The national Republican., 1861-05-13
SOUTHWESTERN TRADE.
Important Treasury Circular.

To Collectors, Surveyors, and other Officers Of
the Customs on the Northern and Northwest.
ern raters of the United States.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Moy 2, 1861.
On the 10Th day Of April, 1861, the Presi.
dent of the United States, by proclamation,
declared the ports of South Carolina, Georgia,
Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and
Texas, under blockade, and on the 9th Of the
same month, by another proclamation, declared
the ports of Virginia aud North Carolina also
under blockade since which proclamation this
Department has received reliable information
that attempts are frequently made to furnish
arms, munitions of war, provisions, and other
supplies, to persons and parties in those States
in open insurrection against the constitutional
authorities of the Union.
1t becomes my duty, therefore, to instruct
you to cause careful examination to be made
of the manifests of all steam or other vessels
departing from your port with cargoes whose
ultimate destination you have satisfactory rea.
son to believe is for any port or place under
the control Of such insurrectionary parties, and
to compare the same with the cargo on board,
and If such manifests be found to embrace any
articles of the description before mentioned, or
any such articles be found to constitute part Of
the cargo, you will take all necessary and proper
means to prevent the departure Of the vessel,
and to detain the same in your custody until
all such articles shall be removed therefrom,
and for further proceedings according to law.
You will also make q careful examination Of
all aatboats and other water craft without man
ifests, and of railroad cars, and other vehicles,
arriving at or leaving your port, laden with
merchandise, the ultimate destination Of which
you have good reason to believe is for any port
or place under insurrectionary control; and if
,f khnr
supplies, are found, having such destination,
you will seize and detain the same to await the
proper legal proceedings for confscation or for
feiture.
In carrying out these instructions, you will
bear in mind that all persous or parties in
armed insurrection against the Union, however
such persons or parties may be organized or
named, are engaged in levying war on the
United States and that all persons furnish.
ing to such insurgents arms, munitions Of war,
provisions, or other supplies, are giving them
aid and comfort and SO guilty Of treason, with.
in the terms of the second section of the third
article of the Constitution.
And you will therefore use your utmost vigil.
ance, and endeavor to prevent the prohibited
shipments, and to detect and bring to punish.
ment all who are in any way connected in fur.
nishing to such insurgents any Of the articles
above described. You will, however, on the
other hand, be careful not to interrupt vexa,
tiously, or beyond necessity, by unwarranted
| or protracted detentions and examinations, the
regular and lawful commerce Of your port.
You will report forthwith whether any, and
if any, what additional measures may be neces
sary, in your judgment, to carry into full effect
the foregoing resolutions, and you will repor,
to this Department, from time to time, your
action under these instructions.
am, very respectfully,
8. P. CHASE,
Secretary Of the Treasury.