The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-08-11
ENGLAND AND THE BLocKADEI

It has long been evident to us (says the Rish-
mond Enauirer) that there is fraud and COLLISION
in the matter of that large trade which Is carried
on through the blockade. Charleston and Vii
mington are actually doing much larger shippng
business now, apd Tor good while back, than e7er
they did before the war; and that this should hap
pen without some fraudulent understanding, is
simply impossible
A correspondent of the New York Herald,
writing from Nassau, says:
"Chareston or Savannah, in their palmiest
days. were never so oyerrun with cotton as is the
city Of Nassau at the present moment Every
available place large enough to hold half dozen
bales, is crammed full, and running over. L is
piled up six or eight bales deep on all the wharses
vacant lots and even on some of the lawns. Il is
literally laying around loose The blockade, re-
ported to be effective two weeks ago that 1t was
impossible foe vessel to leave Charleston, would
seem to be somewhat relaxed, judging by the ar
rivals here during the last ten days. The steam
ers Charleston, Lizzie, Fanny, Alice, Raoooon,
Kate Ella and Annie, Banshee, Antonica, Beaure-
gard and one or two others, have all arrived dur
ing that time from Wilmington and Charleston,
with full cargoes Of cotton, and some have left
again for Dixie"
The peculiar part of the case is, that while Eng
lish vessels with English cargoes, throng our
ports the English Government still pretends to
regard those seaports as bockaded. Seriously we
cannot explain these facts except on the suppose
ton thus clearly put forward by the Richmond
Wing:
"There can be no longer any reasonable, doubt
that Seward and Lord Lyons have entered into an
arrangement by which cotton is permitted to pass
the blockade at Charleston and Wilmington, IN re-
turn for which the British Government binds
itself not to recognize the Confederate States nor
to raise any question as to the validity OF the
blockade. A correspondence occurred last Fall be-
tween Lyons and Seward, in which the former put
the question to the latter, whether cotton could
not be allowed to pass the blockade. Seward pre-
tended to think the proposition inadmissiole, but
it was no doubt arranged between them prvatey
Ia no other way can we account for the net that
vessels engaged in the cotton trade are allowed to
pass out and in with return cargoes OF ankee
goods for the most part) without molestaronj
whereas, if a vessel freighted with munitions OF
war; machinery, &c, for thee government attempts
to in, it is almost certainly captured Nor
can we in any other way explain the fact that
while the shipping business at Wilmington and
Charleston is now three or four times greater than
it was before the blockade was declared, the I'm
glish Government persists in maintaining that the
blockade is perfectly legal and valid That there
is secret understanding between Seward and the
British Cabinet Oh this subject and that the block
aiding squadrons off Charleston and Wilmington
have instructions not to interfere with vessels en-
gagged in the expectation of cotton, is too clear TO
admit of doubt The matter should, if possible,
be brought to the attention of France and other
European Governments, to all of whom it is a
piece Of bad faith and trickery that they would
not be slow to resent by pronouncing the block
ade null and void
We advise the people not to vote for any man
for Congress who Will not pledge himself to oppose
blockade running.