The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-12-15

the name of neutrality, and their action, Ia SONIC
cases.. has assumed q character positively IN
friendly. : 81 E IS -,
You have heretofore been informed that by
coramon understanding the initiative 10 all action
lfouching the contest on this continent had been
left by foreign powers to the two great maritime
| nations Of western Europe, and that the govern
meuts of these two nations had agreed to take no
measures without previous coneert.-I he result OF
these arrangements has, therefore, placed it 10 the
mower of either France or England to obstruct at
pleasure the recognition to which the Confectionery
| il Justly entitled even to proong the contlnu-
auce of hostities on this side of the Atlantic, if
the policy of either could be promoted by the post
| none nent of peace. Each, too, thus became pos
sessed of great influence in shaping the general
exercise of neutral rights in Europe, to render
them suLservient to The purpose of aiding one OF
the belligerents to che detrment OF the other Il
referred at your last session. to some OF the lead
ing points in the cosrse pursued by protested neu-
trails which betrayed partzan leaning to the side
! of our memies, but events have since occurred,
which induce me to renew the subject IN greater
| detail than was then deemed necessary In calling
to YOUR axention the action of those governments,
shall refer to the documents appended to Presl-
dent Lncoln's messages, and TO their own CORES
| pondence as disclosing the true nature OF their
| policy, and the motives which guided it. TO this
course no exception can be taken, inasnuch as our
| formation by their official publication: ~
In May, 1861, the government of Her Britannia
| Majesty Informed our enemies that 1t had hot cal
! lowed any other than an intermediate position on
the part of the Southern States and assured them
'that the sympathies of this country (Great Brit
AIM were rather with the North than with the
South"
| On the LIST day of June, 1861, the British Gov
eminent interdictcd the use Of its ports 'o armed
| i |, ~ IT,,ito cd St.t1o a ri
the so called Confederate States, with their prizes
The Secretary of State of the United States fully
appreciated the character and motive OF this inter
diction when he observed to Lord Lyons, who
communicated it. "that this measure and that of
the same character which had been adopted by
Fratce, would probably prove death blow to
! Southern pf1vateerlng.
! On the 18th of june 1861, the unfted States
! Minister in. London informed Her Majcstys Sec
rotary for Foreign Affairs that the fact of his hav
ing held interviews with the commissioners Of this
government had given "great dissat> faction and
that protraction Of this relation would be viewed
By the Ijuitca States 'as hostile in spirit, aud to
require corresponding action accordingly
In response to this intimation Her Maesty's Sec
rotary assured the minister that "tc had no ex-
p>ctation of seeing them any more"
BY proclamation, issued on the 18th and 9th
, April, 1861, President Lincoln proclaimed the
/
| extending from the Potomac to the Rio Grande,
embracing, accordingto The returns of the United
States survey, const line OF three thousand
five hundred and fort statute miles, which
the number of rivers, bays harbors, inlets, sounds
and passes is one hundred and eighty nine. The
navy possessed by the United States for enforcn
THIS blockade stated in the reports communi-
cafad by President Lincoln to the Congress Of the
United States to consist of twenty four vessels of
all classes in commission, of which half were in
distant The absurdity of the pretensions of
such blockade, in the face of the authoritative
declaration Of the maritime RIG hts of neutrals made
at Paris, in 1856, Was SO glazing that the attempt
was regarded as an experiment on the fGrbearance
of neutral powers, which they would promptly re-
sist. This conclusion justified by the fact that
! the Governments Of France and Great Britain dc
tcrmlned that il necessary for their interests
to obtain from both belligerents securities con-
corning the proper treatment Of neutrals." In the
| instructions which "conhded the negotiation on
this matter to the British Consul in Charleston
he was Informed that "the most perfect accord on
| this question exists between Her Majestys Gov
| crnment and the Government of the Emperor, Of
the French, and these Instructions were accom- pa
MED by copy of the despatch ofthe British For
eign Office of the 18th May, 1861, stating that
there was no difference of opinion between Great
Britain and the United States as to the validity Of
the principles ehuncated in the fourth article Of
the declaration OF Paris in reference to biockades
Your predecessors Of the Provisional Congress had
therefore no difficulty in proclaimpg, l in ap-
proving, the resolutions which abandoned in favor
of Great Britain and France our right to capture
eneny's property when covered by the flags Of
those powers The "securties" desired by those
governments we're understood by us to be required
from both belligeren;s, Neutrals were exposed ON
our part to the exercise of the bcgcren. right of
capturing their vessels when conveying the prop
erty of our enemies. They were exposed on the
part of the United States, to interruption in their
unquestioned right of trading with US by the de-
claration Of the paper blockade above referred to-
We had reason to doubt the good faith of the
proposal made to us, nor to suspect that we were
to be the only parties bosrd by its ac. ptance
1t is true that the instructions of the neutral DOW
ers informed their agents that it WAS Essential un
der present circumstances that they should act
with great caution in order to avoid raising the
question Of the recognition of the new Confedera-
ton, and that the understanding on the subject
did not assume for that reason the shape of form
al convention. But it was not deemed lust by us
to decline the arrangement on this ground as little
more than ninety days had then elapsed since the
arrival of our commissioners in Europe and neu-
trail nations were fairly entitled to reasonable dc
lay in acting subject of so much Importance
aud which, from their point Of view presented dir
fsuties that We perhaps, did not fully appreciate
Certain it Is that the action of this government on
the occasion and its faithful performance of its own