Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-04-02


when they proclaimed the blockade
OF the Confederate ports. This was an
act OF war, which was only permissi-
bic in the case Of war, and when the
Queen issued her proclamation, ae-
cOrding to the rights and status OF
belligerents, she only accepted what
the Washington Government mad pre-
viously announced. had she not
done SO, and had taken the ground
now held blythe United States. that we
were an insurgent mob, she must have
refused to recognize the blockade Of
our ports, have insisted on the main
tenance OF the right Of free ingress and
egress OF British vessels In all those
ports, and In case Of its denial might
have enforced its recognition by the
guns OF her navy. II the Confederates
were an armed mob it was the func-
ton Of the Federal police to queIl the
riot by appropriate measures on land,
and not by a blockade excluding the
vessels OF foreign governments from
the ports to which they had a right Of
access under existing treaties. Every
writer on international law is agreed
on this subject; indeed, 1t is as plain
as a ~pike-stsf. A government cannot
blockade its own ports. To justify q
blockade there must be a war, To
| constitute 8 war there must be at least
two ~belligerent parties. Theproelam-
alton of blockade is a declaration Of
war, and the most palpable reOogni-
zion of belligerency. The Queen,
therefore, only exercised her sove-
reign prerogstive to declare that
the Confederates were bellige-
rents, accepting that which the
United States had previously de-
cIared. To admit that size had no
right to do this is Of course out Of the
question. Bat having donesO, to per-
nit argument as to whether she is
liable or not in damages to the United
States for the consequences of her act,
appears to US TO be p~reposterous; and
that had she positively refused to dis
cuss the question, she could have
promptly and definitely settled the
controversy long ago. Again, we can
not comprehend why an essentially
commercial and par ezceLlencs ship
building people should permit their
right to sell their ships TO whOmsoever
they see fit to be questioned under
any circumstances. The obli-
cations of international law
as to neutrals only apply to the sale of
vessels armed and equipped to cruise
against a country with which the
neutral is at peace. The right to sell
unarmed vessels to q foreign citizen is
undeniable as the right to sell a
bale Of calico, or a chest Of tea. The
Alabama and every other vessel
which the Confederates purchased
from English shipbuilders during the
var, are admitted to have been to all
intents and purposes merchant YES
sells which Her Msjesty's subjects had
q manifest right to build and sell,
without any violation Of the neutral J
ity which she prescribed. They all
received their armament and crews /,
after they had left England. Here I
again the English government might {
have very readily and very decidedly f.,
settled the Alabama claims by saying
we cannot permit any foreign 1
power to call in question the right of !
our people to sell their wares and ,
merchandise to a belligerent, and 4
;ae United States could not have
made any valid objection, as during
he entire struggle they were in the 9
British markets buying arms and mu !
with which to wage war upon I
he Confederate States. The British q
neutrality was a positive injury to
be Confederates States from the be- c
to the end Of the war, and .
vas consequently, to that extent, a Y
positive benefit to our adverse f
les. For instance, under its OPP 2
the Confederate cruisers Il
we're not allowed to purchase more o
in any British port than was s.
efficient to take them hack to Q
he place from which they sailed. 8
he Federal vessels had plenty of
stations and therefore suffered
inconvenience from the restriction. nj
. also as to prizes. The Confederate s.
7ere not allowed to take captured io
essels into a British port for condem- q
alton as legitimate prize Of war. b
he Federal cruiEers had ports of a
leir own, and In addition had adj
courts only too willing to
1ndemn any capture as legitimate b!
ithout any reference to facts or to =
W. But it is none of cur fight. We ~
a good deal like the old woman ST
to the issue of the contest between eV
II husband and the bear. pc