The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-07-17

depends solely upon one condition: and that is
that the blockade be made eGectual. This point
has been more than once distinctly stated by Lord
JOHN RvssgIL in language so clear and explicit as
to leave no possible room for misinerpretation.
In the House Of Peers Lord GRANVILLE said, that
"a blockade to be lawful must be maintained with
IN force so large to render all ingress and egress
tif not actually impossible yet extremely diff
fcuIt;" and Lord CAMPBELL pronounced the posi-
ton thus taken to he correct law. In the course
of the same debate, the Earl o: Derby declared
that the Unitel States chad not sufficient naval
'force to maintain an efiectual blockade, and
therefore it was not desirable that they should
"procaim an universal blockade whilst main
Claiming a partial one" 1t was in n de-
bate on American affairs that these opin-
ions were elected, and cite them both
indicating the only kind of blockade which the
English Government will feel bound to respect, and
as foreshadowing its future policy. In this par
ticular matter the Administration at Washington
will be held to the strctest observance of the rules
OF international law. If the blockade can he en-
forced with such a number OF ships of war as will
preclude vessels from entering or leaving the
Southern ports except in isolated instances and at
fine imminent risk of capture its legality will pass
unquestioned But ifthe blockade to be of feeble
and desutorY character, England and France will
break through it and will demand that their com
mercial marine shall be suffered to trade, unchal-
lenged, with the ports thus imperfectly closed.
1t is natural that they should DO so, for, whilst
they are neither Of them parties 10 the war; the
interdict which shuts against them the Southern
ports by depriving them of the staple products of
she CO-ti, only tnein nom
of their chief sources of revenue, but oper-
ates with terrible severity upon their industrial
interests Six millions of people in Great Britain
and four millions on the Continent of Europe
making an aggregate Of ten mlliOns-are either
directly or indirectly dependent for a livelihood
upon the manufacture Of cotton. OF the whole
European supply of the raw MATERIAL four-fifths
have hitherto been furnished by our Southern
States, and eight out of the ten millions of popula-
ton alluded to obtain their means of sub
siSence from its manufacture from the employ
ment derived from various other branches of trade
to which it has given rise or which are intimately
connected with it. The blockade, therefore, of
the Southern Ports is q matter of the greatest |
Importance to England and France. By cutting |
off the supply of cotton, the enforcement of the |
blockade. apart from the injury inflicted upon the |
people of the Southern States, would bring idle |
ness and poverty, and It's fearful concomitauts
misery and decentralization, upon eight millions of
the Inhabitants of England and France, all of
whom look to their respective Governments for the
adoption of such measures as shall avert, fit he
possible, the evils by which they are threatened
That prompt action will be taken as soon as the
necessity for it arises, we see no reason TO doubt
At present. the supply Of cotton at Havre and Liv-
erpool, and in the hands of the manufacturers il
sufficient 10 last until the close of September.
whilst OF the last years crop there is but little re-
naming in the Southern States. Before the new
crop is ready for market, England and France
will have ascertained whether lawful blockade
has been maintained, ard will be ready to renn
diae it if it does not come up TO the f,ll reonire
ments OF international law. Thus far it has ut
terly failed to meet the definition which Lord
GRANVILLE gave OF an efficient blockade. Even
Commodore STRNGHAM admits that it is but par
tiaI, by publicly suggesting that vessels coming
from the West Indies and the Gulf of Mexico shall
Keep on the cutter edge of the Gulf stream TO avoid
the FISK OF capture. His reasons for this are sig
nli1cant enough: 81 have no doubt" he saws
"that vessels armed, run out for day or so-per-
"haps not crossing The Gulf-yet are able to pick
Cup vessels on the inner edge of the stream, as
Twas the with the rebel schooner Supanaah,
land, more recently, the LAZY Darts - Here is
confession at once that the ports are not blockaded
IN The European sense of the term, and, coming I
IS 1t does from the Commander of the Squadron
having this duty in charge, it will scarcely be for
gotten by England or by France, when the time .
arrives for either Of them to interpose But the t
blockade is even more inefficient than Commodore
would, perhaps be willing to admit a
The two ports which the Government has sought \
o guard most vigilantly are those of Charleston
lnu New Orleans; yet, within the past week, the n
'rVa'eer t Darts has left the port of Charleston
passing with impunity through the blockadino "
quadron, and has succeeded in capturing five YES
els off the Capes of Virginia The partial charac. ft
er of the blockade of the Mississippi has been re-
emily made still more glaringly manifest. The d
steamer Sumter left the port of New o
orleans, for cruise, crossed the Gulf stream to \
is outer edge, and when last heard from was in
he act of leaving the port of Cienfuegos, in the
sland Of Cuba, on the look out for other prizes
having already captured ship, six briggs, and
wo barks. So far as the two principal ports of y
North Carolina, Wilmington, and Beaufort are B
concern d. 1t is notorious that they have not been
objected to blockade at all. Mr.. LINcoLN's pro- =
lamaton, as to them, has been, and continues to d
e, wholly disregarded. The export of naval L
torres and the import of provisions and bread "a
tufts go on as usual, and are prosecuted with as q
luch impunity as they would be, if North Carolina
-ere still State of the Union, and war between -
lie Federal Government and the Southern Con- CO
deracy were only fgment of the imagina- r.
on The reason assigned for leaving these har- VI
ors open is the want of vessels of light draught pr
nd England SO far profits by the excuseas to n n
onopolize the carrying trade between Beaufort "
nd Wilmington, and New Providence and other U
rltish ports. She has, therefore, the proof at
anu, at any moment she desires to make use of Ii:
> 10 snow that the blockade fulfls none of the III
oui'ons "h'cn are exacted by the law of ma 70
WIS Gnu 10 therefore, as little entitled to the
aspect OF foreign Powers as was the famops nonor
lockade established by the Berlin and MI ha
ecrees. Even at Pensacola, where -. wa
BILE feet has been lying off the harbor for
IAN two months, small steamer, carrying tho Ca
confederate flag at her masthead, regularly as ad
ends one of the outlets to the bay and furnishes de
General Braces forces with supplies of various
lndS. Other cases of similar kind might he ed
ted; but why need we multiply instances? We &c
otd