St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1861-06-06
Blockading the North.

European nations than Mr.. Lincoln.
! blockade of the Southern States. Thi.
act. following SO close upon the new
tariff. has undoubtedly created the i,,-
preston abroad that the party in p,w-
er here is narrow, intolcraut and blind
ly indicative in all its purposes aud
plans. The law in relation to bleck-
AIDES ii SO we'll understood, and admits
uf NO little doubt as to its requirements
that, to distant spectator, Mr.. Lincoln
has placed his administration in a posi-
sion to b. laughed at or despised, ac-
cording to the temper and disposition,
Of the beholder. A blockade, to be re-
sarded by other nations must be COM
plcte-it must bc an actual and not u
mere paper blockade And this is what
We have not the power to do, even were
our Navy ten times as large as it is
The Southern States have over two thous-
and miles Of ocean and gulf coast, with
249 harbors to be blocked up. We have
,'ot over City ships Of war that we can
bring to a blockade. This would give
one vessel to every fire harbors which
we propose to watch. Who docs not
see that such o blockade must be a fail.
ure and farce! Such paper blockn.lcs
hsv. long been rrpnlinted by the inter
national law of civilized nations. Aud
If We attempt to punish violations Of it
by seiznig Oh the commerce of neutral
nations. We shall surely bring on q war
between ourselves and them.
England has already directed large
naval frcc to these shores to protect
her commercial interests, aud France is
about to do the same Both of these
governments have already sufficiently in
dicated what their course will be; 20 that
this attempted blockade will injure us
far more than it will the South. Our
own capitalists aud ship-owucrs must BE-
the principal sufferers. We have here
tofore enjoyed q monopoly Of the ccnst-
ing trade. which has given employment
for sn immense number Of our ships and
our men. All this we shall now lose.
The principle that free ships make free
goods. which both we and the Southern
States are bound to respect, will give
the monopoly Of trade We have hitherto
enjoyed to foreign ships Northern man.
ufacturcs which have found their hest
market in these Southern States, will,
under this attempted blockade, be exclud-
ed. while the wares Of Europe will take
their place by being transported in neu-
trail vessels. aud BY those who have al
ready assured US that our paper blockade
would not be respected. Thus is the
Administration striking fatal blow ut our
own manufactures, at our own COM
merce. 1t is blow dealt at the DOW
er and prosperity Of the North. Ani,
when that blockade is euj4j, the prr-
nicious effects will still remain with ms.
Already has the blockading message Civ
en- an almost supernatural impulse to
manufacturing plans aud enterprises at
the South and the longer . blockade
should continue, the more and more in
dependent would the South be of rs,
while We should si,nply blockade our
selves aud lock up the greater part of
our manufacturing capital for oil time to
:ome.
Mr.. Lincoln is now blockading New
England. deriving her of employment |
'or her ships and markets for her goo.ls. |
He in blocksding New York in striking !:
lown our Commerce and locking out our
,est customers. He is blockading shc |
great West, in depriving her of the natu-
sl and most profitable outlet for her pro-
luctions. And the longer he shall contin-
le such blockade the worse it will be for
n. aud the better for the South in the
nd. Its effect will be to develope the
nternsl resources and skill of the South,
nd todig new cLau,.els Of commerce. which.
rhatever may be the termination of the
'olitical strife. will prevent the diverted
urrents OF trade from ever .eturning to
-. Who does not see that the Admins
ration is effsctually and ctcrnally blockad-
ng the North This blockade is ftting
rcoad act. of which tine Merrill tariff was
he first, in the Republican drama Of the
ownfall Of the American Union. and the
Of the industry and commerce
the Northern States. The third act
i'll DC, il reason ever leturus 70 its desert i,