Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-06-05

This L AN Interpolation amounting in irs breach of faith
and unscrupousness to but little less than actual forgery
Nevertheless It would require only production OF
Custom House statistics to shOW that even under the
dial onesf. the manifestly false construction that
Earl Russell has given to the Paris Convention the pre-
tended blockade Of ports Illegal and should not be
recognized by reutral Powers.
In proof of this We cite the statement Of the Augusta
Coastittonast, whose statements are never loosely
made that, taking the incoming and outgoing vessels
together at least ssreH every Uek average OF the
mast four months have successfully eluded the tlock-
aders at the single port of Charleston And these yes
els are not fishing smacks, nor yet little schooners but
,anly steamers Of considerable burden, many OF them
yde built steamers constructed for the express pur-
p)se Of blockade running.
This business has become so immense that If the
eargoes arriving at Charleston only were dutiable al
twenty per cent upon their home valuGtio'l the Gus
toms receipts at that port would amount to holt mil
lion of dollars weekly or .twentysx millions per an
num- And so profitable has the business grown, t at
shares in importing and exporting companies have re
comfy been sold at ten times their cost while new CON-
pan es are being continually organized in various parts
Of the country and steamers suitable for the trade are
being bought fabulous prices In TRUTH the blockade
has become entirely TOO ineffective for Or' good, as
MANY persons believe and conviction is fast fixing it.
self upon the pu' lie mind that our own Government
NUT blockade ports, or we shall be swamped by
The Yankee tradespeople at last.
The following recent official statement by the Super
intendent of the Coast Survey at Washington bears
upon this subject by showing the impOssibility of an
actual blockade
CoAsT SURVEY OFFICE I
May 20, 1868
ApuRAL-I have the honor to send herewith, incom-
piapce with your letter of April 3, 1863 the following
statements prepared in this Office appended to the ln-
ouiries contained in that letter:
First The ength of the coast Of the United States
now under blockade by naval forces, beginning at
the city of Alexandria, Va, and gong down the foto
mac river and Chesapeake Bay to Iapo Henry, and
thence continuing along the outer line OF the seacoast
around the peninsula Of Florida far the Bio Grande
his line 20 cross the rivers and barbors in the direction
of the coast The inc thus measured thirtyhVe hun
dred and forty-nne statute miles.
Second-The number Of openings IN this line OF
coast whether rivers bays, harbors, inlets sounds,
masses or other There are one hundred and eighty
nine openings in the line Of which the measure has just
been given.
Third The classification of these openings accord
ing to the depth of water the bars at their entrance
under three following distinctions, six, twelve and is
feet curves as they are drawn on the charts OF the
coast by the United States Coast Survey The classic
cation Of these openings is as follows: AT inca high
water the number of openings under six feet IN depth ls
forty6ye; between six feet aud twelve feet in depth,
seventy between twelve feet and eighteen feet in depth
forty.two: over eighteen feet in depth, thirty-two.
Very respectfully, yours,
A. D. BACHE,
Superintendent u s. Coast Survey.
To Rear Admiral Davis U. S n, Chief Of Bureau OF
Navigation.