Year: 1861

and unwsrFantable step, would do well 70 consider


whether, apart from the impropriety and irrstion-


atty of their demand, they are not defeating their


own end By making it The seeded States have


based much Of their action and many of their ex-


pectatlons upon the conviction that England cannot


do without their cotton aud that if itbe long enough


withheld, she viii interfere to break the blockode
| BY force; in other words, that she viii embrace


their cause, and virtually declare war against their


rivaI that is that she will take precisely the line


which those complainants are urging her to take
! The South is deliberately working and toiling to


force Us into quarrel with the North and English


men are found ready to fall into the trap and help


her sinister desgnsl Is it not obvious that 90 long


as the Goufederates entertain any hopes that Eng-


land will thus interfere they Will obstinstey retain


their cotton the plantations, and eectualy Bre~


vent our getting it in any model And is il not Oh


yious that nothing viii foster and prolong these


fallacious hopes as the language which, under the


dread of coming pressure these incousiderate mer-
chants and manufacturers are using! That the dis


tress must bel great aod widespread in the indus


trial districts Of Cheshire and Lancashire, if the


American crop is really and permanently withheld,
we entertain no doubt, and we are not surprised


that all concerned (snd who is not coneerned?)
should view the prospect with alarm. But the sole


practical question is, how can the threatened dan


der be most efectualy and yet riehtfully averted?
Now, as we have repeatedly shown, the resources
on the South, never very vast or very ready, are
derived solely from the sale of their producer for of
accumulated funds they have no great store. The |
sale of their cotton crop will, therefore, be-
come to them object of necessity; and when they
feel ths and can be dehnitTely satisfied that fOrci


bic intervhntiOn from Europe is an idle dream they


will hurry their cotton down to the ports or sons
easy and safe distance from the coast as to have
it ready for shipment by any vessel that arrive
and are prepared for tho risk Of endeayOring to |
evade the blocksding squadron at present they 4
feel at ease, for there is no cotton gathered and
picked and no ships ready to receive IT. so they can
safely indulge in q menace which they hope viii |
bring terrified Europe to her aid. But as soon as |
the cotton is to come forward, we have no doubt i
it viii be transmitted TO the coast; provided they
can be made TO renounee their hopes Of foreign in
terposition-


Now as far as England is concerned, we believe |
we may confidently assert that her interpositon will
be strictly limited to insisting that the blockade of
every port announced to be closed shall be bona 1e
efficient and continuous. She must take care that
the blockadipg squadron shall be ample and impair
tlAl, shall be considerable enough really 70 prevent
ingress and egress, and shall eOnnve at the escape
Of ships, and sh4ll give papers to If these
requirements are not fulhlled-And we are by no
means satisfied on this hesd-then we are entitled
and are bound, to notify to the Government Of the
United States that the blockade of that port or that
coRst is not effective is not therefore valid by the
&w of nations cannot be recognized by u.s. and will
not be respected by our ships. If we vigilant 1
enough in this respect we aPPrsheHd that the block
lde in several quarters will be found inadequate,
md will have to be renounced But this is very DIFF
erent matter from interfering to prohibit the
Blockade" altogether the ground that il is very
nisehieyous to US. The one proceeding is strictly
n accordance with international law and justice.
The other is hagrsnt and manifest violation OF
10Th.