New-York daily tribune., 1861-06-09
RLOCRADEs-THEIR EFFECTS.


The present generation of business men in
Northern seaports can have no personal kno"l-
edge of the ruin brought upon commercial city
by rigorous blockade. Some there are who re.
member the British squadrons lowering on our
coast in 1912, their presence causing more alarm
than inconvenience. But Jollerson's embargo
was the only really disastrous general blockade
which our seaports ever suffered Survivors from
the last generation must remember it well, with
the cruel and unnecessary wreck Of fortune
which it brought to thousands OF commercial
men, especially in New England. That iljudged
measure grew out of Jeferson's fear of thwart-
ing Napoleon in his crusade against England.
Having overturned the Prussisn monarchy, the
conqueror rested in Berlin, and thence issued
his famous decree for the destruction OF all CON-
merce with Great Britain. England was beyond
the reach of his victorious armies, but be smote
her in her watery isolation with his sweeping
paper bockades. In this decree he said, "the
"British Islands are declared in state OF
" blockade" In the second article, " oil com.
merce and correspondence with the British
"Islands are prohibited" In the fifth, sal
trade in English merchandise is forbidden; all
merchandise belonging to England, or coming
" from its manufactures and colonies, is de-
" clared lawful prize" This decree went into
full operation, the American Government being
informed by the French Emperor that ho " con-
" sidered every neutral vessel going from En-
"g gli.h ports, with cargoes Of English mer-
d" chsndse, or of English origin, as lawfully
"seized by French armed vessels" This estab-
lished a carnival OF priyateering such as had
never been known. The commerce Of the United
States surpassed that of all other neutral nations
and with the British dominions was very extern
siye and of vast Importance to both. To render
the blockade complete, the commerce of neutrals
with England must cease-the world iiself must
be plundered, no matter on what distant sea
vessel might be found. Napoleon declared that
he would have no neutrals.
The bill establishing an embargo on all Ameri-
can vessels, to preserve them from capture by
.he French, was hurried through the Senate in
four hours, by vote Of % to g. In the House,
it was earnestly opposed by tho Northern mem.
bcrs, but finally passed. and Jefferson signed it
the same day. Napoleon applauded it, but
American ship owners denounced it. 1t served
his purposes, but it ruined them. There was no
limit to its duration, and it interdicted commerce
with all the world The registered tunnage of
the United States employed in the foreign trade
then amounted to e4S, 306 tuns OF this, Msssa-
chusetts alone owned 10000 tuns-almost equal
TO the united tunnage of New. York, Pennylga-
MIA, and Maryland. which amounted to only
322, coo. The interdict fell on Massachusetts
with desolating severity. Her shipping, which
gave employment to many thousands Of her citi-
zens on sea and land, was laid waste by the
embargo. II was tho same thing in New. York,
Philadelphia, Baltimore and every other sea-
port. Ships by thousands were dismantled to
bare poles, warehouses were shut up. and grass
grew upon the wharves. Vast numbers OF mer-
chants and others were ruined. The destruction
Of the national commerce was complete. All
branches of business in any way dependent on
or connected with it shared in the suffering. 1t
is true that some adventurous captain OCCASION
ally broke through the embargo, put to sea,
escaped capture, and returned to port enriched
by his temerty; but these exceptions afforded
no general relief. The violent stoppage Of our
whole commerce was infinitely worse for the
country than if the French had captured the
half of it, This is but faint picture of the
disastrous results Of this voluntary blockade Of
our own ports.
The Rebel cities are now realizing the evils OF
a blockade infinitely moro disastrous, because
established by hostile force. No one can
doubt the havoc it has already caused among
them. Every branch of foreign and domestic
commerce is at dead halt. Ships are laid up,
trade is at an end, labor is 80 little in demand
that in even small city there are thousands OF
idlers, while provisions, mostly coming from
abroad, are up to famine prices. Intercourse
with the North by land is stopped, the mails
have ceased, and thousands are flying from tho
scene of this accumulated misery. Every news.
paper from the cities that dare describe their
true condition, bears testimony to these facts;
every fugitive who reaches us confirms the story
of common ruin. As if blockade were not Of
itself sufficient evil, there is the certainty OF In.
vasion to aggravate the general terror, with
fierce military despotism overawing the CON-
munity, free speech dead, and money nacccssi.
Bile even to those who rule. Take single city