The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1885-04-30
THE COLOMBIAN IDEA uNsouNp,
View Of the United states from freos'
dents and National Tradition Our
Interest Small, Hut u Great
Principle Il Involved.
WASHING TON AND PANAMA NEWS.
Our Colombian Relations.

Becerra, the Colombian minister at
Washington, with reference TO decree
of the Colombian government closing
several of its ports to foreign commerce,
and virtually declaring the vessels OF
the insurgents, now engaged In hostile
operations against Cartag ena, 10 be be-
yond the pale OF international law.
Under date of April o, Senior Becerra
writes TO Secretary Baysrd AS follows:
al yesterday had tho satisfaction 10
receive telegram from the President
of Colombia, dated at tho capital city
of tho urion, on that same
day, whereby thai muglstr 20 Informs
me that the republic is now pacific,
with the exception of tho ports OF Pam
anna ON The isthmus OF that name and
those of Sabinello and Santa Marta and
Barrei quillR, in tho states OF Bolivia
and Magdalena. Active military opera
lions were still in preparation against
the rebels, who hold these por's IN our
territory, and with u view 10 making
them more efficient, various measures
of highly important character had
beon ADOPTED, TWO oi Witch l
have the honor, in obedience 10 in
struction, to bring b. the knowledge
of this government. By the decree tho
Colombian governm ent, in the exercise
of its authority, and expressly eniorc-
ing the sentiment of the pr visions OF
its commercial and revenue laws. de-
clares the ports of Sabinello and Santa
Marta, in the caribbean sea, and the
fluvial port OF Barranquilla, which Is
very near the Sabinello, closed 10 for
eign commerce. All attempts TO import
or export goods through the aforesaid
ports, after this decree is known, Will
therefore be considered as Illicit. Any
trade thus carried on viii
be considered contraband, and
therin will be liable, besides FORGETTING
the goods, to the penalties in such cases
provided by the Colombian laws. BY
second decree the government ofColom-
dia desires that the vessels which are
now stationed at the entrance to the bay
of Cartagena, in the port of that ZANE,
in the Caribbean ses, and which are
embarrassing snd even making war
upon internal commerce under the flags
OF various foreign nations, and by
means of the vessels OF the limos of reg
ular communication which have long
been established, do not belong to
the United States of Colombo, and
they have no right to raise
as they nevertheless do raise, the flag of
that nation. AS consequence, both
their existence and their action, which
the pale OF international law, and their
proceedings, which are hostile TO the
peaceful operations of commerce at the
entrance TO commercial port belong
ing TO nation viii oh Is at peace with
Uhe whole world, may in All cases be
punished by the vessels that are charged
In these waters 10 watch over the inter-
ests of commerce il general and over
the special interests of the nations to
which they respectively belong. In in
forming you, Mr.. Secretary Of State, as
L hereby have the honor
10 do, of the restoration
of peace throughout almost tho entire
territory of Colombia, and of the meas
ures adopted, with view 10 its restora-
ton in the ports which are still held by
the rebels, entertain the hope that this
intorma tion win be gratifying to you,
and that the DEGREES in question Will
have, in your estimation, the weight
necessary to cause them to be consid-
cred as important to American COM
merce."
Under date of April %, Secretary
Bayard replied to Senior Becerra, reca-
pitulating the points of the latter's COM
munication, and setting forth the posi-
tion OF the United States with reference
thereto, as follows:
"ThH government, following the re-
ceived tenets of international law, does
not admit that decree of sovereign
government closing certain national
ports in the possession of foreign enc
mics, or of insurgents, has any inter
national effect, unless sustained by
blockade fore sufficient to practically
close such ports"
Secretary Bayard then quotes from
Lawrence's notes on Wheaton, the rule
on such cases as drawn from the posi-
lions taken by the administrations of
Presidents Jefferson and Madison, dur
ing their struggles with France and
England, and continues as follows:
"fNhe situation which the Presidents
decree assumes to create is analogous to
that caused by the action OF the govern
ment of New Grenada in 1861. The
Grenadan charge d'affaires, Senior Raj
ael Pombo, on the 3lst OF March of that
year, notified Mr.. Seward that certain
ports, among them Rio Hacho, Santa
Marta, Cartagena, Sabinsllo, seaports
all on the Caribbean coast, had
been declared to be closed to commerce,
whether OF export or import. There is
dan government then announced that
war vessels of the confederation, were
to cruise about the ports closed to conf
MERGE for the purpose of seizing vessels
which should be found violating the
closure which had been decreed.
It appears from Mr.. Stewards note
of acknowledgement to Senior Pombo,
dated April o, 1861, that the announce.
mems then made were interpreted, and
correctly so, as declaration that GER
tain named ports were in state of
blockade, which should be rendered eff
fective by national vessels, and of which
due public notice had been given while
the government of tho United States in
1861 thus confirmed the doctrine it had
consistently maintained from the ear
lest days OF the republic, that non-pos-
s Sy MARITIME Usis blockade. the British
government then controverted the right
Of New Grenada to resort to such rem
fhe secretary then quotes the state
ments of Sir John Russell, with refer.
ence TO the New Grenada blockade,
made in answer to an inquiry In the
house Of commons on the 18th of June,
1861, and continues as follows:
"Early in 1851, the civil war in the
United States broke out. This govern
meut maintained the position that the
closure of domestic ports in
the hants of confederate forces was .
legitimate incident toward the mainte-
nonce of an effective blockade
by sea. This was opposed by
the British government, and in the
Lord John Russell repeatedly AMI
nounced to Mr.. Adams tho same fiile
as he had previously anuOunced with |
regard to the Grenadan 1aufee, afld tIe1
finally appealed to his Akswef IN the
New Grenada case, for the paipgse Of I
showing tnat 1t was intended 70 make
the rule universal. The british minis
Ter ultimately went 70 tl,e pxt.o ne q I
lsc'exing that trey g y 2 ,sss ~