, 1861-05-21

The Blockade OF s11s Southern P9rfs
Friyafeers 9f Je6arsoR D&vts Be-
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freku Esn&Inud-Th4 E9Hf&hR1 ,fsloexs

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EFpea tas toaaoa Pqst .a or r.'ast'tea''fs.''
Mr. Ewart, representing the grea*est empo.
rum Of American uAdt which e1tata noa only
In this country hut In The :For9,: u naturally
nretsrtiou :VhIch her Matesty's N1ufsteIs- no
prepared 70 afford to British commerce tn ythe
duff IT Mexieo..- TIT inter poIlssion ivaa. ln
eysrT &erse equally fi1ne1y End necessaty. ME-
Jefcason Day{4, the President OF tls southgA
confederation mil ielpaang By on daJs tas:
sisn e the ieaszl go1sxnm' ar5ss,ta%s n9s ssasea
He haa practically thrown down a ehallengge
and Instituted policy which the North, to
iusure suceeaaz has only to initiate and
enforce. But, considering that the great st7ple: !:
export Of the South Is cotton, upon eTa1y o46
OF which the .neH ConfedsIa1loMa ~ ~ ~ Aseiy
whether carried on IN foreign OF. American
ships, becomes . matter Of deep and serious
consideration Tho South po5seases no com.
mercia1 marina which eonld not BIS easi1Y
sWept from tho seas By the privatears q New
York and Roston; but. i 2ae pTss71egt q sssa'ng
Gents The tehoss Of Gse commerce Istoaen Eu,ope
md Amrfea tfotId Be plac:a II q position Of In
>,yirens peri! and dengtr. Under the4e clrcun1-
stances, Lord John Russell, IN reply to Mr.
Ewa1t, simply stated that her hajesty's gov
ernment felt Tefy deeply that IT WIS impera.
ti1e On them to take all possible means to
aYoid any participation in this 1amentable
conflict, and that nothing but The imperative
duty Of protecting British interests could JUS
tify them In interfering, adding these emphatic
words, "We are ncw free, asd for Gods eake
let us keep ont Of the quarrel" We do not
imagine that British ship owners, with the
fear Of risks God iBsuEancee before their eyes,
will be rash enough to endea7or to carry on
IN illicit and lucrative trads 6y accepting the
goteetien sehsch either bell;gt7rnt may offer.
Ttere can be no doubt that the President, in
strict Interpretation Of the public law, has q
right both to declare blockade Of the Southern
ports, and to treat Southern pr'sataeT1, sah<n
captured, as pirates. With regard to the one,
he has this condition to obstrVe, namely, that
the blockade be eaectual, which has always
been the American practice, IS well az the rule
which was recognized by the late treaty Of Pafda.
With regard to the employment q prlEateer5'
tanned position Of Isolation It has refusod
TO surrender the privilege Of granting letters Of
marque except fhe coucession were accomp3-
MED by the Insertion of the rule that in time
Of war all commerce not contraband Of var
should enjoy equal immunity upon land and
eta This il not tn1r fallacious but an i'm
possible doctrine, because We all know from
history That property on land, whenever the
txSgencics Of war require It, isas liable to con.
fscation and destruction as goods st Rea- But
11r. Lincoln is acting In strict conformity
with precedent in declaring that he will treat
and punish Southern privatsers Is pirates. i In
the Mexican war, Wheuit Wes feared that for"
eiene1s might be disposed to intervene IN the
contest on the behalf Of Mexico, Mr. Polk IS
sued proclamation declaring that he would
deal with all such offenders as robbers aud pi
rates. The present case is one infnttely
stronger. The Federal Government is en-
gagged in var with The Southern In
snTgents, whose independent and separate
existence, either dc jurc or lie JJefo, has neser vel
| been recognized by any Eo,csr in tie soo7ld In
contemplation, public ldw Aey are simply rebels;
ard. as against them, the policy which NJ.
| Lincoln has announced is not only valid in
| itself but is one which foreign nations are
the present movement can only ba ehectually
repressed by maritime war which, BY de-
| priying the South Of its resources, would in
| i'll probability speedily reduce the new con
| federation to national bankruptcy, We thfnl
that Mr.. Lincoln has acted wisely and In, con
| formity with etTics law In having avalled him
| self Of the means which, it must be admitted
be can exercise Withou. offence OF injury te
! any foreign power. To 3fess1ts Lhd2 polley q
neutrality tehich Lorx9 John Russell 1ast night St
,torciby oppressed, is the duty Of this country
| Interference ean do no good either Tor com
mercial or political purposes. The civil W.
which unhappjly rzges In America must bt
left to work Itself out, however disastrous 1T
results may be upon the foreign trade ant
manufacturing industry Of this country.
