Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-04-14

/ United States apparently aequiesced in By
neutral p0wers, all commerce between neutrals
4 and the Confederate States is prohibited along
/ the entire coast line of some two thousand i've
/ hundred miles Armed vessels cruise along the
coast, and capture sll neutTals that fall into
] their way, on the allegation that the entire coast
\ is under blockade The Confederate States, as
/ Is known, have never been commercial their
/ carving trade being almost entirely in the
! hands of other nations Were it otherwise, ht-
! tle effect would be produced upon their COM
merce by this misaaIned blockade As it is, the
| few ships aud other vessels armed by them have,
/ from the beginning Of the war, been actively
i aud profsahIy employed in carrying theiE pro-
1 ducts to foreign ports and in bringing back sup
/ plies Not one in ten, in the large number OF
voyages so made il is believed has been cap
tured; and had that zespeci seeR enacted for ReW-
/ traE rights which the law of nations provides,
commerce between Europe and the Confederate
States would have been comparatively bat little
interrupted And in this view, / am instructed
/ to inquire, whether it may not be practicable
to require of the blockading power to specify
from time to time, Che ports claimed to be ac-
tually bloekaded. Besides the larger ports (fsw
in number in tie ConfaderBte S.ates) there are
numbers of smaller towns, accessible from the
sea, where commerce continues to be carried on
with foreign nations the few vessels possessed
by Confederate owners, and were bloekaded
ports designated these latter would at once bs
open to the commerce of the world in anything
not contraband. H8w far this would be advan-
tsgeous TO neutral powers, it remains for them
to determine. The article Of cotton alone taken
from such ports which are not and have not
been blOeka3ed, but commeres with which is
intercepted by armed cFtdzers occasionally pass
ing slong the coast, would 60 far to supply the
pressing demand of Eu opesn manufactures
Ia this connection, sm instructed emphati
cally 30 disc'aim any policy in the Confederate
States government to prohibit or discourage the
export of Gotten. It hss been the policy of the
enemy to propagate such belief and perhaps.
to some extent. it may have obtsined credence
in Europe On the contrary, I am instructed 10
assure her Majesty's government that if Europe
Is without American cotton, it is because Europe
has not thought Fit to send her ships to America
for cotton. Were the biockading power required
strictly to designate the ports and places block
AIDED, and TO maintain Che same by adequate
force from those other ports thus clearly ascer-
tanned to be open to trade, any amount Of cot
ton required would be freely offered in ex-
change for the manufactures of Europe There
is no lack of this great article Of export in the
interior of the Southern States. Il has not
been brought to the ses0oarj because there wss
little demand for eKportati0n and it would other
wise be sB lect to depreciation by the enemy !
Whereyer they approach is is destroyed by fire, |
to prevent its falling into their hands; but let |
the bloekaded ports be designated, as required |
by public law, and it viii freely flow to the |
coast at other points thereby opened to the |
trade Of the world.
There is one subject further in connection /
with this alleged blockade to- which am d. /
rected to call the attention of her Msiestv's gov
eminent 1t is that vessels Of war of the |
United Ststes are stationed off the mouth Of the /
Rio Grsnde With orders not to permit shipments i
of cotton to be made from the Mexican port of /
Mattam0ras. 1t is claimed that cotton taken /
from the Confederate States to Matamorsq is
lawful subject Of capture. In proof of this, I /
have the honor 10 transmit herewith a copy Of /
an extract of a letter from J. A Quintefo, the /
commercial agent of the Confedsrate States at
n hstsmofss, to the Secretary of State Of the Con-
fsdersts States
need not say to your lordship that, although
q maritime blockade may, in some sense. Be
frustrated by the carriage of merchandise,
through the medium Of interior communication,
from blockaded to a neutral port, when shipped
from the latter it is no breach Of the blockade;
vet this is now done at the mouth of the Rio
Grsnde, river forming the boundary between
Mexico aud the Confederate State of Texas
am etc, J. n MASON
This letter contained a uumber of tabular
statements furnished by the port collectors to
me Confederate government. The two first set /
forth lists of the vessels which entered and
cleared at the port Of Charleston in the months
Of October, November aad December, 1861,
and in January, February and March, 1862 |
Similar lists for lhe ports of Savannah, Calves
ton, New Orleans, Pensacola, Apalachieola and
Lavaeea, Texas, were also forwarded
mr. Layard to Mr. Mason.
FOREIGN OFFICE, July 10, 1862.
Eru ~ u I
knowledge the recsipt Of your letter of the 9TH
inst, respecting the blockade Of the Southern
coast of North America
I am, ETC., A. II. LAYARD