North Carolina Newspapers

SALISBURY, N. C, JANUARY 26,. J N UAlBEll 36; gw concluded in the ear 1783, with one of the must have been adverse to the ,extravajrant the sigolng powers agreed to conJorro in fu ' two treat maritime . Dowers of .Western bretensions of the United States. was the tore wars, but it contained a clause to wluVh ditions, have be0 absvut for many days and bare returned, without notice either of the PROPRIETOR. I EurOte. and had bHn. nrinr to that ner'uvl. ' nrolrtntratinn of hrtafilities tO 'whu-h 'tut tia. thnA nnmtrt hid immmliulA iffwf nft Cessation or renewal oL. the blockade: io w1BRarlui VOL. . flsiAJicar4aaflA yWTJTirmeirwertf iherebf saWiJfeaAS? ' To tht&niUnofiJ-rl ' n.L .t.s, . J, i :, . t? ;ffr?r" At the date of youc last Adjournment the preparations of the enemy for further hostili - tics, ha J assumed so menacing an aspect, aa, right to secede, not witlwtanding this provis-.-. to excite io some minds apprehensions of oir' iotu wm neither contested bv the States from J abtiity to meet them with sufficient prompt - tne to avoid serious reverses.. These pre - ' 'truyLtivs,JBaaphl$i ehertly - after your depertwftiemlhaMatid the anjifct of the United SlaU made aimuk taneous advance oo 'oar frontiers, on tlie r western river and oabe- Atkmicooast iu OTerbearing all reawtance by mere- weight of numbers.JThi4 hope, bowerer .fike those prevtoualy eotertaindd by our foe.' tat Tan- ished." Ta Virjnia, tlieir fourth attempt at i -w j npi wuun 'iHmi mcvnai was oonn.ieBU preuicunl, bas met with ae- ' Vfanre repulse, Our" asble derenders. under Ibe.cotnumuiaW leadership of their General, have 'again, at Fredenck.barj, inflicted on ll forte uudr Qeoeral Burnside the like dLsastrous overthrow as had beeu previouilr suffered by the suceessive invading armies coinmaudt! by Oeoorals McDowell, ilcUW Ua and rone. ' In the, West obstinate battles have been J&usrrtt with fTarTmir lortuues. marked br ingfaUul carnage oi bwlb. aides, but the en?: my'a. hopes t decisive results have afin bewn bafUed," while at Vicksborg another lor jnidabl expedition has beej . rvpuKvl, with InoonsUeraUle less on our side, and severe damage Io the aa.iling Kwoe. On the At - jaQiw,coa ue eoeray nas need unable to gate footing beyond the- protecting sbtffter Wa iktu au u cy oi uaivetfton lias lost been reoorwed bv our ttiwe wh'uh oeetleir not only im the capture of' the gat riaou, .but of one of the enemy s vrasoh of war, whtoh was cacHed by boarding parties Irotn nterohant nrer steauiera. Uurlortiued pxMiuons hare ettry where been much strengthened and iinproved, Aflording asr auce of our ability to meet, with success, the utmost efforts of our enernies, in spite of the magnitude of tbjir prtitionfor attack. A review ol our history during Die two years o(ur nslwiial eiistence affords ample -oause for eoograuilatioa and domands the most fervent expressioa of our thaukfu!ness to the Almighty Father who has blessed our cause. We are Jttu6ed in asserting, .with a pride surely not uubocorning, that these Confeder ate btates bare added another to tlie leaguns taught by history for the instruction of roan ; that they have affordod another example of the impotMbililt-. ef subjugatmg a people de- . enninod to be free ; and have demoostrated that no soperiurity of nuuibeisor available Tesources can overcome the resistance; offered by such ralor'tn cembat, such constancy un der suffering and such awxrful endurance of . prrratioa as have beea conspicuously dis played by this peeple ia the defence of thoir , righU ad liberties. Zbe anticipations with . which we catered inte the contest have uow ripened into a ovnvictioo ,f liioh is not oidy , . abared wnh uty. tbeeoouuon ojMuia of oeotral nations, but is evidently forcing itself opoo our euemis lheuisu!vs. If we but mark the history of the present year by reso lute preseferanoe in the path w have hi lit-' erto pursued by vigoraus: effort in the de- VVcuQpuwnt of all ur resouroes for defcucu, jtod b the continued ' exhibition of the sauie ; UnfalU'h'ng and able conduct iu tuatr leader