Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1863-02-20
LATE FROM THE SOUTH.
SECRETARY BENJAMIN's CIRCULAR ON THE RAISING
OF THE CHARLESTON BLOCKADE.

SECRETARY BENJAMIN CIRCULAR ON THE RAISING
OF THE CHARLESTON BLOCKADE.
The following is The copy of the circular
addressed by Secretary Benjamin to the for
eign Consuls in the Confederacy:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Richmond, January 81, 1863. 7
Monster Bdtancourt, Consular agent of France
at Wilmington, ~ c.:
SIR am instructed by the President eff the
Confederate States Of America to inform YOU
tnat this government has received an official
dispatch from Flag officer Ingraham, COM
handing the naval forces of the Confederacy
on the coast of South Carolina, stating that
the blockade of the harbor of Charleston has
oeen broken by the complete dispersion and
disappearance of the blockading squadron, in
consequence of Il successful attack made on it
by the iron-clad steamers commanded by FLAG
officer lngraham. During the attack one or
more OF the blockading vessels were sunk or
burned.
AS you are doubtless aware that, by the law
or nations, blockade, when thus broken by
superior force, ceases to exist, and cannot
be subsequently enforced unless established dc
nooo, with adequate forces, and, after due no.
tice to neutral Powers, il has been deemed
proper to give you the information herein con-
tanned for the guidance of such vessels of
your nation as may choose to carry on COM
merce with the now open port of Charleston.
respectfully, your obedient servant,
up. BENJAMIN, Secretary of State
THE CONFEDERATE GOVERNMENT AND FOREIGN
POWERS.
Mr.. Foote Of Tennessee, has offered the fol-
lowing resolutionsin the House of Representa-
tives of the Confederate Congress. They lie
over for the present:
" RESOLVED, That it be respectfully but ear
nestly recommended to the President that he
do, as early as the first day Of May next, with
draw our present diplomatic agents from eve
ry foreign capital, the government of which
shall not at that time have agreed to recognize
our independence; and that, after said first
day Of May no foreign consul now acting as
such within the limits of said Confederate
States shall be any longer allowed TO exercise
consular power among us, except uponan exc
quatur asked for at the hands of the govern
ment Of said Confederate States, and granted
by the same.
g Resolved, That the conduct OF the Empe-
ror of France in proposing as he has recently
done, to the several European Powers that
they should unite with him in an act Of peace
full and amicable Intervention in the contest
now in progress between the governments Of
the United States and that Of the Confederate
States of America, has been highly gratifying
both to the government and people of the
Confederate States, and the hope is INDUCED
that this wise and magnanimous movement Of
the Emperor Of France, so fully in harmony
as it is with the principles which he has here
tofore emphatically avowed in well-known
published writings, and upon which he has
uniformly acted since his elevation to the inn
perial throne, may soon result in the estab-
lishment Of relations between his government
and that of the Confederate States of America,
of close commercial amity and enduring CON
cord"