Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-06-20
Tho British Government and the blockade
CT Tho Southern Ports.

a correspondence With the United States
government upon the subject of blockade has
been laid before Parliament The first COM
munication frou Lord Lyons to Lord John
Russell transmits q copy of a note from the
Secretary of State of the United States con-
municating copies Of the Presidents pToe'a
NATION declaring q blockade Of the ports ol
the States Of South Carolina, Georgia, Alaba-
ma, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
This proclamation declares the letters OF
marque and authorization Of the seeded States
to be insufficient to protect anybody acting
under them from the penalties Of the laws for
the prevention Of piracy. The following letter
from Lord Lyons to Lord John Russell is i'm
portant:
WASHINGTON, May 2, 1861.
MY LORD Il have the honor to enclose you
a copy Of the note by which acknowledge
the receipt Of Mr.. Stewards note Of the 27th
ult., announcing the intention Ell this govern
ment to set on foot a blockade OF the Southern
ports. I was careful so 20 word my note as 10
show that | accepted Mr.. Stewards comlnunlca-
ton as an announcement Of IN intention TO set
on foot q blockade, not as q notification OF the
actual commencement OF one. 1 DeiieTe That
most Of my colleagues made answers IL the
same sense.
have the honor to transmit to your lord
ship copies of the Presidents proclamation,
announcing the extension Of the blockade 10
the ports OF Virginia and North Carolina. which
have been sent to NC in q blank cover from
The State Department.
| have made it my business, since the en-.
trance Of he present administration into OH &c,
nearly two months ago, to endeavor 10 ascer'
tain precisely their intention with regard to
the III Of foreign nations with the
States which have withdrawn from the Union.
Up TO the day before the blockade vas an.
~nounced the government had not itself c1u'e
to any decision on the subject Nor did l
think it expedient to press it TO make any
declaration SO long as the commercial opera
! tons of British merchants and British vessels
in the seeded States were carried on without
hindrauce and without Inconvenience. But
since. the blockade has been proclaimed, |
have',hought myself entitled to ask with per-
~sistence for d, finite Information respecting the
mode in which it is to bs carried into elect
I had in particular o long conversation OIL the
subject with Mr.. Seward, in presence OF the
chief clerk OF tho State Department, on the
29;h ul,imo. ! had prepared Mr. Seward Tor
the interview, BIZ suggesting to him, through
the Under-Secretary Of State, tht adyIsablenc>s
Of Diminishing the disagreeable impression
which the announcement Of the blockade
would mako abroad, by giving, as soon SIS
possible, definite assurances that Il would be
carried on with r liberal consideration ior the
interests Of foreign nations.
So far as assurances in general terms 60, no
thing could be more satisfactory than Ar. Sc.
wsrd's language. | did not, however, succeed
N obtaining at the time rs definite a declara
ton Of the rules which would be observed as |
had hoped.
The principal point to which drew Mr.. St.
wards attention was the extreme vagueness oil
the information which was given to US. re.
ferred him to the notifications Of blockades
made by Great Britain during the late war
with Russia, and pointed out 10 him the care
and precision with which every particular was
stated in them. | asked whether 1t was intend
ed to issue similar notices for each Southern
port as soon Us tho actual blockade Of it should
commence.
The reply which I received was, tina, the
practice Of the United States was no. 10 issue
such notices, but TO notify the blockade indI.
vidualtg 10 each vessel approaching the block.
aded port, and to inscrlbe a memorandum OF
the notice having been given on the ships pa.
pcrs. No vessel was liable to seizure which
had not been Individually warned. This plan
had, ! vas assured, been found to be, in prac-
,ice, the most convenient and the fairies. for all
parties. The fact Of there being bloekadIng
ships present 10 give the warning ~as the best
notice and best proof that the port was actual.
ly and effectually blockGdcd.
The principal objection 10 the plan appeared
to me to be, that it might in some cases expose
foreign vessels to the loss and Inconvenience
Of making q useless voyage, which a more gen
eral and public ANNOUNCEMENT o! the blockade
would have prevented.
observed to MIR. Seward that the Limits Of
the blockade which it was Intended 10 estab.
, lish were not clearly stated. II was not easy
10 understand exactly to what extent OF coast
the expression 'Ihe ports Within" the States
mentioned was applicable. Mr.. Seward said
that it was intended to blockade the whole
coast from the Chesapeake Bay to the mouth
Of the Rio Grande. | observed 10 him that
the extent Of the coast between these TWO
points wss, I supposed, about 5000 miles
Surely tho United States had not q na1a! force
sufficient to establish an effective blockade Of
snch = length Of coast. Mr.. Seward, how.
ever, maintained that the whole would be
blockaded, and blockaded effectively.
| may, perhaps, be allowed 70 refer you!
lordship to q clear declaration Of the principles
Of the United States on such matters which is
contained in a note from Mr.. Buchanan dated
29th December, 1876, and transmitted 10 the
foreign Office in Sir Richard Packenham's dis
patch Of the same date.
Mr.. Seward assures N that all foreign yes.
sells already 10 port when the blockade should
be set on foot would be allowed to come out
with their cargoes. ! asked whether they
would be allowed to come out with cargoes
shippcd after the blockade was actually estsb
lished. Mr.. Seward did not speak positively
on this point what he said seemed 10 imply
that the time at which the cargo. was shipped
would not be inquired into. ] said that ] sup
nosed that it was clearly understood that for
eign ships coming out Of blockuded ports in
which there was TO United States customs au.
thorities would not be interfered with by the
blockading squadron, on the plea OF their being
clearar.ces or other papers required by the rev.
enue laws.
Mr.,Seward said that it was the bona tide in.
tent:on OF the government to allow foreign vessels
already in port when The blockade was estsb-
lished to depart without molestation. lie did
not say that any particular term would be tx
ed after the expiration OF which foreign vessels
would no longer be allowed to quit blockaded
ports. lie did not repeat to me the assurance
he gave some time ago TO one Of my colleagues
that vessels arriving without q " edge CT
the blockade would be allowed to SO into a
blcckaded port and come out again: Nor did
he say anything Of the intention, which be ex.
pressed to another ofny colleagues, o. propos-
ing to the Legislature that the United States
should adhere to the declaration Of the Congress
Of Paris on maritime law.
On my pressing Mr.. Seward to give me,
either in writing, or at all events by q formal
ve, bal announcement, some definite informa.
ton for the guidance Of British merchant yes
col, ha nrnrnicoa 70 Send me q clny of the in.