as have distinguished a past, wr1r'vefy rcson to expect that this will be the dosing year of tlie irar, -JEtat wsr,. wloch, ,in it tneeiHionfWftr waged for forcing us back Into tlie Union, haws if. failed to accomplish that purpose, passed Into a auooou stage in wuicn it waa attempted to conquer aod rule jbeee States as depen dent provinces. Defeated in this seooud de sign, our enemies have evidently entered up another, which can have oo other purpose 1 than revenge and thirst for blood, and plun 4der of private property.': Hut however iia- Jt-'icable thejr may be, they can liave beillier w-the spirit -nor the - rcsottroes reqnired for . 'fourth' jejjjrnJf a struggle uncheered by any hone of success, kept alive solely for the in dulgence of mercenary and wicked passions, And'uVcnaadiiig, exhanstive an exinditare of blood aud money as has hitherto been im 4sed on their eople. The advent of peace wiU be bailed with joy. Our desire for it has never bLn concealed. Our efforU to avoid. jaforoislJDjr ns as It was by the Un conquest an! the insane passious of 6ir ; foes, are known to mankind. Jiut oamest -ha fovtt our w 4ve been our sacrifices and suffering during the w-ar, the determination of this people has with each succeeding month become more unaiicraoij nxed, to enuure any sufferings -nd continue any sacrifices, however prolong1 .. d, until their, nght to -self-government and uiu fuwiivuuuace of Uicae oiaies stiali nave been triumphantly vindi caUsd wd firmljr estblwhed t , , Itflhis connection the Occasion seems not - unsuitable for som reference to the relatione between the Confederacy and$he neutral 2 EuFPp noe .the separation of these 8tates :from the former -Union. . ; - JfFpfpf the States now wemben of the Y)niederacy, were recognixed by name a in -dependent soreraigntiet in a treaty of peaee, T. : ; , rrf'wa TOf$lcrtMa "S.3S?M 1 i,, and devastation otM8continffl-,aff J t viniui vwuiiua auu utiuriMiL. lultclult wiLfi i nfuwwuKrr1' ruruiici id nrsLfiTT run Wtew!ed from it in 1789, and these -i eleven seoBdingbUtea-formodsecoud union. mou by a ten m. Aitwbiofcuo; , federation, etprm provision waa : made that . the first unioa should be. 'perpetual Their 1 which they separated, .tier made the subject ? of discussion with any third power; ; Wbeol - M m Uter';pWKoraCroiuldVl ta . trtltetjren, flutes,', nor-atemberalof th UoufeuVjnacy, became aim members' "'of the Aire Uakm, it was ujfon 'teg'nked foot- i uor bad it then' entered . into the minds of T tuen that sovereign States could be com j polled, W foree; teretnatfrttieinbers of aco- l federation into which they - had catered of ucir unu hot wui, u,u uuci'Ki( pf riuu, uie aeience or Uieii" safety and lionor Hiiou 0, t in Uieir judirnient, justify withdrawal The '? experience f tlie uiwt had evinced the futili tj',of any renunciation o such inherent rights, and accordingly Ujh provisions lor perpeuiity ,-contaioed iu the Articles of Conlederatibn ol ; 1778 wao oniiued in the Constitution of 1789. W'Iusq, tlierefore, in 18G1, eleyeu JT ihe States again thought jripor, (ur reasons satJ.-tkctory : to thuutselves, to secede from thesttcond union, and to form a third one under" an auieiided Constitution, they exercjed a right which, being inlierentreqiured no justification Io foreign i natioua, and whicii international law did not periwt thM to question. The Usages ol intercourse between nations do, however, 1 require that JBeiai communication be made . to friendly powers ol all organto chances in j tlte eonrtitettw tf Hut sndtfaere waieb vwas propriety iu giving prompt assurance of our desire to coiitiuue amicable relations with' all uiaukiii'l ' It was under the influ ence of these considerations that your prede cessors for sending to Kurope Cominitanonern charged with the duty of vwting the capttabi of the different power, and maktog'arrago loenu for the opening of more foruud diplo matic intercourse. rriox, however, to tlie arrivsl abroad of those Commissioners, th$s United States had eorntiK'nced hostilities against, the Confeder acy by despatching a aocivt