[From the London Shipping Gazette, May 81
bIr. Erart has elected from the Fore1gz
| Minister en announcement Of the utmost i'm
| pottsnce to those engaged in the Amcrica.
trade, and Of the greatestfnteresta 10 1t respect
the attitude aesumed By this country In refer
We learn that her Majesty's government have
in view Of the employment Of prtvateexs b.
the helIieerents, directed that a naval fore
should be sent to the Gulf OF Mexico and th
ccsst Of South America for the protection Q
British shipping There WIS smother point
Lord John Russell confessed his inability +
give directreplJ, namely, whether priyateer
sailing under the flAg Of an unrecogntze
Power would be dealt with as pirates. "A
to the general provisions ct the Law Of nation
on this question, observed Lord John,) SON
Of the polats are so neu. ~ Wel1 as 20 lmpor!
apt, thst they have been referred to the Ia,
officers Of the Crown for their opinion, L
order to guide the government In Ito iu1trut
tions both to TIE Eaglish Minister In Amer;e
and the Co.Hm suder Of the Naval Squadron.
Ihe Foreign Minister has probably not exae
gerrated tie difficulty Of the question referT6
to tho law officers. The Southern CoDfeders
tinn, although an existing fact, has not bee
| recognized Is yet As government By forcl9
t States, while It u regarded BY the Fede1i
Government Is nothing moro nor less than
revolutionary 5unta-
ter7 Of marque and reprisal BY the SouthaE
.. President nstural1y raises tho question oft
legality. or Wegallty Of such n Issue, tried b
, the Inv Of cations. "Lettera Of marqne an
rep1isd {aays an authority nre graAtable b
the 1aw Of nations Whenever the snbJeets I
| one State ere oppressed and Injured BY thoa
Of another, and Justice is denied BY that SsAi
! to which the oppression belongs; !" but tn
definition, II applied to Mr Jefferson Davis
: proclamation, would only raiso the que
ton which the revolted States have a
,, ! ready raise1 for themselves. Until It
any foreign Hate Aaetng relations eita <ss Ul
isst eas GoceEa Tho Southern tbsaeezt@os Al osai
thing but q provisional and revolutionary gecer,
nssnt. Tbs American republic, although con
: posed Of q conge11es OF independent State
having their sTn municipal laws aaa loyA !,
> with foreign powers through the federal 70
e1nment. It Was to Warrington tho Mini
! tcr8 Of those pow ers Hero accredited; II vi
I from Washington the American Ministers
: foreign courts have been accustomed to d5a
= their authority. This state Of things Is u
;, irgton, and the American Minister Is still re.
! dent ii London. II Is true dels gates hs'
= been sent from the Southern Convention,
hey hasT not been received herr, nor. for AZ
= hets heard, at onycf ae courts Of Europe.
+ Apart, then, altogether from the questit
= number Of etates-the argument on which u
- Jefferson Davis relies in Issuing bis letters
= maIque-we Beem, so long Is we maintain u
:. interrupted diplomatic refations with the fe
:, ! e1M government, to be precluded from reeo
: nizing any act done in hostility to that goVe,
i ment, or In derogation Of its authority.
n this view Of the case BE- correct, we csnn
fecogN{Za the proclamation Of the Southn
+ President; ard, Isasmuch as the federal 20
/ e1Bment has declared privateezing On the ps
= Of the ecutherners to be p{rocy, soo hare
alternative tat II regard IN the same Iigh., un
= sec harr, By an ott7z act gf recognition, conesl
- to the Southern Convention ls position q a g.
: t7nnRn4 de .jisTe, and established with it re
!, tions similar to these Ehicu already exist
:. tween our government a1d the Cabinet
Washington.
/. From the Liverpool journal, May4.1
It Mr. President Davis, with folly which n
I help to account fur hts previous conduct, b
6 issued letters Of usuque, inaugurating s,
It ten Of priEatee1tng. III. Lincoln instant
d Announces th.t all priyateers would be treat
" as pirates, ard legally 80. for the Southe
I:l States must stiQ be considered as part Of
o Union, until their separation la recogutz.
o | no doubt he influenced by this procecd1n
d ard even In Maryland the sdhereats Of
c Union appear to be stronger than tho sec
e etonfsts, for all the mechanics h.d turned q
simultaneously, and defeated a meeting Of {
it sece6e1s 11lcd at Baltimore.
T From the Liverpool Times, May. 4.h1
r.; Tbs course Of eyents has now clearly n
d, dered peaceable solution Of this quarrel
70 possible, that the next best thingts to fgh'
1t cut 81 soon as maY be, for the ezrlier one
a.. the combatants IL exhausted the neszcr Will