True Democrat., 1863-02-25

val forces it was reserved with entire confidence
 that neutral nations could not fail to perceive that I just existed for the reservation. Nor was | this confidence misplaced, for the official docu-
 ments publishedby the British governm usually
 called ' Blue .Books,'' contain the expression of
 the atisfaction of that government with the con | duct of the officials who conducted successfully
 the delicate htisiness confided to their charge. These solemn declarations of princ pie, this i'm pf agreement between the Cenfederacy and the
 two pow CTS just named, have been suffered to re-
 main Imperative against the rnenaces and outrages
 upon neutral rights, committed by the United
 States with unceasing and progressive arrogance
 during the whole period of the war Neutral Flu
 rope remained passive when the United States' I with a naval force insufficient to blockade, efftc
 lively, the coast of single State, proclaimed a ! paper blockade of thousands of mes'o coast ex-
 tending from the capes of the Chesapeake to those | of Florida, and encircling the lIali oi Mexico l from Key West to the month of the klo Grande l Compared with this monstrous pretenson of the EUnited States, the biockades known in history nn- der the names of tn, Berlin and Milan decree,
 and the British ordersin council in the years lS06 l and 1907, sink into insignihcance! ret tlose
 bIockades justified by the powers that declare1
 them on the sole ground that they were retaiiatory; vet those block ades have since been condemnedby the p,bciss of those very powers as violations of l international law; yet these bofkades evoked an gry remonstrances from. neutral powers among which the United States were the most conSpicu- ous: vet Those blockades became the chiet cause of the war between Great Britain and the United States in I6l2 yet those blocoades were. one of
 the principal motives that led to the declaration of sthe Congress of Paris in 1856, in the fond hope of imposing an enduring check on the very abnse ot
 maratne power which is now renewed by the
 United States in 1861 and 1862, under circumstan- ces and with features of aggravated wrong without ecedent in history.
 The records of our State Department contain the evidence of the repeated and formal remor- strances made by this government to the neutral powers against the recognition of this blockade
 It has been shown by evidence not capable of con tradction, and which has been furnished in part by the officials of neutral nations, that the few ports of this Confectionery, before which any naval force at all have been stationed, have beem invested so
 nefciently that hundreds of entries has been efec
 ted into them since the declaration ot the blockade; that our enemies have themselves admitted the in- effieienev of their blockade in the most forciblc manner by repeated official complaints of the sale, to us, of goods contraband of war, sale which could not possibly affect their interests II their pretended blockade sufficient "really to pre- vent access to our coast" that they have gone farther and have alleged inability to make thelr paner blockade effective as the of the odous haibaritv of destroying the entrance to one ot our hatbors by sinking vessels loaded with stone in the cham ell that our commerce. with foreign na lions has been intercepted, not by the eilectvesin vestment of our ports, nor by the seizure ot smps in the attempt to enter them but by the capture on the hieh seas of neutral vessels by the cruisers of our cnemies wheDever supposed to be bound toapy point on our extensive coast, without inquiry whether siuglc bockading vessel was be found
 at such point that block ktding vessels hrre left tue ports at which they were stationed Tor dlstaut ex peditionS have been absent Tor many days and have returned without notice either of the ceSsa tjon or renewal of the bl0ckadc; in word, that every description of maratimc law, and every right of neutral nations to trade with bellgerent un- .der the sanction of principles heretofore nuiVer- sally respected. have been systematically and per sistently violated by the United States. Neutral Enrope has received our rcmonstrances and has submitted in almost unbrokcn silence to all the wrongs that the United States have chosen to in lict on it's commerce The cabinet of Great Bri-s tain, however, has not confined rse to such Iul~ piled acauesence in thcse breaches Of international law as results from simple inacton, but has, in a published dispatch of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, assumed to make q clIsnge.in the principle epunciated bv the Congress of Paris, to which the faith of the British government was con sidered to be pledged; change too important and too preudicia 10 the interests of the Contederacy to be overlooked, and against which have dirce ted solemn protest to be made; after vain at tempt to obtain satisfactory explanations from the British goverment. In published dispatch from Her Maiesty's Foreign office, to her minister at Washington, under date of the lth of February, 1862, occurs tue following language:
 Her Maiesty's government, however, are of opinion that assuming that the blockade was duly notified and also that number Of ships IS station ed and remains at the entrance Of port sufficient really to prevent access to it; 10 crcate m euie danqer of entering t or iedoing n, aud that these ships do not voluntarily permit ngress egress, the fact that various ships may have successfully escaped thr1ug gh it Gas in the particular instance here referred to) will not of itself prev ent the blockade from being effectual one by interna- tiona law"
 The words which have italicsed are an addi- ton made by the British government of it's own authority to principle the exact terms of which were settled with deliberaten by the common con sent of civilized nations. and by implied conven- ton with this government, already explained, and their effect s clearly to- reopen to the prejudice of the Confederacy, of the very disputed ques. tions on the law of blockade which the Congress of Paris professed to settle. The importance of this change is readily illustrated by taking one of our ports as an example There is '" evident dan cer'' in entering the port of Wilmington from the presence of blockading force and by this test the blockade is effective. "Access is not really pre- for steamers are continually arriving and depart inc so that tredbv the test the blockade Is in- effective and invalid. The Justice of our complaint on this point is so manifest to leave little room for doubt that further reflection will induce the British government to give us such assurances as will eface the painful unprecedented that would re- suit from its language, if lef unexplained.
 From the foregoing remarks you will perceive that during nearly two years of struggle, in which every energy of our country has been evoked for maintaining it's very existence, the neural nations of E,mope have pursued policy which nominally impartial has been practically most favorable to our enemies and most detrimental to us
 The exercise of the neutral right of refusing
 into their ports prizes taken by both belliceres was eminently hurtful to the Confederacy It was sternly asserted and maintained
 The exercise of heneutral right of commerce with belligerent whose ports are not bockaded by fleets sufficient really to prevent access to them, would have been emnently hurfnI to tfe United States. It was complaisantly abandoned.
 The duty of neutral States to, receive with cor dality and recognize with respect any new confe- iteration that independent States maythink proper to form was too clear to admit of denial, but it's postponement was emnently beneficial to the Uni- ted States and detrimental to the Confederacy. It was postponed. .~
 In this isrcview of our relations with the neutral nations of -Europe, it has been my purpose to point out distinctly that this government has no com paint to make that those nations declared their neutrality. 1tcould neither expect Or desire more The complaint is, that the neutrality has been rather nominal than real, and that recognized neu- tral rights we been alternately asserted and waiv- ea in such manner to bear with great severity OH us, and to oconfereignal advantages on our ene- my