful
prize, and may be seized anywhere They may
be captured on the high seas they may be cut
out of an enemy's ports, and may at the pleas
of the captors be destroyed or taken into port
and condemned as lawful prize. But tie bellig.
erent having maritime ascendency usually de-
sres TO carry his operations much further Or in
other words, to annihiate the commerce Of bis
enemy by cutting off all intercourse by sea be.
tween neutral nations and that enemy; to this |
end he must acquire, as against such neutrals,
the right to seize ships with their cargOes at.
tempting tho intercourse.
This right results from what is known by the |
law Of nations as a blockade, to the validity of |
which the following are requisites: a. The
blockade must be proclaimed or notified to the
world (2.) Sufficient time must be allowed 10
raise q presumption Of notice ia fact (3.) Yes.
'els arriving of any port without actual notice
must be warned off; a. The blockade must be
effective, that is to say, it must be maintained
With such force aud vigilance as to make the
'ntry and departure Of the enemy's vessels sub
tantially impractcabe.
BY blockade properly declared and adequately
the powers of a belligerent are vastly
enlarged, and his responsibilities become great.
10 can, for violating such blockade, seize and
onfscate the ships and carsoes of friendly ratOns,
Iot as az net oi war, but 70 Punish tho 0ypors
n =