Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-08-22
THE BLOCKADE ssINEFFICIENT''
ANE SCONTEMPTIBLE.

privileges are conceded by the United States
government to British ships OF war as are q
present exercised bY the ships of war of ID,
federal government? That is to say, were We
| at war with France or any other country
would the federal government submit 90 tbt
! boarding and warning off the coast Of Ameri,
/ can merchant vessels by British ships Of war
/ the Frepch or otter seaboard being at the time
under strict blockade? We have only to say
that ia the case Of the Russian war the blsc6-
ades established By British naval officers in
the Baltic were respected by all narioEs, and
| by the Americans among others; ald had an
American merchant vessel at any time at
tempted to force any Baltic blockade, much the
same coarse would have been pursued by the
/ bosrding British officer as was taken by the
American boarding officer, whose notification
the captain Of the Roscoe evidently regards as
/ improper. Il is the admitted right OF the
weakest as well as the strongest nation tC
maintain a blockade Of an enemy's coast, and
to board and warn oiT all vessels which may
attempt 20 force the blockade; aud were we &c
/ dispute the right Of the federal government, or
/ aay other, TO maintain a blockade, We must be
! prepared to 60 to war, just as, were the fed
/ eral government OF aDT other 10 dispule on!
! right to close the ports Of any nation with
whom we were at war, they also, as cOnse-
/ quenee, would at once become Involved in the
contest.
But so well informed on this point are the
/ officers cf the mercantile marine that we sRs-
! psct the captain OF the Roscoe has not psf his
/ question in a form which brings out his mean
/ ing. He cannot be ignorant Of the Paris de-
| elarations Of 1856, which require that block
AIDES 20 be effective must be maintained by a
sufficient force; but it is not improbable that
his meaning is, whether the federal govern
ment would recognize q British blockade Cf
I or, ka hI~rt-- A. ca thor
oughly inefficient and contemplate as that
which is maintained al present to the south Ct
Baltimore, by such ships Of war al the federal
government have at their disposal, and by the
chartered vessels they have armed, but which
are unfit for war. If this is The question tha,
is really asked, we are equally informed of the
course which the federal government would
take in such case. American merchant Ves-
sells would be sustained by tie federal gov
eminent in running such a blockade, and an
American appeal might be made 10 the Paris
declarations against the fraudulent attempt
for it was nothing eise-to obstruct the lawful
commerce Of neutral nations. During the
Italian war, when the King Of Naples thought
Of bloekading the Neapolitsn ports, an Amer
lean vessel forced an entrance, and was sub
sequentlY indemnifed for the loss sustained by
seizure, the federal government claiming that
such a block de-the blockade Of a nalion's
own ports against slieas-wss wltktBt the
sanction of international law, and, Of coarse,
invalid. When such a point has been con-
ties ed successfully By the federal government
it is at once apparent what the determination
of the federal government would be were We
10 attempt to maintain a blockade similar 20
it's own Of the ports Of Europe in q war against
the European powers.
Having now answered the literal and the
probably intended question Of the captain Of
the Roscoe, we may as we'll turn t. bis letter,
as the question Of the blockade CT the cotton
ports has been grossly mismanaged BY Lord
John Russell, and promises, before long, to in
volve us in serious complications. The cap
tain saws: "MV ship crossed the bar Cf The
Mississippi on the Slh Of June, bound for Liv-
erpool, and was boarded by the officer Of the
United States ship POwhslsG, who demanded
my register" Tbe Roscoe has since, we pre-
sumo, arrived in Liverpool, as well as the cap.
tain; and tie point to which We beg to call at
tention is that the blockade Of the cotton ports
is imperative and not in conformity 70 the
law OF nations. Bat The number Of ships
which have forced the blockade both ways is
said 10 be incredible, and the federal govern
ment, also in contraven.ion Of the law of na-
tiOns, have, as is we'll known, granted trading
liceI ses to American vessels which PLY a. the
present time between some Of the blockaded
ports with all The peace privileges and immu-
mites peculiar to the American coasting trade.
