New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1862-04-02

sione Of the Confederate States on the neiciency OF the
Blockade. &s3+y@ 8f"-
The following is ascopy of a paper addressed to
Lord Russell, by Hon.. James NJ. Mason, Com.
missioner of the Confederate States, on the inef
cheney Of the blockade: s@5,ss..s g.. &C.
1903 PIGoADILLY, Feb. IL, lS62.--1 have the
honor to transmit to your Lordship herewith (by
permission returns Of vessels entered and cleared
at the blockaded ports of the Confederate States
of America, at the respective dates to which they
refer. Your Lordship will observe that the re-
turns from the ports of Charleston and Savannah
are only up to the 3lst Of October last; from New
Orleans, Mobile, Pensacola, and Layaca, to the
dates given in august; and from Wilmington till
10th September. Your Lordship will further OBJ
serve that, in the list from New Orleans, a large
number were inland by the Mississippi, and, there
fore, involved no breadth on question of block.
ade Wishing to be perfectly frank, it may be
proper to remark also, that Others from some of
the ports, may have been quasi inland , that is to
say, through the estuaries and sounds along til e
coast. ! state as On example, from New Orleans
to Mobile, where the route for small vessels NAV
or may not have been through the inland sounds
But, inregard to the latter I do not see why the
obligations of q blockade do not extend as fully
to them as by access to the port from the open
sea. These estnaries or sounds are accessible by
inlets from the sea, and, if not guarded 1.-THE port
to which they lead may be reached as successfully
by sea-going vessels Of light draft through those
channels as by a direct sea route. 54,s
considered, is proved by the fact that the inland
sea. Communication between New Orleans and
Mobile, Charleston and Savannah, and perhaps
other places, is claimed to be -bIockaded by naval
forces Of that Government. The transcripts here
with were furnished me by my Government, to be
communicated to your Lordship. Although pur.
porting to be copies of the original returns, they
were copies made at the proper department at
Richmond from those returns, and therefore au-
thentie;F ask permission also to include herewith
printed list Of vessels entered and cleared at
ports in Cuba from and to the blockaded ports of
the Confederate States. These, for the most part.
are enumerated in September; and all for the
months Of November and December are, of course,
not included in the transcripts from my Govern
ment This paper, sent me from Havana, was
taken from official documents there by gentle
man Of intelligence and integrity, well known to
me, and worthy of entire reliance. The marginal
notes are, of course, unofficial. The fact (as-
sumeD of the arrival Of the vessels cleared lat
their ports Of destination) matter of notoriety
from the almost daily Intercourse between Havana
and these ports. / have no official returns from
my Government for the months of November De-
cember and January, to be accounted for in the
fact that until very recently it could not be known
when might reach London. But, as your Lord
ship is doubtless aware, breaches of the blockade
at most, il not all, of these ports by vessels of
large as well as of small tonnage, both inward and
outward bound, have been, during the last three
months, and yet are, constantly reported.
75$ 4t,sl Ii aYe ETC., ~, j. M MASoN