expedition for the rdnforceinent ef Kort SuiiiUt, after an exprcAi promise to tlie contrary, and with a duplicity which has been nity unveiled in a former- message They had also addressed eomiuuuicaUotis to the different Cabinets of Europe, in which they assumed the attitude of being sovereign over this Confederacy, alleging Utat these independent States wete in rebellion agaiust tlie remaining States of the Vinton, and -Uireatening Kurope with manifestations of tlieir displeasure if it should treat ie Confederate States 'afliafTiig an in deeudent existence. It soon became known that these pretentions were not uoniilered abroad to be as absured as they Were known to be at home, nor liad Europe yet learned what reliance was to be placed on (lie official stalctucuts of the Cabinet at Washington. -The delegation of power in anted by these States to the Federal Government to.rere eol tln-m in fiireign intercourse, had led Europe into the grave error of supposing that tier s-paiate sovereignty and indepeiulence liai oeen mergei into one common sov- rtvignty, and tmdoeed to have a distinct exrsteniv. . Uwler the influence of thi. er- Tor,' which allapiHls to reason and liito- I nta wci were raiuiy ust-a I Mpel, our Coinnii,jHicrs w-re met by Uie 'de.iration that foivijiu governments, ounld not asniiie to judge between the cbnitciion jtresni -tkmr-jDf.ttMtwoilie aWTlJeruuW of their previous mutual relationa Tlie gov ernment of Greisl Britain and France accord ingly signified tlieir d'temiintition to confine themselves to reoojroixiuir the self-evident fact of Um existence of a war, and to main taining a strict neutrality during the progress. SomA of the other powers of Europe pursued ti e same course of policy, oml it became ap parent that by some understanding, express ot tacit, Europe luul di-HikI to f uve the in tttatlve tuSiffaclioir tolicliiug tlie ponfesl on tliiscbtitiiiehl, to the two jtowers just named, who were recognized to have the. largest in terest iovolved, both by reason of proximity and oT Uie extent and intimacy of their com mercial relams will the States engaged in war. It is maniffst that the course of jaetion adopted by Kumpy, while bawl on an' iff' iyaVeWretffidirt' defiirmme-fhe'-'wsiion'i&t to' side with eitlM-riatty, a'as" in poinf-nf. fact ail actual dtvisxi against our rights and Tn favor oTTTie groHiidleVsnSRiions of tlie United States. It was a refusal to treat us as an independent government. If we were independent States the refiwal to entertain with ua the same infertiational interoutirse as was maintained with our emriuy was unjust, and waa injurious in it effects, whatever may have been the motive which - prompted it Neither was It in accordance wkh -the high moral obligations of that international ode, whose chief sancton is the eortscietlce of sovereign and the public opinion of man kind, that thesa eminent, powers shoqld do? dine the performance ofa4uty peculiarly incumbetit on. them, from any apprehension of the consequence to tbemselvea t One inv tnediaU and necessary result of their declin bg tl responaiTty of i decisioa which . - 1 ' . 7 " . . I, those powers promptlf admitted out rlzht 16 be treated as all h dependent nations, none oan doubt that lhef moral effect of such action, would have been to dispel the delus ions under whiclr the (United . States have persisted io their' effort to accomplish our subjugation. To the continued hesitation of the same potters fa rendering this'act of simple justice: towards. his Confederacy, is till due the oontmuaface 'f. the. calamities which numkitul suffers from the interruptioii of itsi 4H?acefuLpuwni49 the new workia. .There are other matters in which Vm than justice bHbeen -rendered '-to;:ihiap neutxal. Europe, and . undatf adv&nuge con Terred on the" aggressors . a wicked war. At the inception ot hostilities, the inhabitants of Uie Conlederacy were ahaost exclusively agriculturalists Those' of the United States, to a great extent, mechanics Jnd merchants. We had no commercial marine, while their merchant vessels covered tlie weean. We