Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-02-05
THE NAVAL DISASTER OPT CHARLESTON
SDITH CAROLINA


The public OF Washington received its frs,
, Information OF the startling news from Charles
ton through the columns Of the Star, yesterday,
ano our cf3ce was thronged until late in the
e'fEing by those anxious to get possession Of
the details Of the affair as related by the Rich
mond papers and furnished in the star
Although il is not believed that the Rebels
had achieved any such results as claimed vet
there is room for surmise that there was
enough OF disaster 10 us IN ii to give the affair
dfcidedly-unpleasant look. II seems, on I
smaller scale, repetition of the Merrimac
raId-iron-clads against wooden walls and the
latter sanding no chance in the encounter
There is satisfaction, however, in the belief
that our iron-cIads now concentratin, a. por,
Roy al u Ill soon appear on the scene of the late
action AID give the Confederate fl ct OF Charles.
ton pressing in IMITATION TO take part in a fight
OF more equal terms.
But from this time will 60 forth the cry D.
terd0 e+f CaTh1go' Charleston must fall : and
II " on seem she has provoked her testruc-
ton Just at the time when We have a force in
hat u" 'ghbOrhoOd adequate 10 the mission
Tie propeller Cgnboat Mercedita which the
tenfis ann to have sunk, was designed and
6uht III le6I, by Dir. Edward Lupton, at Will
lam. Durg, Log Island, and was Intended for
the NJ " York and Havana Steam Navigation
en- any, 10 run between New York, Ha rama
Whf the Mercedira was finished and ready
Tor sea, the Government bought her and made
extensive alterations, 90 as 10 fit her for first.
class eunEOat- On the 9Th of December 1851
she was put In commission at the BROOKLYN
Navy ard, and soon after sailed on a cruise to
the @ ulf. "
She mounted nine guns and had abou, t,,,,
hundred men. WV
On The return Of the Mercedita in aupust
Is. L tie foiiowin ing was list of her Off GERS; but
kEow,nOt: "
Commander, Henry S. Stellwagen; Lieu
tenant and Executive Officer, Treyett Abbott;
baldwin, F. ]. Cover, John Dwyer: Acting
Assistant Surgeon, g. H. Mason: Acting Assist'
AM faymaster, q. Stellwagen; Senior Engi-
1etr, Alexander Daig; Acting Third Assistant
Engineers, S. Rockefeller, ]. A. Mnnrer r
Martin; Captain Clerk, G F. Randall: Acting
Masters Mates, g. A. Stems, T.. Rogers: Paw.
Steward, G. Bearse.
The New York Commercial saws In regard IN
the legal effect Of Beauregard's raising the
Blockade"
Inc main importance of this raid upon two
or three, (Which, is not certaln,J aud no
bI Hrsry absence lif absent thew Were l,nf.fbS
whether thereby the blockade Of Charleston
was raised by the rebels. If it was, then hat
port can only be again closed after due notice,
as in the original blockade, TO foreign nations
Charleston would, then, for perhaps sixty DAYS
te open TO all vessels, and the rebels would
rush In all needfnl supplies, which would tend
10 al least materially protract the war.
International law does not appear TO be very
clear as TO what constitutes the forcible and
enectual raising Of blockade by the party
blockaded Kent says that when a blockade is
raised voluntarily, or by a superior force, it
puts an end TO n absolutely" and notice. &c
m ust be given de moro. But IN this case there Is
no evidence that II was raised in either way.
We know that il was not raised voluntarily
and the pres umption that ii was not raised by
superior force Is strong from the admitted
isct hat NE Ieet was never attacked, and that
rant .a..lxt ~.
staid there, when only four vessels OF the
blockading feet again appeared of the bar.
we are constrained indeed to believe that the
proclamation Of Ingraham end Bea uregard is
simply an attempt to embroil us with foreign
powers, which suspicion is strengthened by the
iact mat the publication Is timely for the Eng
lsh steamer.