Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-06-12

experience has shown how Inefficient is such an an,-
icn to stay the aggressive spirit Of bell geen and the
history OF paper bl5ckade5 constitute memorable and
most irs,rucyc a in he ale of mode aria e.
Whole cluntrigs have been declared in Sa,e OF block
ade with "a much apparent CO.. iorce in the Justice
the measure a. if their coasts cou be hermcticaly
closed nv q fisgle 5rmed cruiser II blockadcs wo,c
confined to PAGES actually tues',i tins source Of dix
pure would dsppear for would BE- the utcrcs, Of te
invcs irg power 10 support rs operation with suf-
cieat orce in order to brn5 he enterprise to speedy
| termination.
(coNrsARASD or WAR;
TIE doctrine OF conr4b4nd o! was Las been anoth.r
proEfc subject of dispute aud anmo,iy in tte rroCrcss
OF the hostes which ha5e at5rT disturbed the trl,
GUILTY. of III. world IL Is rule touching the inter. olrse
o. la.ions which, if diy,sled o. tie uncertainty
u i,h surrounds U aud renders n most "a. g.scu- iu
..rnmont OF mischief would s BE- el,ied TO no iavor-
abe consideration It should ierfurs BE- rerui.t,d 20
d. IS little jury may be To tie Commerce OF the
wo,I and 81 ou!d be rg'iy cOIfuei within tue ullrJs
! est lml comp ible with an honest bel.grrcnt policy
and il the opinion OF this goYcHmcnt, those Limits ought
10 be made include oaig arms and Htjat,ps n oqr
4s mears cG auLoynrce, ths inteinLou6l prohibition
agaius; carrying a county engaged h i-ies
les useful Cor nil tay purposes, i prucctly of Lt;.1
value 10 s enemy IL found is way mo the code 4
nations whel the ol supply were much more re-
ric;ed thsn preent, add bice the progress Of in
orOvcmsut had placed i. the power Of umost every
nacn 10 prov its.f With whatever it uay waGt either
for offensive defensive operations No state will
b.. reduced because s enemy may have it in its power
TO s,iz, aud co.G.cl;e supp.s uuder the nsms
of Contrablud of war Unfortunately, if the va!uc
of this restriction rs means OF military annoy
has pIsscd away, IL j, still valuable Ter different
purpose. BlOtkIdCs aud cOltrabaud, even "hen
forced in strict conformity with the law Of nations give
to bel gerent powers the control OF vast amount Of
property, enabling them TO convert much OF TO thr
own use. But such guarded exercise OF their rrivi
leges is e,e.t almost all tines and often toe
limitations proyd' by the international iw pal
ptby disregCrded and at such periods there few
OF the art c.es Of which bcligerent powers
do not interfere with 10 their seizure an cordCm-
nation under enc pret,xt another. BY thee
the whole tr-, vi the wood is paced in jeopardy, and
indsposi,ion reliuquish this formidable power,
"nicn il may be anticipated will be needed hereafter,
probably contributes far to the enacy With winch
1t held on 10, than the protested purposes TO which
OF ed its Introduction into the maritime code o nations.
These crcums indicating the dangers which, du-
ring war besct all the nations rot taking part in it, ia
dcaed also the necessity Of their joint concurrence in
any reasonable 6fOt preserve the just tights OF the
world
The law Of contrabald Is amcn;ably vague ard it Is
barely pcssibc that eNten-ive war should prevail
upon the for any considerable period without
attempt the part Of he beigreE TO draw into the
class Of coliraband articles OF general consumption,
which, in tie cpDon o. neutral powers are liable 10 40
such association and the day il rapidly courirg il it
uas not already come, when such eacroIchmcns will b
prev en,td st lbe cIpeus" necessary, Of al armed CP
position T signs Of The yiMe, not TO be misun.
