The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-01-06


a more than ssEfFsctEves blockade.
The reluctant testimony Of the rebel
press ct home and rebel agents abroad,
igives US ct length the assurance of q
perfect blockade OF The Southern coast.
We say . perfect blockade, not merely an
effective blockade. That even foreign
malice has been compelled TO acknoWl-
edge we have kept up from the start But
blockade may be quite effective" with
in the legal definition Of the term-that
is, may be 30 real and stringent as to
make il hazardous 10 attempt to run it
and yet be very far firm practically
complete.
There is no doubt that, before we got
possession of the principal points on The
Southern seaboard, and before the coast
guard became as vigilAnt So il has been
of late, the rebels were able TO draw
from abroad through the ports Of Beau
fort, Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah,
Mobile, New Orleans and the Rio Grande,
immense supplies Of arms, ammunition,
shoeF, clothing, engines, and q thousand
other articles of wsFllke and domestic
use. Even after Beaufort, Savannah,
Chat is from q maritime point of view,
Fort Pu zshi,) and New Orleans had sue
cumbed 70 the Union arms, all the watch
fitness OF our blOckading squadrOns
could not prevent the rebels from obtain
ing very extensive supplies through the
ports that remained. The great num-
bers Of channels leading into Charleston
harbOF presented such peculiar facilities
for the entrance of the swift light steam
ers from Nassau, that there was proba-
bly, some color Of truth in the boast Of
the rebel press that the entries at the
Custom house Of Charleston were heaVi-
er than at any time since the revolution.
Wilmington and the Bio Grande present
ed almost equal facilities; and while the
rebels had these three ports, the profits
Of blockade-running were found 70 BIS
still Sufficiently large to induce Scotch
aud English firms to make heavy VEN.
lures.
But the past six months have brought
grief to the rebels and their British COM
mercial friends. From the moment Gen.
Gilmore seized the key TO Charleston
harbor in the possession of Morris Island,
be was able to lock fast the door against
the entry of any c0Dtrsband interlOpers.
From the moment Gen. Banks landed at
Brazos, the hOspitable highway of the
Rio Grande became henceforth 70 the
rebels q portus clsnus. Being thus cut
off from the two main inlets Of contra
band commerce, they have Of late been
reduced TO the single port of Whining
ton. But even this is now under such
vigilant surveillance IS TO be practically
worthless to the rebels, IS they them
selves acknowledge. The chance of run
ming in one vessel > month";. which has
been the rate Of late, can hardly pay for |
the risk of the venture.
Incredible though il may seem that !
the resources Of any navy should be able |
to keep mp the blockade of coast two |
thousand miles in extent-And we re- |
member how the proposition 10 do SO
was, on the first proclamation Of block /
ade, jeered at throughout Europe as bit /
of Yankee brag or bombast-yet the |
problem assumes proportions much less
when we come to consider /
what are the material conditions re-
auisite to make . port really aVSilG-
bic for the purposes of profitable
blockade running. Il is evident that
it must not only be one presenting
photographic facilities for the entry of
blockade runners, but It must b on one of
The greatest lines Of transportation, that is, it
must be on or in the immediate vicinity
of railroad. Now it is astonishing in
running the eye down the southern sea-
board TO observe how few are the points
which in 30 vast stretch Of coast fulfill
these conditions. We find, in fact that
the number is limited to Beaufort Will
Charleston, Savannah, Mobile,
aud New Orleans. There are, indeed,
other harbors in abundance, but they
no means for the distribution of
supplies, and are, therefore, not available
for contraband trade. Now, it is the fact
that we have all these points in our pos
sess on, or so completely sealed up by
our squadrons that it.renders the blockade
not merely defective" but perfect. - -a
This fact is beginning to be found out
by the British trading friends Of the
rebels, and their ventures will become
fewer and fewer the more thorough Y they
realize it. However strong their symps-
thy with their Southern friends may be,
it WILDE apt to receive 3 cold chill from
Secretary WELLEs' stunning exhibit,
that over one thousand prizes valued al more
han thirteen millions Of dollars, have been
taken by our blOcksdlng squadrons. We
sre disposed to feel some regret at this
result for the sake of our gallant blue
iAckets, who have been filling their pOOk- /
cts with the fat proceeds of the prize
but the striDgency with which
this complets shutting cut of all material !
aid and comfort abroad must press upon
The rebels, cannot fail TO tell fearfully on
their fortunes. They are now under an
receiver" where inAnitiOn
must ere long come upon thsm-M 7.