The Oxford intelligencer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1860-18??, 1861-05-15
The Right of Blockade.

The great anxiety which is naturally felt at
This moment Id regard 10 the security Of COM
merce, and the possibility of an attempt upon
the part Of the United States to blockade the
mouths of the Mississippi, compels us to enter
somewhat sooner than we would otherwise
wish, upon the consideration Of the general
question of blockade in its internal as well as
external aspects. In this article we shall con-
fine ourselves to there statement of the pur-
pose Of blockade, and the announcement of a
few practical rules deduced from the principles
OF public law, which at any time permit the ex-
ercise of right which of necessity must be a
restriction and a burden upon all nations as
well as those immediately interested.
The right of blockade is essentially q military
right and recognized only as means of Grip
ping and worrying an enemy with whom the
blockading power is at war-actual war. Ii is
a right which in general can only be resorted 10
by a recognized power or State, against another
recognized power or State. In other words, ait
must be the act OF belligercnt" And in case
of blockade of port of an enemy, to which
the commerce of the world finds daily entry,
duo notice must be given Of such blockade, and
the belligerent right acknowledged, before car
g,es can be stopped. The right Of foreign ma
tons 10 enter the port of New Orleans, for ex-
ample is guaranteed by treaty-the right is alb
ment which conceded it cannot, Of ITSELF with
draw it. unless due notice is given, and the rea-
sons for so doing are satisfactory The right
which nations exercise in closing or opening
ports for the better accommodation Of CON-
merce, and the greater convenience of the State,
is a very different proposition from the right to
close port in order to hinder and disturb CON-
merce and especially to repress it in commod-
ity necessary to the quiet and comfort of the
world.
From the general definition of blockade, it
follows, that before the United States can resort
to that means Of annoying the Southern States,
she must acknowledge their independence and
60 regularly to war with them as a separate
power. The right Of embargo, which has been
rcsorted to by the United States Government
in common with other nations is a different
right FROM blockade in this that when govern
ment finds it impossible for her to blockade the
ports of hostile nation, she prohibit foreign
or other vessels from leaving her own ports, if
the commodity with which they would be laden
were essential to the well-being of that nation.
This would not be exactly war, but it would be
an unfricndly act in that direction, towards the
States with whom commerce was thus to be in
tcrdicted. To lay an embargo on the port Of
New Orleans would be an unfr-iendly act to.
ward France and England and whatever nation
trades to this port And the right of embargo
also implies the actual de .JaetO possession and
sovereignty of the port and territory whose pro-
ducts and commerce are in this mode to be in
tcrfered with.
Or purpose at this time being merely to
stat, the general principle of blockade and en-
barge, we shall, on a future occasion, examine
into the exceptional cases of exercise of these
powers, contcnting ourselves, for the moment
with drawing curollaty or two from the propo-
sitions laid down.
First: The right Of blockade being hostile
right Of nation against nation if the United
States wishes to blockade the ports OF the
South, she can do SO by acknowledging their
independence and making war upon them in due
form.
Second: The United States, when she dc.
clarcs war on seeding State, can lay an en-.
barge on the port of Boston, to prevent the
people of Lynn from shipping shoes to such
State, If she thinks fit to do so
It will be seen that d blockade is a right exer.
cised against foreign power, in foreign waters;
that embargo is right exercised at home, and
within the possession and sovereignty of the
power enforcing it.-New Orleans Pieoyune,
Jan. 18Th.