A more discredtsble and unsatisfactory state
Of things for this country can scarcely be con.
ceVed. II it can be made out that any block
sde is inefficient not a single prize can Be con-
demned; but 1t suits the purpose Of the federal
government TO make captgres, although the
ships must ultimately be released. This policy,
however, does not suit our purpose; for tie
risk Of capture and detention has practically
far ha auA dopArCr-nI - !
and knowledge Of this ard The conviction Of
grave diplomatic blunder, which may involve
fearful consequences during the recess, has
very likely more to do with Lord John Rus
SELLS retirement from the house of commons
than is generally supposed. Lord John Russell
has not been a match fer the WHY western Ia W
yer into whose hands the dsstinies Of the uni
ted States have fallen-and be has, in plain
English, been shamefully oyerFeached.
We need no. at present 90 into the details Of
Lord JOHN Russel's American policy, but the
key to it is, perhaps, to be found in very
popular delusioH on the cotton question. Lord
John, after finding that tAe American troubles
were serious, has, we suppose, like many 9th
ers, come to The conclusion that eventually
little OF no harm can come 70 us out OF an in
definite prolOngstion Of the American war, as,
il the American supply Of cotton fairs, India
and our own possessions, in many parts, will
profit largely by producing the great nanugsc-
turing staple If this is the foundation on
which Lord John Russell based his undigniied
and disastrous policy, be must know little Of
the dependence Of Manchester on the cotton
States. With the stoppage Of tie American
supply of cO-ton, Manchester, from sheer ne
cessity, rust fall 70 pieces, no matter whatthe
supply of cotton from India, or the Cape, or
Jamaica MAJ be in the meantime; and were so
great an interest to be destroyed the stability
and credit Of the nation, we need scarcely saw,
would be put to a trying test. American cot
ton gives to Manchester what no other Gotten
gives-it gives it credit; and the credit given
has, as a rule, been stretched to its widest
limit. Ten thousand pounds worth Of Ameri-
can cotton may be spun and woven iu one
Manchester factory in day, and the spinning
and weaving are no sooner over than the yarn
or cloth is sold and drawn for, and the proceeds
placed TO the cotton spinner's bank account
Fur her, il the raw material is well bought
there is clear credit Of sixty days on every
lot purchased, aEd il len thousand pounds
worth OF cotton is spun daily, at the end of
sixty days the spinner has cash capital in
hand Of 100000. This extraordinary sys-
TEN Of credit which has q own up between the
cotton Sta es and Manchester is what Lore
John Russell and many others have over
looked and when the usual supply of Ameri-
can cotton and credit fails, Manchester, we
fear will have no choice but TO suceuub. Cot
ton, supplied in large quantities and on con-
venient terms OF credit, can alone sustain the
fabric. a mere accurate knowledge of the
cotton trade, and a course Of American poll
cy in harmony with precedent and the law Of
nations, would have aveTted such alternatives,
and perhaps checked the progress Of the civil
war; but now we must trust to chance. Lord
John RusselPs American policy must new
hear "a fruife and 1f4
the Intervention Of other powers seem, at the
moment, our only prospect Of escape from se-
rioas social and commercial trials.
A SINGULAR WoUND.-We take the follow
ing from the Philadelphia Fress:
The surgeon Of the hospital at Alexandria
reports singular case Of suffering under his
charge. A private engaged in the battle at
Bull Rsn, had cannon ball pass bis face with.
out touching him. He felt strong concussjoD
Of the ar on his face as it whstled pas bat,
regsining bis equilibrium, he continued in his
place until after the engagement, suffering
severely, however, with pain. His cheek
soon presented swollen appearance, with in
crease Of pain. He was conveyed to the
hospital, and put under proper treatment, but
the surgeons have bad great difficulty in pre-
venting notification of the psrts affected.
Experienced army officers state that deaths
frequently occur from balls passing without
striking the victim
ARTIDoTE FOR IKTERMITTEET FEVER-