were without a navy4 while they had power ful fleets. The advantage which thev nos- sesued for fnflictlng injury on our coasts and harbors was thus counterbalanced in some measure by tlie exposure of their commerce to attack by private. armed vessels. It was known to Eurotie tliat within a very few years past tlie Lnited States had perempto rily relused to accede to proposals for aool ishingpFryateering, on the ground, as alleged by tljtkn, that nations owning powerful fleets would thereby obtain undue advantage over those possessing inferior naval forces. Yet no soouer was war flagrant between the Con- tederaey and the United Stat Uian the niar atime powers of Euroite issued orders prohib- 'Itmg-tfaey'Mrrjr miiir brnigtojpyrJ iota their ports, ibis prosiUUon. directed with apparent "nnpartiality against both belliger ents, was in reality effective against the Con federate states alone, for tiiey alone could nod a hostile comtiieroe on the ocean. Merely nominal against the United States, the pro hibition operated - with intense severity on the CJonfteraey -ibyi dt'piiviHg it of the only means of maintaining with soUie approach to eiuainy, lis siraggies ou ine oueau against Uie crushing superiority of naval force, pos sessed by its enemies. Tlie value and effi ciency of the weapon which was thus wrest ed from our grasp, by the combined action of neutral European powers, in favor of a nation which professes ooenly -it intention of ravaz- ing tliw commerce by frivkt?rs iu ny -fu ture war, is strikingly illustrated by Uie terror ui(ireu among uie commercial classes oi uie : j . i. . . i f . i H United States by a single cruiser of the Con federacy. One national steamer commanded by officers and manned by a crew who are debarred, by the closure ot neutral ports, from the opportunity of causing Captured vessels to be condemned in their favor as prizes, has sufficed to double the rates of marine insur- ence in Northern porta and consigned to forc ed inaction numbers of Northern vessels, iu ddition to the direct , damage inflicted by captures at sea How difficult, then, to over estimate uie effects that must have been pro duced by the hundreds ot pri vate armed ves sels that would have swept the seas, in pur suit of the commerce of our enemy, if the means of disposing of their prizes had not been withheld by the action of neutral Eu rope, i But it is especially in relation to the so called blockade of our coast that the f olicy ol European powers has been so souped as to cause ' Ih'dgarcsX injury vaThtftiTitederiirvv and to confer signal advantages' ou the Uui leI State. The ImjiorUuce of Una sul'jLict Miuirys sortie deVelojiment "riiuir.toluie" eaF 1835, Tlie" uuicipleTreg-" iilating this sulgect were to be giitheivd from writings of eminent publicists, decisions ol admiralty courts, inteniatioHiil treaties, and the usages of nations. The uncertainty and doubt which rvailed in n-lerenL-e to the true rules of maritime kw. in time of Avar, resulting from the 'discordant and often con flicting principles announced Iroiu such va ried and independent sources, had become a grievous neyfl to maukiud. Wliedier block ade was' aitowabkAiirainst a Dort not invest ed bv land as well as hv sea: whether a i blodtade was vajid by ,? tiiW reeirig ! enicy, before which, any naval forces at all fleet was merely sulhcieBt to fvoaVfrhgress I have been statioue.1, luftTe been invested so to the blockaded port " evidemly.dangerous," j inelliciently that hundivds A entries have or whetlier it was further required for its le- Uf.n. effected into iliem since llie ik"claratkn gality tliat it shonid be sufficieut ".really to of the blockade; tliatourenemieshave lliem rHeveiil access:'" aild niimerous otlttr sinrtlnrselvea admitted th:UituweiM.jjlR.iAvi( niutttttiAnst ltnl rstfi)aina,r .t.niliifid ami mi.!., -i- i le4. lnvm.ul l. ,;,.hlvItaii.ind.U .Uuv - to put juiund 'Uo differeiwes ofopniMi U- twien tieiTtrkl and l-llkrercHts. ; 'which hl'av oocasion .serious. dilBcultiels and tviin con- flicta," (I Quote the official language',) the five t great Towers of Europe. togeiliiT with Sr-1 dinhrand Tnrkey, adopted in 1850, tlie M-! Uirini, ,Un .i.w..