The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-01-17

views Of International law. No instance b known in
history Of tho adoption Of rules Of public NV under CIR
sunstancss q mo sessmniy with hhe uHAaimt,y, and
psdgng tho faNh Of nations with sancsy peculiar
Whsn Therefore This eoafedsracy formed, and when
neutral Powsn, wh.e aefsrring sctop s demand for
admission into the family Of nations, recognized
beliisersnt Power, Great Britain and France
made informal proposals. about No same time
that their ownghts nsusrab should b guaranteed BY
sccsding belgersnts 70 ths declaration Of rne
pies made BY the Congress Of Paris The request was
addressed 70 sense II justice, and therefore mot
immediate favorable response In The resolutions u the
Provisional Congress Of the 18th Of August 1851, BY
which all the principles announced BY the Congress d Paris
adopted the guide a oss1uct dvrng thu
with the sole exception Of that relative 70 psivatesng
Az the right 70 mako OF privateers IN which
neutral nations had 70 the prsssns war, interest,"
Il was right which the United States bad refused 70
abandon and which they renamed = liberty 70 employ
against MS, as was right u which No were already
IN actual enjoyment and which could not be expected
70 renouncs, JfaeyaSs bsiIo, sgaipst adversary
possessing an overwhelming superiority II naval
forces, il reserved, with entire confidence
that neutral nations could no, Gail 70 per.
ceye that jsss reason existed for The reserva-
tion. Nor was this confidence misplaced for the
ofcial documents published by the British government
usually called Blue Books contain The s1presson Of the
satsfactsn Of that with The eondsst Of tbs
officials who conducted successfully Ne dsease busness
conAisd to ,hsir charge.
These solemn declarations Of psncipls-tAm i'm.
Pied asreemest between tAe eonfsdsrscy and the
two Powers just named-hAve been suffered 10
remain cooperative sgainss he and oatrages
neutral rights committed BY The Ushed States with
anceasing and progressing arrogance during The whole
period Of the war Neutral Europe remained passive
blockade effectively the Of single ssae-proclaim
paper blockade Of thousands Of miles Of coast,
tending from the Capes Of Ne Chesapeake those Of
Florida and 70 Key West, anA snorclins tho Gulf o.
Mexico 10 the mouth Of the RIO 6ranae CompareA with
this monstreus pretenson Of the United statss, tho
blocksdes known In history under the names
OF the Berlin and Milan DEGREES the British Orders
Council the years 1905 and 1907 nsignncance
Yet those blocksdes justified BY the Powers that
declared them the sol ground that they retail
atory yet those blockades have been condemned
by the pablcis Of those very Powers violations Of
International law yet these blockades evoked angry 70
monstrances from neutral Powers, amongst which the
United States the most conspicuous; yet those
bockades became the chief Of the DO
tween Great Britain and tho United gtases In
1872; yet sbOse blockades were Of tho principal
motives that led tho declaration Of the Congress Of
Paris In 1860 the fond hope 0f imposing enduring
check the very abuse Of maritime power which IN
renewed by the United States 1891 and 1902
circumstances and with features Of aggravated wrong
without prec edent in history.
The records Of state Department contain the EVIL
dence Of the repeated and formal made by
this 70 neutral Powers against the
Of this blockade II has been shown by evidence not
capable OF contradiction anA which has been furnished in
part by the officials u neutral nations that The few ports
Of this confederacy before which any naval forces a all
have been stationed have been invested nefcicn,y
that hundreds Of entries have been effected into Thorn
declaration blockade that enemies
themselves admitted the nelc ency Of their blockade in
the forcible by repeated Official complaints
Of the sale to Of goods contraband Of war-a sale
which could not possibly affect ther interests their pre-
tended blockade sufficient really prevent W
coast, that they have gone farther, and have alleged
their inability 70 render their paper bocka6s sscse %
the excuse for the odous bsrbarisy Of destroying
the entrance 10 one OF harbors by snking
sells loaded with stone in the channel; that our
commerce with foreign nations has been inter
rupted not by the effective investment OF our ports
the seizure Of ships in the attsmpt 70 enter them
but by tho capture on the high SOFAS Of neutral vessels
BY the cruisers of whenever supposed to DO
bound 10 any point extensive coast, without in
quiry whether single blockadng vessel to be found
At which they stationed for distant expeditions,
have been absent for many days, and have returned
without notice either OF the cessation renewal Of the
blockade In q word, that every prescription Of mari
time Law and every right of neutral nations TO trade with
belgeren under tho sanction Of principles heretofore
universally respected have been systematically and per
sisteny violated by the United States. Neutral Europe
has received rcmonstrance and has submitted al
most unboken silence 10 all the wrongs that the United
States have chosen TO inHct ON it's commerce.
The Cabinet Of Great Britain. however has confined
itself TO such implied acquiesceDce in these breaches Of
international law results from simple nac,ion hai,
In published despatch Of the Secretary Of state for
Foreign Afiairs assumed make chance tho princi
pie enunciated by the Congress- o. Paris which the
faith Of the British government considered to be
pledgeda change too important and too prendicia 10
the interests or the conieeraey " DO overlooked and
against which have directed solemn protest TO DO
made, after a vain attempt 10 obtain satisfactory
explanations from the British government. In pub
shcd despatch from her Majesty Foreign once to her
Minister at Washington, under date Of February IL 1892
occurs the following passage;-
Mer Majesty's government, however, are OF opinion
that assuming that the blockade duly notified and
that number ~ ships stationed and remain nj
the entrance of port sufficient really 10 prevent
. ~ ,hs, nee sh,os DO no, yo'so.ary a psl
init Dgrces or euees, the fact that vari.
Gus ships may have successfully escaped through
las In the particular instance here referred will
not itself prevent the blockade from being e6cc
tual one by international lay.
Tho words which have italicssd addition made
by the British government of ia own authority 70 q
principle the exact terms Of which settled wnh
dehsraton by the common consent Of civilized
Da,,d6s, and BY implied convention with this
government, ~ already explained. and their effect
is clearly to reopen, TO the prejudice sf the
confederacy, Of the very disputed questions the
law o blockade which the Congress Of Paris proessd 10
settle. The importance Of this changs readily ilustrss
ed by taking Of our ports n example There rs
evident danger entering the port Of Wilmington from
the presence q blockading force and by this test the
blockade Ia effective. "Accer 10 not really prevented"
by the blockAdng feet 10 the port for steamers
continually arriving and departing 50 that. tried by this
tcst the blockade In Ineffective and invalid. Tho Justice
Of our complaint this point Is manifest 70 leave
s room for doubt that further reflection win induce
the British government TO give us such assurances