The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-04-21
Thc blockade Running Question q,
Nassau.

NASSAU commercial circles, and the papers are
ensrossed with the new commercial regulation,
adopted by the Confederate States. The drpres
sion In trade there, caused hv them, Is Marked
The letters from correspondents are numerous
s""e "' thsm speaking Of the new regulations
hastns "perpiexed the m ,st saagatae friends of ths
centedsracy." They have doubtless pcrplexed'
! the NEST sanauiae friends of the almighty dollar
wao md their profits by cxtonion cut of to greu
extent but we doubt whether any teal friend of the
C"aedsracy, sanguine or otherwise, has expeTienc
cd a moments perpiexity On the subject. Oae oi
the perpsexed ''F N B's," thus writes to the Mas
sau He7oLi:
We must conclude that the responsible fIamers
Of this measure are fully aware that the agents
here will shrink from ipcunine the responsibility
OF running the vcsssts 0f their principles, without
iifst receiving positive Instructions. What the a
could DC The object Of the trainers OF this start
ling measure, IN launching II without even pre-
nninary announcement, or without specifying
reasonable distant day, when IL would come Into
operation! surprise WAS clearly jntended, and
most assu'sd'y has been efiec.ed-wIth what oh
ject we forbear to scrutinize too closely, hut that
lees partial pens will probe the motives tor 50
suddenly announcing, and so suddenly carrying
tato effect this new and sweeping change, we are
quite prepared to expect.
We have In forMer article stated that the se-
auei may show material advantages to the CNnfe-
esacy, ard those advantages may arise under The
measures being adopted by MIR Sliieii, the Confed-
crate Commissioned at Paris. &r Siide has issued
Instructions to the effect that persons holding cot
ton loan bonds for which they wish to obtain cot
ton must transfer the bonds to his keeping, and on
their doing he will give acertI!icae delivery
order fOs The amount vi cotton which they Fepre
sent n Il be the aim Of Sr Sitde, acting OF
course under Instructions, 20 reissue these bonds
at their eahanced value the Confederate excileQer
will be provided with fugds, although such a course
of procedure will probably meet with censure from
the bankhoIders.
Large sums have been made and large Su,,ls have
been lost In these ventures by English sypat,izers
an speculators, AMI the authorities at Richmond
will fled that all such persons will retire SOON
the aspect OF gain adegrl.c 10 the risk incurred
ceases. Ii must not be forgotten that the adven-
turous spirit OF Ens ish merchants led the way at
the outset In blockade running, and 1t Ii much To
be regretted that The Confederates them did
not take the initiative In the matter, and that even
a this date their enterprise ,eir patriotism Is be-
You'd Question) has not been mere concentrated on
SO vital All Issue a. the conveyance of munitions
OF war and necessary merchandise to the C0ned-
eracy.
We have investigated the merits OF the new law
with an aoxious desire to trace IN 1t ked and
decided advantages 10 Confederate Interests, as
distinct from all other Interests but not of
those who consider the cause Of the Cuntcderaey
will be best served by tacitiy asserting TO al the
measures which may emanate from the Executive,
and consider 1t to be self evident, that in eX-
amining such Il Measu-c as the one dis
cussing, II is impossible to ignore the Interests of
the bloc kade runner. The COnfedCrateS have made
great and noble sacrifices, but they cannot sur
mount the imposshities, ana impossibiiity il
certainly would prove to be To carry on blockade
running on comprehensive scale without a large
margin of profit being allowed 10 meet inevitable
contingencies.
On the other hand another communication from
'Justice,' in the same paper, writes the following
sensible views on the subject
ho nresent system nf bIop pkadp nj no hoan
beneficial to the COniederatcs? This must be an
swered by It's results. What have they been. A
depreciation of their curreney-an exo.bitant rate
of prices, and the establishment of q wide spread
anc unpIincip'ed extOrion
I'ne blockade runner has ever refused to take
Confederate money. He has ever demanded gold
cotton, and the country has been drained OF spe-
Gle This, as a matter OF course, increased ihe
price of exchange, and ii has been steadily increas
ing ever since this system Of importing began.
Cold has flowed from and not into the Confedtra
cy because the blockade runner has not tax en- gold
with which TO buy his cotton he has etways en-
tered Confederate port with a small supply Of
goods, such as were scarce In the maj kGt al the
time, fixed his own prices and demanded gold or
cotton In return.
This may be considered as warranted by the risk
he runs. But why does he not take gold with
which 10 buy his cotton simply because he can
demand greater quantity of cotton in return fur
his goods The purchaser, as a matter OF coursc,
Is compelled TO Increase hts prices before he can
retail the goods he buys, and hence has arisen
a system of unprincipled and uucalicd for ext9r-
tiOn
such has been the actual results of blockade
running. But we told "it has d0ne the C0nfed-
crates an immense amount OF good had Ii nOi been
for it the Coaicisracy would have 'saRe up long
SlHce.o
To save our lives we can't 1t In this light
What has been the character OF goods Imported
Silks sallns, laces bOadcloths, liquors. aud ladies'
goods genSTally-Whi they have carried tu.
very small proportion of army supplies, and these,
fortunately, were slowed In that part of the vessel
which the Government had wisely reserved 10 Itself
or they would never have gotten there other vice
the Government would have been the victim OF an
outrageous aud unpar alieei ezOrtion, which would
have soon made IL bankrupt sue enough. Aud we
may safely add, had not the Government reserved
To itself this right 1t would have 'ssOne ap" IN
deed.
Now, suppose the presen, companies stop, what
then? Il must be remembered that the Cunfede
rates are fighting for life and liberty, and not for
The purpose OF enabling third parties to amass co
iOsSai fortunes And there re patriotic and cnteS
prisiag men In the Conederacy, who will willingly
give only half, but the whole of their YES
sels' capacity 10 the Government, should the coun
Try demand 1t; and those stopping Will sOan find tn
their sorrow that "OtheiiO'5 occupations gOne,'
and their places filed by men who equally, II
not better, suited to the purpose.
But the COnfederates do not mean ~ run the
present companies Of. They offer to pay them
large freight, more than the average price of cot
ton In times OF peace-sixpence sterling per pound.
5upposc q vessel brings over 900 bales of cotton,
Weighing 4JJ pDGnts e0cu, tIe Utight alone Will
amount to 22 0o0, ,0Do Is II, then, their policy to
quit!
Ii Ii useless for them To threaten. The Yankees
cant bring the C0ntedefates To terms, aud II is
hardly possible they should be troubled by a few
blockade runners, wha have dOue them little hu
good, and can now do them no harm.
Let US, thea, hear no more peeyish complaints
about the action Of the autho rites 1T itichMuud
Ii liosc engaged Ia the business can't satisfy Their
cupidily, let them stop; the C0atedefates don't
ask them u continue, and are under no O5ga
tioiis u theM whatever, for they have paid them
well.