-r ion" Af nrim-inl.- , privateering w and remains abolished. 2j The neutral flag covers enemy's goods ; jwith the exception of contraband of war. I 3. Neutral gootl with the exception of i contraband of war, aixi not liable to capture under enemy's flag. " 4. Blockades, is order to be finding, must be effective; that is to say, maintained by a force auflkient really to prevent access to the ccMc4tb etM;:i s'iv 7 Not onty did this aoiema oeckirauon an nounce to the world the principte to which ' -acced t thfr'detJtarttoHiUBder-4Winv Jielded -it? jsent7sr teasrlirHniitance "tj J nown'tp me.of a refusal, aniTtbo U. States wuiio uccutimg to assent to tue proposinon which prohibited privateering, declared that the three remaining principles were irt entire accordance with their own views ' of interna tional law. : ''.:;!.: rn : f -jd .' No instance is known in liistory "of the adoption of rules of public law under circom stances of like solemnity, tyith like nnanimi tfi and pledging tlie, fairh sofl!nations with a sanctity so peculiar.' ''iil'1r-7.? W heti,.Jipi-efijha formed, and when wmtratpowersr wliile 'de51 lernug action ori its demaixl for admission m beiigerent. power, Great Britain and France - -i - : - c . i i. i - ' i uiHut? luiiinutu proposals uooui Hie nuiw inue that their own rights as neutrals should be guaranteed by our acotwling, a -belligerents to the declaration of principles made by the Congress df Paris. Jf he request was address ed to our sense of .justice, and therefore met immediate favorabjjjesponse in the resolu tions of the Provisional Congress oT the 13th August, 13G1, by which all 1 1 iei principles an nounce by the Cdngre?? of Pan were adop ted as the guide of our conduct during the war, with the sole exception of that relative to privateering. As the right to make use of pnvaleerT'Was one in which neutral nations had, as to the present war, no interest; as it was a'right which the United Stales bad re fused to abandon and which they remained at liberty to employ against us ; as it was a right of which we were already in actual en joyment, and which we could not be expect ed to renounce JUigmnie btlto against an ad versary possessing an overwhelming. superi ori ty of naval forces, it was reserved witben uTE'confideTOe tliarHeutral Darisma could not tiil to perceive that just reason existed for the reservation. - Nofwas this -confidence mis placed, fiir the" official documents published by the 'British Government usually called " Blue Books," contain tlie expression of the satisfaction of that governuient witn the con duct of tlie olncials who conducted success fully the delicate business confided to their charge. . These solemn declarations of principle, this implied spreetaent between the Coufedenicy and the two powers jfbst named, have been suffered to remain inoperative against the menaces and Outrages on neutral rights, com mitted by 'the United States with unceasing and progressing arrogance during the : whole period otthe-war. .Neutral Europe reinai li ed passive when the United States, with a naval fotce insonieietit to blockade, effective ly, the coast of a single State; proclaimed a paper blockaile of thousands of miles of coast extending from tlie eapes of Uie Chesapeake to those of Florida, and encircling the 0ulf of Mexico from Key West to the potU of the Bio Grande. Compared with this monstrous pretension of the United States, the block ade? knowi in history, under the names of the Berlin and Milan decrees, and the British orders in Council in the years 130(5 and 1807, sink iiito insignificance. Vet those blockades were jiislilied by tlie poweis that declared them, on the sole ground that they, were re taliatory ; yet those blockades have siuce been condemned by the publicists of those very powers"-" a violations of international hiw yet thoMe blockaiies evokeil angiy re monstrances from neutral poweis amongst which i lie Unitecj States were, llie most con- spKiuous; yet liiose bloc-kadi's tiecnme tlie Citicf anise of the war between Great Britain tnl tun , United btt-m-12r-yeLJJiu?e blockades were one of the prineijwl motives thai led to; the declaiatt ui of Hie Clingress of I'arts iu 1856, in the fond ,lioje t imposing an ' e.idi!rittg.'chJeck wjl t fte vej li atise. w nuur- itime power which is uvv ronewed by the United State in 18G1 and 18C2," nndef cir-culii!