The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-01-27

taty against both belligerents, was IN reality eI
fective against the Confederate States alone, 10
they alone could find hostile commerce on th'
ocean. Merely nominal against the United States
the prohibition operated with intense severity OF
the Confederacy, by depriving it of the oni,
means of maintaining, with some approach e
equality, its struggle on the ocean against th'
crushing superiority of naval force possessed by
its enemies The value and efficiency of the
weapon which was thus wrested from our grasp by
the combined action Of neutral European powers
/ in favor of nation which processes openly its in
tention of ravaging their commerce by prlvateers
in any future war, is srikingly illustrated by the
! terror inspired among the commercial classes OF
the United States by single cruiser OF the Con-
! federacy One national steamer commanded by
officers and manned by crew who are debarred
By the closure of neutral ports, from the opportu-
nifty Of causing captured vessels to be condemned
in their favor as prize, has suthced to double the
rates Of marine insurance IN Northern ports and
consion to forced naction numbers Of Northern
vessels, in addition to the direct damage inflicted
by captures at sea- How difficult then, to over
estimate The effects that must have been produced
BY the hundreds of private armed vessels that
would have swept the seas in pursuit OF the COM
merce of our enemy, if the means OF dlsposng of
their prizes had not been withheld by the action
Of neutral Europe.
But it is especially in relation to the so-called
blockade of our coast that the policy of European
powers has been so shaped to cause the greatest
injury to the Confederacy, and to confer advanta-
ges on the United States. The Importance of this
subject requires some development
Prior to the year 1856, the principles regulat-
ing this subject were to be gathered from the wr-
tings of eminent publicsts, the decisions of admi
rally courts, international treaties, and the usages
of nations. The uncertainty and doubt which
prevailed in reference to the rules of maritime
law, in time of war, resulting from the discordant
and often conflicting principles announced from
such varied and independent sources, had become
erievious evil to mankind Whether blockade
was allowable against port not invested by land
as we'll as by sea; whether blockade valid by
sea if the investing feet merely sufficient to
render ineress 70 the biockaded port "evidently
dangerously" or whether it was further required
for its legality that it should be sufficient Greatly
to prevent access and numerous other similar
questions had remained doubtful and undecided
Animated by the highly honorable desire to put
end "to differences of opinion between neutrals
and beligerents, which may occasion serious diff
culties and event conflicts" Il quote the official
language,) the five great Powers of Europe ,togeth
er with Sardinia and Turkey, adopted, in 1856,
the following "solemn declaration Of princi pies ::
|. Privateering is, and remains abolished
2. The neutral flag covers enemy's goods, with
the exception of contrahand of war
3. Neutral goods, with the exception Of contra
band of war, are not liable 20 capture under ene-
Stag.
t. bockades, in order to be bindisg must be
effective; that is to say maintained by force sufi
cient really to prevent to the coast Of the
enemy"
Not only did this solemn declaration announce
to the world the principles to which the signing
powers agreed to conform in future wars, but it
contained clause to which those powers gave i'm
mediate effect and which provided that the States,
not parties to the Congress Of Paris, should be
invited to accede to the declaration. Under this
invitation every independent State in Europe yiel
ded its assent; at least instance is known to me
of a refusal, and the United States while declin-
ing to assent to the proposition which prohibited
privateering, declared that the three remaining
principles were in entire accordance with their own
views of international law.
No instance is known in history Of the adoption
of rules Of public law under circumstances of like
solemnty, with like unanmity, and pledging the
faith of nations with a sancity peculiar
When, therefore, the Confederacy formed
and when neutral powers while deferrny action
on its demand for admission into the family Of ma
tions, recognized it as belligereHt power, Great
Britain and France made informal proposals about
the same time that their own rights as neutrals
should be guaranteed by orr acceding, bellige-
rents to the declaration Of principles made by the
Congress of Paris. The request was addressed to
our of justice, and therefore met Immediate
favorable response in the resolutions Of the Pro-
vsional Congress of the 18th August, 1861, by
which all the principles announced by the Con
gress of Paris were adopted as the guide of our
conduct during the war, with the sole exception
of that relative to privateering. AS the right to
make use of privateers one in which neutral
nations had to the present war, interest; as
it a right which the United States had re-
fused to abandon and which they remained at
liberty to employ against us; as it was right OF
which already in actual enjoyment, ana
which we could not be expected to renounce !
fdgrnate beiio against adversary possessing an
overwhelming superiority Of naval forces, 1t was
reserved with entire confidence that neutral ma
ons could not fail perceive that just reason e3-
listed for the reservation Nor was this confidence
misplaced, for the official documents published By
the British Government, usually called "Biue
Books, contain the expression of the satisfaction
of that government with tue conduct of the ofh-
cials who conducted successfully the delicate
business con6ded to their charge.
The solemn declarations of principle, this I'M
piled agreement between the COntederacy and the
two powers just named, have been suffered 10
remain imperative against the menaces and out
RACES on neutral rights, committed by the United
States with unceasing and progressing arrogance
during the whole period of the war. Neutra'
Europe remained passive when the United STATES
with a naval force insufficient to blockade, enee-