Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-04-06
TIE CONFEDERATE STATES AND G. BRITAIN.
plpLoMArro CORRESPONDENCE.
THE BLOCKADE.

honor to submit to lordShp printed list OF Fes-
sells entered and cleared the lsand Of Cuba from
and to certain of the bockaded ports of the Confederate
Estates OF America up to the month of December 1861
inclusive and in my letter accompanying the list,
stated that they sent to me from Hayaua and were
"taken from Official documents there by gentleman Of
intelligence and integrity, well known TO me- and wor-
thy of entire reliance"
have now the honor of submitting to your lord
ship like printed lists, taken from the official
sources of vessels from certain of the block AIDED ports
of the Confederate States which, With their respective
cargoes entered the ports OF Havana and Matanzls in
Cuba for the months of January and February in the
present year.
These lists came by the last West Iudian mail, were
sent to me by the gentleman above referredto and
entitled to full credit.
They show that in January and February last ten
vessels from New Orleans and six from Mobile had
tered the ports indicated in Cuba making with those
of Others from the blOckaded ports in all twenty five
vessels, not prevented by the alleged blockade from
successful ventures to foreign port have, &c,
J. NJ. MAsoS
This letter contained an incIosure setting forth
list of vessels which arrived at Havana aud AatanzaS
from ports Of the Confederate States Of America during
the months of January and February 1852 with de-
scrption OF their cargoes landed. The vessels num-
bered and the table shows that they
all owned either in the rebel States or England They
ran from New Orleans, Mobile Pensacola, Galveston
Charleston, and some few other ports The majority of
them Loaded cotton, and the ohers rosin and turpen-
tine
RARL RUSSELL TO Ms. MASON.
FoREIeS OFFICE April H. lS62.-Earl Russell pre-
sents his compliments to Mr. Mason aud begs leave TO
arknow ledge the receipt of Mr. Masons letter of the LIST
instant, relative to the blockade of the ports of the
Southern coast Of North America.
Mr.. MASON TO EARL RUSSELL.
No. 81 DEvoSsHIRE STREET, PORTLAND
PLACE, LONDON, July 7, 1862.
Nv Lord am instructed by recent despatch from
the Secretary Of State of the Confederate States of
America bring to the attention Of your lordshp what
would seem be addition engrafted by her MaOstYs
Government the principle of the law of blockade,
established by the Convention of Paris in 1885, and
cepted by the Confederate States Of America the in
vitation of her M9jesty's Government
In the inst. actions to the text of the Convention
of Paris is quoted in the following words
"BloGkades in order to be binding, must be eiectivc
that is to say maintained by force sufficient really to
prevent access to the coast Of the enemy"
And the despatch Of the Secretary OF State then pro-
eseds:
The Confederate States after being recognized as
beligerent power by the Governments of France and
Great Britain informally requested by both those
powers to accede this declaration, as being a correct
exposition of International law Thus invited this Gov
ernment yielded its assent.
Great then, was the surprise Of the President at find
ing in the published correspondence before alluded to-
referring the papers laid before Parliament touching
the American blockade the following expressions of
Earl Russell in his letter to Lord Lyons OF the 9Th of
February last:
Her Maesty's Government, however, arc of opinion,
that assuming that the blockade dolly notified and
also that number of ships is stationed aud remains at
the entrance of port sufficient really to prevent
cess TO it, or TO crate eUidnt danger Of entering or
ledUng Il, and that the ships do not voluntarily permit
eress or ngrcss the fact that various ships may have
successfully escaped through it las in the particular in
stance referred toy will of itself prevent the block
ade from being clIectual one by international law.
You will perceive that the words in italics adj
dton to the definition of the treaty of Paris Of
1856.
If such be the Interpretation placed by Great Britain
ON the treaty of 1861 is but Just that this Government
should be so officially informed Certain it ia that this
Government did not nor could it anticipate that the
very doctrine in relation to blockade, formerly main
tanned by Great Britain, and which all Europe supposed
to be abandoned by the treaty Of 1885, would again be
asserted by that Government
The language of her Majests Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs may not have been intended to bear the
construction now attributed to it, but it is evidently
susceptible Of this interpretation and cannot be too
cautious in guarding rights in matter which must,
in future, well the present, so deeply involve the
interests of the Conlederacy.
Az warrant for the assertion in the despatch OF the
Secretary that the superaddcd words promugcd doc
trine in relation TO blockade, formerly maintained by
Great Britain referred by him to the text of tho
treaty between Great Britain aud Prussia in 1901 fol-
lows:
THAT in order to determine what characterizes a
bockaded port, that denomination il given only where
there L. by the disposition of the power which attacks
it with ships stationary sufficiently near, evident
danger in entering-Art 5, sec.
The force and effect Of these supeIadded words it
must be plain to your lordship has materially and most
1i,ia y affected and continue n affect
during the existing war the interests Of the Confed
crate States could this be better shown than by the
illustration adopted in the letter referred to, from your
lordshp to Lord Lyons, that
TAe fact that vdrious ships may have escaped through
H(the blockade triH not of itself prsvs" the blockade
from being AZ, efectuaL one By International lar
1t may be readily admitted that the fact that various
ships entering or leaving port have successfully es
capped bockading squadron, does not show that there
~ not have beenan evident danger in entering
leaving it, but certainly docs show that the blockade
was not in the language Of the treaty of Paris main
tanned by force sufficient really, to prevent to
the coast of the enemy"
have therefore, the honor to request for the infor
nation of my government that your lordShip will be
good enough to enable to solve the doubt entertain
ed by the President Of the Confederate States to the
construction placed by the government of Her Majesty
on the text Of the convention of Paris accepted by
the government of the Confederate States the
hereinbefore cited-that is to say, whether blockade
is to be considered effective when maintained at
mys port b. force sufficient to create an "eyident
danger" of entering or leaving il; and not alone
where sufficient, Greatly to prevent access"
On the subject of the alleged blockade l noti-
fed from the Department of State OF the Confederate
States and instructed to lay before your lordship
as her Majestys Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
the accompanying list of vessels entered and cleared at
the port Of Charleston, South Carolina, in the months
of November and December, 1861, and of January
February and March, 1862; at the port of Savannah
Georgia. for tue months of October, November and De-
cember, 1861 at Galveston Texas for the months of
December, 1861 and January and February, 1862; at
New Orleans Louisiana, for the months of November
and December, 1884, and February, 1862; at Pensaco
Ia, Florida, for the months of December 1861, and
January and February, 1862 at Apalachicola Florida
for the months of December 1861 and January, 1852
and at Port Lavaca, Texas, in January, 1862.