dtrs,ool, and ought not 10 be dsfegarded l8depeut
ent OF tho O ad p.i0n Of tis interdc upon the
commerce Of the world TO is ayOWed oi cts owing 10
the Improvement in tue general power CT protection and
su Il there serious evils TO which It is exposed
and which resUl. rom the entire neglect OF precs-
ion Of reasonable caution iLdsed, Ia the mariner IN
which tie sui e, is treated IN received eSp5-.-
ions Of tie i-w CT naio,s. TEcre is 10 accepted
enumeration Of the a7.i.i,s coming within toe pro
Loi,ion. And to add 10 tire dalc Of collision tie
principle By which they a'e TO be t.std Il 20 loosely
i,h-ed, t-al It practically Of itl- Use bur 10 iu-
usl prosX; wh-u !s ~alti-g (, 20 enable parties
at war 20 enlarge tie colt .bani list a. their pleasure
Some Of the Later and approved writers u5ou the Ia" Of
nation Haue:eule AID Ortoan, ject 10 this power
0f eX ens'Ou Qd Hbnu a.d the former particularly
f4cs the list objects Of e :. uecessi Tor war, d
which exclusive useful in is prosecution, ard which
be Ciecy employed Tor tdt pu pose withou. uadar-
gong any change-tha is 20 say, 10 arms AID nuaiors
Of war In tis absence Of specific enumeration, and Of
4 clear fxed principle there is method provided by
which the dspues Iuseplrable from this state Of things,
nav be smcaLy adjusted and the evils are therefore 50
Obvious tra aOe commentators up)l national law have
proposed that special treaties be formed between nations
Whenever lr.cucable in order to eguIte these embar
raising qu. stions ald thus obyise, in degree
dangers which in must be always imminent The
United S9es have adopted this policy, and have om ted
favorable opportunity OF carrying II into effect
They have entered into conventional arrangements with
NOS; of the other independent States Of America, viz
With Brazil, Chill, NcueZucl4 Ecuador, New GraIeca,
Guatemala san Salvador, Peru, and hex.co, and with
some OF the principal commercial powers OF Europe, tor
the better regulation Of these ciicu questions and in
al it has been their oil ect ccumscribe much
as pcs ibe the catalogue OF prohibited articles and TO
provide by specific enumeration, against the recurrence
OF abuses which have gwen 20 much jus cause OF COM
plant. But these partial arrangements though useful as
they CO. yet very Inadequate remedy Tor he
evil cause t-y establish Uniform rule, each treaty
prescribing is regulations aud because they Apply
u4y 20 the parties themselves leaving their relations in
tns respect with other powers 70 be governed by the
c0se which ha proved itself unworthy OF confidence.
TIE dictum upon which tyis who'll doctrine ress l.,
that a Neutral ualOr ought not 10 supply behg rn.
power with articles whicu may serve lu IL tie direct
prosecution OF bos'iles. l. this prohbtory declara-
ion bad been coLhled and uuti itlous OF var,
there would have been but ;e difficulty in the isr id
juslment OF the questions which might arse under tt
Bu il presents TO such tangible limit the on bahd,
while the other 1t is conceded that II docs not eHi-
brace various articles, c'rhHg aud, We may add pro-
DAioS which essential to the ,th-ieucy OF tue
soldier the he hears into battle. What, then,
be the effect OF ary article upon rarlke operations
authorize its cassh, alton courhband Of war, i
qu stion which has provoked a. much angry DISCUSSION
as any other with whcn modern nations have had 10 deal
Besides he difficulty arising out OF the want OF precision
in tie terms employed aud probably ess out OF the
absence OF any generally fixed views, there yet an
other which adds further TO the embarrassment, aud
which requires the mm date consideration OF the par
lies o the Inv of nations This question OF cohrabaLd
J. a shifting OnC as Lord Ersk ne expressed II, embracing
new articles from time TO tine as they become apphc@-
BILE military purposes when the law shs tC accrmmC-
date itself TO these progressive improvements, in the IN
plemCns 9 OF destruction. Bu It'll the nature q
such i'm rrOyemeut aud the just title OF the articles con
tbutng towards them 10 take their places III the list oil
cOnua1and is subject Of controversy which Is liable
to be followed by tie most serious cons qlenc,s.
The discussion which at this time H going on respect
ing the military character of coal and whether It s not
excluded from general a. coutraband oil war,
is striking illus ration of the tendency 20 enlarge this
power OF prohibition aud seizure and OF the necessity Of
watching s exercise with unSbated vigilance Here 10
an article exclusively nor even principally used IN
war but which enters into general consumption in the
arts of peace to which indeed it is low Nialy neces-
sary. l. has become also important IN commercial nav
gaon. 1t is produc: OF nature with which some re-
gions are bounifly supplied while Others are destitute
OF IT, and its transportation instead OF meeting with im
pedments, should be aided and encouraged The at
tempt TO enaLe bolgeIent nations to prevent all trade
in this most valuable accessory TO mechanical power has
no lust claim for support in the law Of naons and the
United States ow their determination to oppose It so
lar as tn ir vessels concerned.
Ii adds TO the complications arising out OF the uncer
tainty In which this sui is involved, that there 10
common tribunal empowered to decide between the ir
dependeut parties when belgerent nation, interested
/ the MEASURE undertakes TO add new article 10 tie
catalogue of contraband upon the assumption that has
changed its character from peaces6e 20 warike one
in consequence Of change the objects 10 which 1t
| NAV be applied either by revolution in She mode Of
conducting wer or by Improvements in the imp pements
used in its pr secuoa The pretenson Of prerogatye
o. he part of sovereigns whether in peace or war, if
ind ed auy such exist decide these questions, except
40 relates 10 their rights il utterly repudiaed
by the United States. They claim the right to decide
for themselves what the law OF nations and they