Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-11-23

conduct war against the adversary whom we Il
now encounter. The very efforts which he makes /
to isolate and invade the n must exhaust his |
means whilst they serve to complete the circle |
and diversity the productions Of our industrial |
system. The reconstruction which he seeks TO /
effect by arms becomes daily more and more
pelpably impossible. Not only do the cause |
which Induced Us 10 separate still exist In full
force but they have been strengthened, and what
ever doubt may have fingered In the minds Of |
any must have been completely dispelled by sub |
II, instead Of being dissolution of a league,
II were indeed a rebellion In which we are en-
gagged, we might find ample vindcation for the
course we have adopted In the scenes which are
now being enacted in the United States Our
people now look with coatemptuous establishment
on those with whom they have been 90 recently
associated.
They shrink with aversion from, the bare idea
OF renewing such q connection. When they Bee d
president making war without the assent Of Con-
gress; when they behold judges threatened be-
cause they maintain the writ Of ha6sas corpus 90
sacred TO freemen; when they see justice and law
trampled under the armed heel of military author.
ity, and upright men and innocent women drag.
eed to distant dungeons upon the mere edict Of a
despo'. when they ind all this tolerated and ap-
plauded by people who had been in the full en-
joyment of freedom but q few months ago-they
believe that there must be some radical incom.
patibility between such people and themselves.
With such people we may be content TO live at
peace, but the separation is anal, and for the in.
dependence we have asserted we will accept no
alternative.
The nature Of the hostilities which they have
waged against US, must be characterised az bar.
barous whenever II 10 understood. They have
bombarded undefeneed villages without giving
notice to wsmen and children to enable them to
escape, and in one instance. selected the night
as the period when they might surprise them
most effectually, whilst asleep and unsuspicious
Of danger. Arson and repine, the destruction Of
private houses and property, and Injuries Of the
most wanton character, even upon non-combat-
ants, have marked their forays along their borders
| and upon our territory. Although we ought to
have been admonished by these things, that they
were disposed to make war upon us In the most
cruel and relentless spirit; vet we were not pre-
pared to see them ht out large naval expedition
| with the confessed purpose not only to pillsge,
| but to incite serville war In our midst.
Is they convert their soldiers into incendiaries
| and robbers, and involve Us In a species Of war
| which claims non-combatants women and chill
dren as Its victims, they must expect to be treated
| an outlaws and enemies Of mankind There ere
certain rights Of humanity which are entitled 10
| respect even In war, and he who refuses to re-
gard them, forfeits his claims, IL captured, to be
| considered as a prisoner Of war; but must expect
| to be dealt with as an offender against all law,
| human and divine.
sBut not content with violating our rights, un-
der the law Of nations, at home, they have ex-
tended these injuries TO us within other jurisdic-
tions. The distinguished gentlemen whom, with
your approval, at the last session, commissioned
| to represent the Confederacy at certain foYe On
courts, have been recently seized by the captain
OF United States shi p. of-war, board British
steamer, on their voyage from the neutral Span
ish port Of Havana to England. The United
States have thus claimed general jurisdiction
| over the high seas and entering a British ship
| sailing under Its countrys flag, violated the
rights Of embassy, for the most part held sacred
even amongst barbarians, by selling our Minis
| Frs whilst under the protection, and within the
| dominions, Of a neutrsl nation.
These gentlemen We're as much under the ju.
risdiction Of the British Government, upon that
ship, and beneath its 4 ag, as II thoy had been on
Il H.. a pla a thof art Of It'd
| states TO seize them in the streets Of London
| would have been az well founded as that to ap
| prehend them where they were taken. Had they
| been malefactos and citizens ovon of the United
| states, they could not have been arrested on a
British ship, or British soil, unless under the
| express proviiions Of a treaty, and according tc
the forms therein provided for the extradition Of
| criminals.
But rights the most sacred seem to have lost all
| respect in their eyes. When Mr.. Faulkner, q
former Minister Of the United States to France
| commissioned before the accession Of Virginia
| his native State, returned In good faith to Wash
| ington to settle his accounts and fulfil all the
| obligations into which he had entered, he wal
| perfdiously arrested and Imprisoned In New
, York, where he now 10. The unsuspecting con
fdence with which he reported TO his government
! was abused, and his desire to fulfil his trust Il
them was used his injury.
and proposed no alliances offensive and defensiv,
! abroad. We have asked for recognized plac.
, in the great family Of nations, but In doing D
L
| did not offer fair equivalent. The advantage
| Of intercourse mutual amongst nations, anc
in seeking to establish diplomatic relations, VIZ
under the regulation Of public law Perhaps W,
had the right, IL wa had chosen to exercise it, Il
ask to know whether the principle that "block
AIDES, TO be binding, must be efectual," so sol
| EMMY announced by the great powers Of Europ
at Paris, 10 to be generally enforced or applied
2 only to particular parties
When the Confederate States, at your last ses
Lit 49,. 80 AL
Y | Ing this principle Of international law which
has been recognized so long by publicists an,
4 ] Governments we certainly supposek that Ii wa
E | to be universally enforced. The customary law
4 Of nations Is made up Of their practice rathe
than their declarationsj and IL such declaration
D are only to be enforced In particular instances
, | at the pleasure Of those who make them, the
| the commerce Of the world, far from bein
r placed under the regulation of q general law
4 will become subject to the caprice Of those VIII
execute or suspend 1t at will II snch is to b
the course Of nations in regard to this law, II
plain that Il will thus become rule for the wea
| and not for the strong.
Feeling that such views must be taken by tn
Y neutral nations Of the earth, 1 have caused th
Z evidence to be collected which proves completed
the utter inc I'll cheney Of the proclaimed blockad
). Of cost, and shall direct II to be laid befor
4 such Governments az shall afford US the means
u b Ing heard. But although we should be ben,
u d ted by the enforcement Of this law SO solemn
!. declared by the great powers Of Europe, we al
It not dependent on that enforcement for the SUI
Il
}, tilites continue the Confederate states will e,
d hibit a steadily increasing capacity to fuInis
l. their troo ps with food, Civthius and owns
IT f they should be forced to forego many Of Il
e Injuries and some Of the comforts Of life, the
II will, at least, have the consolation Of KNOWN
1t | that they are thus daily becoming more and mo-
II independent Of the rest Of the world IL, in th
l. process, labor In the Confederate States should
| gradually diverted from those great southern st
Piles which have given life to % much Of Il
,, | commerce of mankind into other channels, so
} to make them rival producers instead Of profit
y BILE customers, they will not be the only or eve
the chief losers by this change In the direction
1t their industry
is Although it Is true that the cotton supply fro
d | the Southern States could only be totally cut
& by the subversion Of our social system. yet IL
r plain that long continuance Of this blockat
u might, by diversion Of labor and investment
e. capital in other employments, SO diminish q
Dr. supply as to bring ruin bpon all those interes
70 Of foreign countries which are dependent on th
10 staple. For every laborer who 10 diverted fro
IN the culture OF cotton In the South, perhaps TO
r times as many elsewhere, who have found su
sSence In the various smployments growing o