Santa Fe gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1859-1864, 1863-06-13
A Curious Complaint About Biockade-run-
ming.


We have heard of the golden age, the iron age,
aud the age Of brass This must certainly be the
age Of humbuggery. And among all humbugs Of
the day so prolific Of such, one Of tho grandest is
this business of blockade running We do not
refer TO the illicit, clandestne trade with tho
enemy, carried on through the lines contnually,in
violation Of law, by the petty contrabandist and
smuggler, with bis pack on his shoulders, who
takes all chances and runs all risks with no other
object in view but the making Of money But
we speak Of that moro ostentatlons and preten-
tious business Of doing tho Conledcracy vast
service, by tIiumpbantly bringing into port a
million dollars cargo Of Yankee. British goods,
eudiDg whole feet Of blockaders with an ease
that Is astonishing to simple people, making trips
with frequency celebrity and certainty, taking out
cotton, tobacco and naval stores, SO much needed
by the enemy, and bringing back goods that might
be done without, except, perhaps medicines never
bringing food, and always getting caught when
there are guns or powder, or munitions Of war
aboad, .#. ,.......t
Now, what is Tho good Of all thsY Are not
our people becoming dsguatcd with this round
about way oftradng with the public enemy, md
| then boasting Of it as great advantage to few
individuals? The Government derives half q mil
lion, or, perhaps million Of dollars-whch is not
drop in tho bucket--irom this trade 10 Nassau
goods, a few make fortunes small number find
this the opportunity for luxurious indulgence,
while tho tradeis positively without benefit to
uno tenths of the people. Now, il these block
adomnning steamers brought arms and Govern
ment stores food and the necessary material for
common clothing, Or machinery for production,
they would confer national benefits, and might.
properly enough be winked at, although their
} cargoes came from the Yankees, and are paid for
in such Of our products us tho enemy can not we'll
dispense with,
While we want such articles, come from what
source they may and paid for even in that which
gives the enemy vitality yet we can certainly got
on very well without the great bulk Of tho block.
ade cargoes. We can not dispense with shoes
aud absolutely necessary clothing, but we can do
without silks and broadcloths, adamantine candles
and Windsor soap, shorty and Champagne,
Spagues prints and Ohio cheese. And we ought
to be encouraged to dispense with non essentials,
because that will have good effect on the enemy
in exhibiting our hardhood and endurance of pri.
walton, in order to win our independence Of them
and besides, the cultivation of manly virtues,
, frugalityYself dependence and abstinence con-
: duCes to the formation of desirable national
character. Not only is this importation of goods
through cham blockade-whch foreign nations
however, eau not be made to believe is sham
in the manner practcod for The last Six months,
and Of such goods as make three fourlhs Of oil The
cargoes, without benefit to tho country, but it ID
productive Of positive evil. 1t keeps up and en-
couages our desire for luxury and display, and
fosters rivalry in show and money spending, at a
time when all should SGT an example of stern vr'
tue; itgivesan unnecessarily large fictitious value
to gold, usually accepted as the standard Of cur
renCy it produces trade, oven in tho onemys paper
currency, among us at homej and it dotors tho ia.
vestment ofcapital, permanently, in those bran.
ches Of business trade and manufacture which are
SO essential to our well being now and our real
independence in all the future. And so, in every
view Of the case, we think 1t is become time that
tho Yankee humbug Of blockade running were
once for all exploded.