Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1861-08-29

The Law OF BLocKADE.-The New
York World discusses the question re.
lating to the blockade and neutrality.
and settles It very satisfactorily. We
eondense its argument:
The Law Of blockade, it says, relates
only to two Independent nations at war
with one another and nations at peace
with both the belligerents, and is map
plicable to a recognized nation when a
portion of its territory or people are in
state Of revolt against its authority.
The public journals seem to consider
it as a matter of right for England or
France to enter and trade with any Of
the Southern ports within the States in
revolt. provided they can steal in or
the blockade be inefficient.
As a matter Of sovereign right the
government Of the United States may
open as many Of her ports 10 the trade
of foreign nations as she deems for her
interest. and keep IS many closed, and
no other nationality has right to
question her conduct.
As it is now understood, the ports Of
all the revclted States are closed, and
are no longer ports of entry of the
United States. These ports are, then,
in the same condition as other ports un-
recognized by law in the States which
have not revolted.
SuppOsing Congress had included,
in the law closing the Southern ports,
all the ports of Massachusetts, New
Hampshire. and Maine, could England
and France claim that, unless an effec-
tive blockade was maintained as to
them, their trade could not be prohibI-
ted, and that States at peace should be
treated as belligerents?
Every independent nation has an un-
restricted right to institute its own rev.
enue laws, and for that purpose may
open such ports of its own to foreign
or domestic trade as it may think its
interests require, and any violation of
its regulations, either by its own citi-
zens or those of foreign nations, by in
Producing goods and opening and car
rying on trade with unauthorized ports
or territories, is smuggling, and may
be punished as such.
Thus il appears that the naval force
the United States has employed along
the coast is not blockade. but coast
guard to prevent smuggling and the
violation of the United States revenue
laws, and to crush out JEFF Davis's ae-
credited piracy.
1t is also true, and it follows as a
corollary from what has been said, that
neither England nor France has right,
under the sanction of international law,
at present to treat the government Of
Confederate States as belligerents, and
themselves assume the position Of neu-
trails; and that, if either of them enter
any of the prohibited ports under such
pretence, they place themselves in the
condition of nation of smugglers, and
subject this Illicit commerce to the seiz-
ure and condemnation of the vessels
engaged in it, with their cargoes.-
England and France will probably hes
itate long before they take stand so
hostile to US and so utterly at variance
with justice and every principle of in
ternational law. And lis hardly con-
ceivable that, until the commercial na-
tons Of the world are prepared either
to occupy the ground OF open and un-
disguised hostility to the United States
or to openly and Internationally recog-
nlze the Independent nationality of the
Confederate States. they will disregard
and defy our laws closing the Southern
ports of entry.