The New York herald., 1862-03-25

lord TO call into question the coaduct OF th'
govsrnmeat with respect to the blockade nor indeed
should ! complain any noble lord were to cal
into question the whole OF their conduct with
respect TO the unfortunate differences which have
taken place in America, for / am convinced not
only that that policy is founded on reason and can Dc
justified by argument, but also that IL Is generally ap
proved by the country. (Hesr hear with respect 70
this particular question Of the bockade-and shall not
detain your lordshps by entering into any otnsrLs
was OF course matter of consideration with her
Majestys government from time TO time IN what man
ner they should There are various questions con
nected with blockade which they had 10 consider Inc
first was whether there was sufficient authority for in
sttuting it, Lord Stowel says that blockade must be
the act Of a sovereign authority Iht cas Ms act Q me
President of the United States, who on the 18th OF April
issued proclamation declaring that the blockade was
about 10 begin, and that act was followed by armed
verai ports and warning vessels OF the coast.
Therefore there can be no question as to the
auAory By which the blockade erists. Then,
with regard TO the means which the President. as
the organ of the government or the United States,
has employed of course at nrs they very deficient
but think that these papers and everything We have
been most desreus augment sir squadron and
employ tsr ships that there might be scent force
tablisa an feetiue blockade II was matter Of great
imporancs to them-a vital point Of their policy, and
therefore one cannot doubt that they would use
every means in their power. AZ early the
sos w Ts,k mp e So
sufficient, find that they had then thirty se,s-
efscar, Of So 900 tons, NTH 726 guns 1O,ll3
e6eotre bockadc. It might be said again. at the COM
msncement that the blockade too extensive, and
that il was impossible that SO extensive blockade
should really be sfcient but must recolect that
ourselves in American instituted blockade
1000 miles Of coast and the difference between 1000
miles ana 900 miles not great TO authorize
to mako any objection to the blockade that
But in blockade Of 5000 miles Of coast, although
1t is such blockade as we ourselves should have
established, and such rs tho law Of nations re-
cognzes with ports many small to
watch there to be many irregularities in the
conduct of it, Yet We find, generally speaking, that
there has been intention to station ships of the de
rent pors and that ships have been stationed there
Thus the blockade Charleston effective the 1h
May by the ship Niagara Pensacola was blockaded on
the 18th OF May; the blockade OF the Mississippi was
effective on the Goth 9th Of May and Savannah
bockaded the 2Sth Of May each port with sufficient
that tho blockade Of Charleston interrupted
day in May but he himself read letter in which it
stated that the blockade renewed by another ship
the 5th Of June There also account Of another
ship being added on some day in July August, and
there is reason 20 suppose that there had been
ships Of war before that port, and the whole ques-
tion that arises is as to the interruption Of the
blockade between the 18th 23d of May and the 4th Of
June. II any ship had been taken at that time
the owners that there interruption, and that
blockade existed but that does affect the general ques
tion Of the blockade Of e southern coast of America And
let il be remembered, above all, that there were an
Intellectual blockade the place in which we should
hear OF 1t would be in tho American prize courts When
a merchant vessel had been taken into Of those
plead that there effective blockade and that
therefore, the vessel not having broken It, could bo
legally condemned. No one will say that there not
judges in America quite competent to decide questions
international law-judgss who have inherited the pro-
cepts and doctrines Of such Chancellor Kent and
Justice Story-que competent to pronounce judgment
according TO law aud who believe would not de-
parted from the law their decisions in such cases. Bus
do not lind that there has been any real discussion
two instances with respect to the efficiency Of the block
ads must confess to the noble lord that the many
instances which are given by Consul Busch and others
Of the vessels which have run the blockade induce
me TO consider tho whole of this question with
view 70 deciding what the course Of the 60
vsrnmont should be- But in saying that many vessels
have the blockade, think there is great exaggera-
tion and there il great misapprohenson when lists Of
vessels arc given which are, in fact vessls beonqG
s SoutAern ports Which ran out of creeks and creep through
shdloS wutrs in order 10 redck dnoher part the same
ooca These mostly small vessels Of from fifty to Mree
hundred and fly tos and il is stated in Of these letters
G they cannot be regarded vessels of sMch size and inn
portdnce argue that the blockade oas inscent whic
dLlosed them to cscape Your lordships know very well
that n 1906 the government Of this country
blockade extending from Brest to Dunkirk, but during
that and other bockades which we instituted on the
French coast there many coasting vessels which
went from one port Of France to another, entirely es
Gaping tho blockade But would that have justified either
America or any othsr neutral Power in saying "This
blockade IS Ineffective, and We will not acknowledge it,
and require you to give up the vessels which you
have seized for breach Of biockadeY, 1t certainly
would not have justified such . course. But there is
another consideration. Has the Southern coast had
Haze your l0rdsips heard cotton has arrived in its
usual quantities here that the manufactures of Great
Britain and France have arrived freely at tie ports of the
States Wheh stdte of civil sodrr On the con-
trary the intelligence which have received shows
that there has been no such uninterrupted
tt M1, great has en- suffered by tie irhai
tons Of these Southern States oong to the erience of that
bochGde nhch said TO be snectce On question Of
the efficiency OF the blockade It desirable to consult
the law officers Of the Crown and after having done so
wrote the despatch to Lord Lyons, stating that
Her Msjeays government however are Of opinion that
assuming that the blockade is duly notified and also
port sufficient really TO prevent an
danger % snng ?, Leaving y and that ship.
rons ships may have successfully escaped through will
international law.
This was the deliberate opinion of her Majesty govern
mcnt on the subject. cannot give the papers TO which
the nUbc lord refers on the very grourd which he
asks for them. He says, perhaps there may be papers
that may show the blockade he thinks Ineffective may
really have been effective. There no such papers;
there papers that the stronger Tor
the government than those which have been given tn.
government is willing TO leave your ordships to judge
the from the whole effect or the papers have
been already printed AS to any representations from
the government Of France that 1t considered the block
ade Ineffective must state that no such communica-
ton has been made 10 her Majestys government.
The noble lord has asked whether the government OF
the southern states acknowledges the second and fourth
ortic>s Of the Declaration Or Pans has declared that II
uckyo1cl1dge them. We hare entered engage
men, trth that government. is our dtpto that the
Declaration Of Pis is osed 10 Independently Of any such
natiors and with regard the peace Of the
world. | should have been very sorry 10 be
forced by circumstances TO to differ
ent conclusion. Il would have been great misfor-
tune H. owing 10 circumstances, we shoult have-hought
ourselves obliged to take in such quarrel that
would have made US become partisans either OF the
North or South. (Hear) II nay object and the
object OF every member Of her Maestys government,
from the very beginning OF the conflict, 10 watch the
Of events, with the determination to i'm.
partial spirit and preserve strict neutrality between
the two Powers. sometimes our course as when
know edged the Southern states belligercns, may
have been considered having injurious effect the
North the other hand, when forbdding privateers
TO carry their prizes into any British port may have
been considered to have had effect unfavorabe the
south But did not consider the tendency of these
acts (IIcar hesr.) We only considered whether they
we're just in themselves hear, hsar)-and becoming
the character Of this country II had been obliged
take part either with side the other IL would have
been misfortune and calamity for the world and for
The people Of America especially. have lately received
interesting account given by person sent by the
federal government to superintend the negroes OF
some plantations certain points In the South.
He describes The condition o these peqyoes their readi
ness % work. their usefplness, hsir pedcooJ,e and
qsg,sray god disposition. He says, though he did
everything he could TO the effect false and
luminous assertions against the fedora government and
u. he ahata