The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1863-01-23


neutral vessels by the cruisers OF our enc
mics whenever supposed To be bound to
any point on our extensive coast, without
enquiry whether a single blockadlng YES
sci was to be found at such point; that
blockuding vessels have left the ports at
which they were stationed for distant eX-
neditions, have been absent Tor many days
and have returned, without notice either
of the cessation or renewal of the block
AIDE: in a word, that every prescription OF
maritime law, and every right of neutral
nations TO trade with belllgerent under
the sanction of principles heretofore uni.
yersally respected have been systemati-
cally and persistently violated 10y the Uni.
ted States. Neutral Europe has received
tour remonstrances and has submitted in
almost unbroken silence to all the wrongs
that the United States have chosen TO in
Aict on its commerce. The Cabinet of
Great Britain. however, has not confined
itself 10 such implied scquiescence IN
these breaches of international law as re-
suits from simple inaction, but has in
published despatch of the Secretary Of
State for Foreign Affairs, assumed TO make
a change in the principle enunclated by
/ the Congress of Paris, to which the faith
of the British Government was consider
ed to be pledged; change too important
and too prejudicial TO the interests of the
Confederacy to be overlooked, and against
which ] have directed solemn protest to
be made, after vain attempt to obtain
| satisfactory explanations from the British
Gosernment. In published despatch
\ from her Majesty's Foreign Office. to her
Minister at Washington, under date of
the llth February, 1869, occurs the fol,
lowing passage;
Her Majesty's Government, however.
ARE of opinion that assuming that the
blockade was duly notified and also that
:" number of ships is stationed.and re-
mains at the entrance of port sutti'
" cient really to prevent access to it; or to
" create an erdent danger Of entering Il or ledv,
1" ing il, and that these ships do not volun-
"tarly permit ingress or egrcss, the fact
''that various ships may have successfully
escaped through it las in the particular
instance here referred toy will not of it.
q" self prevent the blockade from beingan
effectual one by international law"
The words which | have italicised are
an addition made by the British Govern
ment of its own authority to principle
the exact terms of which were settled
with deliberation by the common consent
of civilized nations, and by implied con-
vention with this Government, as already
explained, and their effect is clearly to
reopen to the prejudice Of the Confede-
racy one of the very disputed questions
on the law of blockade which the Con-
gress of Paris professed to settle. The I'M
portance of this change is readily illus
trated by taking one of our ports as an
example. There is evident danger" in
entering the port Of Wilmington from the
presence Of a blockading force, and by
this test the blockade is effective. "Ac-
Ncess is not really prevented" by the block
aiding feet to the same port steamers
are continually arriving and deparrn-s.ssoo
that tried by this test the blockade is in
effective and invalid. The justice of our
complaint on this point is so manifest as
to leave little room for doubt that further
reflection will induce the British Govern
ment to give us such assurances as will
efface the painful impressions that would
result from its language, if left unex.
planned.
From the foregoing remarks you will
perceive that during nearly two years of
struggle in which every energy of our
! country hes been evoked for maintaining
It's very existence, the neutral nations of
Europe have pursued a policy which NOM
nally impartial has been practically most
favorable to our enemies and most detri-
mental to us.
The exercise of the neutral right Of re-
fusing entry into their ports to prizes TAX
en- by both belligerents, was eminently
hurtful to the Confederacy. 1t was stern,
" asserted and maintained.
The exercise of the neutral right OF
commerce with belligerent whose ports
are not blockaded by fleets sufficient
really to prevent access to them, would
have been eminently hurtful to the Uni
ted States. 1t was complaisantly aban-
doned
The duty Of neutral States to receive
with cordially and recognize with respect
any new confederation that independent
States may think proper to form was too
clear to admit of denial, but its postpone.
ment was eminently beneficial to the
United States and detrimental to the Con-
federacy 1t was postponed.
In this review of our relations with the
neutral nations of Europe, it has been my
purpose to point out distinctly that this
Government has no complaint to make
that those nations declared their neutral
ity. II could neither expect nor desire
more. The complaint is that the neu-
trality has been rather nominal than real,
and that recognized neutral rights have
been alternately asserted and waived in
such manner as to bear with great sever-
ty on us, and to confer signal advantages
on our enemy.
] have hitherto RETAINED from calling
! 70 your attention this condition Of our re-
la.ions with foreign powers for various
reasons. The chief of these was the tear
that a statement of our just grounds of
complaint against course of policy so
injurious to our interests might be mis-
construed into an appeal for aid. I'm
equal as we were in mere numbers and
available resources to our enemies, we
were conscious of powers of resistance, in
relation to which Europe was incredulous,
and our rNmenstranoes were therefore PEE
culiarly liable to DO misunderstood
Proudly self.re!iant, the ConIederacy
knowing full we'll the charactero of the con-
test into which it was forced, with full
trust in the superior qualities of its popu.
lation, the superior valor Of its soldiers,
the superior skill of its Generals, and
above all in the justice of its cause, felt
no need to appeal for the maintenance OF
its rights to other earthly aids, and it be.
gan and has continued this struggle with
the calm confidence ever inspired inthose
who with consciousness Of right can evoke
the Divine blessing on their cause. This
confidence has been so assured that we
have never yielded to dependency under
defeat, nor do we feel undue citation at
the present brighter prospect Of success.
full issue to our contest. 1t is therefore,
because our just grounds of complaint
| -, - "a, th,t I