Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-01-16

| with the exception oil conLrGDaGd oi war.
3. Neutral goods, with the exception OF
contraband Of ,war, arc ret liable TO capture
under cromy's flag.
4. Bockades, IN order 70 be- Ending, mug!
ho eifactiTs that i3 t. saJ, maintained by {
force sufficient really l.; prcTant sccesH to
the coast OF the enemy.
Not only did this solemn declaration m
ncunca 10 the world the principles to which
the signing powers agreed TO conform in fu-
tnre wars, but it contained clause tn which
those powers gave Immediate effect, and WHICH
provided that the States, moi parties tn the
Congress OF Paris. should be invited TO &C.
ccdo tn the declaration. Uuder this invita-
ton every independent Stste in Europe yielded
! its assent at least, no instsnce is knoTn to
mo cf q refusal anil the United S.stes. while
declining to assent to the p-oPoaision which
prohibited pTiyateering, declared that the
three remaining principles wore III cnti1e SC
cordapco with their cwn views of intsrHa-
tional law.
No instance IS known in history Of tae
adoption of rules of public laE under circugfs;
distances. LIE soIamaity like nnanimi-
ty, and plsdging ti,o faith of nations with 6
7enctity so peculiar.
formed, lid whon neutral poEern, whilo de-
arring action on ita demand for admission
| into the family Of nations, recognized it ~ c
bel!isarent power, Great Britain and France
made informal proposals about tho same
time that their OWN rights as nertrals should
be guaranteed b. our accedins, BE- belige-
rents, to the declaration Of principles made
by the Congress of Paris. Tho request Was
addressed &c CIR Gense OF justice, and there
| fore mot Immediate favorable response in the
| resolutions &c the Provisional Congress of
The 18th August, 1851, hJ which all the prin-
ciplea announced by the Congress Of Paris
wcra adnptcd 81 the guidc Of our conduct
during the war, With the soie exception Of
tha: relative u privateeriGg. Az The right
to make nsa Of nrivateerG WAS che in which
neutral Rstians had, 90 to the present war
10 i;ite7oat: as it was right which ths Uni
| tod States had refused to abandon and " hich
they remained st liberty to snploy asainat
| I5;as il waas righ. OF which ws wore already
in actu"i enjoyment, and which We could no:
be expected tu raTcuEce RGqraT:s bsflo against
All adversary possessing an overwhelming
/ superiority Of naval forces i: Tss reserved
! win entire c1niiiruc2 thc: neutral nations
cnult net Elii 10 perceive that Just rcsson
existed far tee TasoT gat;oI. flor wss shi5
confidence n;i5claccd, for the official dncu
rients published by the British GoTeroneIlt.
usually called " blue Books" contain the
expression Of The Satisfaction os th.t govern
rncnt with n" coniuct Of 10 officials Who
conducted successfully the delicate hus;nss5
| c6rfda3 to tbsir charge,
These aaiecln declarations Ct principle, this
implind agreement botween the Confcdtracy
anu the two powerH just named, have Essn
suffered 10 remain imperative against The
insnAGGs and outrases nli neutral rights com
Initte;i hy ;hc United States With unceseirg
and r progressing arrogance daring the Whole
period Of the war N5ntra Europe reuain
ID passive when the United States, with IA
yal force insufficient to blockade, effectively:
the coast Of single Stste, proclaimed pareT
blockade Of thousands OF milol Of coast, extend
ing from the cepcs ofthe Chesapeake to those OF
Florida, and encircling tue Gulf Of Maxico
from key West 20 tho mouth Of The PIC
GraHde. Connsred with this uionstrous
-pTstennian OF the UGiied States. the kitcksaa
known in history, Under tha names Of ths
Berlin and Milan decraes. aud the britigh Or
dIrs in Council in thu yesrs l36G and 1907,
sink into ius;glifcaace Yet those blocksdea
were justified by the powers that declared
thmu, OF The cole grnund that !heY wera 'r-
LGiiatnry; yeL thoae tlackadea hsys aincs
beei, .ibn;inmned by lh6 puG!icists Of thoss
yery r.y-rrs az vioiatinns Of International
Law; yet those hincEaies evoked angry remHn-
| 9t:ancro iron. neutral powers sm6ngst which
the United Ststrn were the u1st conspicuous;
yet those block Kades became the chief cause of
;he war between Great Britain and tho I'M
:cd States in 1912; yet these hlcckadea were
one of ths principal motives that led 10 the
declaration 81 the Congress OF Paris III lS5t'.
in the innd hope Of imposing an enduring
| check on the very abuse of maritime power
which is now renewed by the United States
in l3Gl md 1852, under circumstances aud
With features Of aggravated wrong without
precedent in history.
The records oi our State Department con-
tair tho evidence Of the repeated and formal
re.aon5trances made ny thia Government 70
ncrtrai powers against line recognition CT this
':lcci;ade. 1t has bsan shown by evidence
rnt capable nf contradiction, and which has
uuen furnished i'll part BY the officials CT neN-
ire, cations tiat t!is few poris Of this Com
!aa5,acy, before which enY naval soraos al
ali have hecn stationed, have been invested 80
|
| been effected imto them sincs tns declaration
OF the blockade; Tbs. onr enOhliss haTe thciu-
selves admitted the ;iIefi.c;ency Of their blon
,.dp !. tie most iDrciniv lisnher, py repeated
official calplaints vi lks saic TO us, Of goods
contrrbsnd uf var. IL snlc which could not pos.
siilT i,;icct their interests If their pretended
bloakair vas sufficient really to prevent
access &c our coas::" that they have gone
! farther and have alleged their inability to
render their parer blockade cGectiTe as lhc
! eycaGo for :he oiiacs harbsrity Of destroy
! ing the entrance TO one Of cur kcrboTs by
sinking vessels lcadsi with stone in the chan.
nci tnnt cur commerce with foreign nstinns
has been inteTce p;Gd, n0l by The effective in
veGtnient II. cur rorle. nor ny the seizure Of
EhipR in the stcnDt TO cutter them, Eut by
the capture nn tho high sess of neutral yes
sells by the crniaers cf our enemies whenever
suppose! tu oe bound &c sny point OF urr ex.
tcnairc coast, without enquiry whether :
ei1clS hlockading vesshl was to be found at
such Pc;at; that bl"ckadinE vessels have left
Tic ports at whicr thsy we're stationed fo7 dis.
tant expeditions, have been absent for E:Sny
dsys and have returned, without notice eitbe.
cithe cessation or renewal o.! the blockade
il = word, that every prescription Of maritime
law, and c7=ry right Of neutral nEticus to
trade ,rish beilis7rert Under tho sanction OF
! principles heretofore universally respected
hare heen systematically ana per5istently
violated ty tie United States. Eentrsl Eu.
rape has received our reuionstrsHces and haa
submitted in a1rasr unhroksn silence to all
the wrongs met ;le United States have cho-
Sen 70 :n1ct cn its commerce. The Cabi-
net OF Great Britain, however: has not
conhoeG itself 70 such implied acquiescenct
in these breaches of international law ~
results from simple innction, but has, in c
published despatch Of tie SacTetc:J CT Stat:
for FcTcig1 aMai7e, assumed ta make changt
in the principle snuuciated By tae Congress
Of Paris 20 which The faith af the BRITISH
Government was considered to be pledged !; {
change too important aud TOO prejadicial t.
the interests OF the ConfsderAcy to ha over
"