-Uiiees.ajid with featun-a ol aggravated wiong without precedent in history. Tlie records of our State Department con tain the evidence of the cepeated and formal reiuoiistmncVs inado by this Government to neiitial powers against thp recognition of this bkickade. It has been sliown by evidence not oible of etiutntdiction, and which ha Ut-ii tiirnished ii iwrt by the officials of nen- tral lialioiw, tl tknw, that tiie lew ports of tlie Gputed- lule in the most forcible manner, bv reifalitl iplfitsal conu.Umof Ah . jyetiiLiaa:H! vm?Mmm . - ... ' i.l.i- J ifA f.ii- .kt m ... t u " uuti'abiiil .ui War. a sale - whuii eoniu IhH pos - itdynrttt theirintr hloCaad w us Sullic acceta to our coast ; that they have gone- farther and have,alleged. tla-ir inability to reu.ler tficrir paper XiTiKkade cDectiv as the excuse fbr tlie odious babarityT destroy ing the entrance to one of our haiborsbv sink- ing vessels loaded with stoiie in tlie taniiel ; tiiat oor onniiOrce whU Joieign nations has been intercepted, not by thretlective meest uientol wir ports, nor bv tbe seiwre of ships in the attempt to enter them, bet by the cap ture on the nfirtt seas of neutral vessels bv the cruisers bf pur enemies whenever supposed to be "bound to' any point on 'our extensive wast, without enquiry whether asingleblock adinir vessel was to be found at och point : that blockading vessels have left the porta at which the were stationed for distant expe- wtlb a betlieerenf tinder the sanction ofe been syaltfrnattcaltyTuid persistcnlly io1ate4 bylhe United Statei Neutral Europe haa ived our remonstrances and has submit .: n ted in almost unbroken , silence ' to all thi : fW" wrongs that the United State hav4 chosen . . -' to inflict oo-.lUpcbmerca.:w,Xbe''CSBbiDet'of '. r Great Britain, however, has not confined it : self to such1 implied acquiescence' in: theso T..': ' breaches of international law as fesultsrom ' v4i" simple inaction, but haa; ia & published dea- 1 pAtcb of tlie Secretary of -.State fbrForeign- f C Affairs, I aumed ; make ja change'? in the ; -V-l principle" enunciated by the Congress ogfPf-?''- ! TnvtoHrnidiihji faith tit the Btithia 'Oo'i;;v.;?'T' ment was considered to be pledged ? a change :eo-tmpoftadito terest a, of the Confederacy KM overlooked," 1,--.-and against which I have directed ;aolemB- -t '-'f j protest to be made, after a Vara attempt fbob- fee 't i ; tain satisfactory fejpjanatiQn from he British "H: - Government: In a published despatch IWm i her Majesty's FckignjOfllc to her Ministetl. .'.,... at Washington, render date of the llthTeb tvrxr, ruarv, 18(22, occurs the folbwing passage :. "V '-jJ-- ; "lie'r Majesty's Government however, are ' , i of.optmon that assuming; thattbe Wocka:'.'i;';v-'' was. duly notified, and also that a numberr-of ; ' ' 'ship is stationed- and remains at the. entrwea ; ' fi 1 of a port sufficient really to prevent access ta -" " it; or to create an evident dagert-mtering - - it or leaving it, and that these ship do not j voluntarily permit iqgress or egress, the fact ".. ! that various ship may have successfully" es-' - J caped through it (as in the particular instance' bere referred toj will not of itself prevent the blockade from being an effectual one by in-' ternatkmal law.' - - . i. f The words which 1 have itah'cised are- an addition made by thaUritish Government oL its own authority to a principle the exact term of whick were seUled with deliberation and fey implied Convention with thisfiovern-- - -ment, as already explained, and ffieir effect is clearly to re-open to the prejudice of the ! lyentoderacy one of the, .very disputed que-. tions on the law of blockade which the Con- 1 'j great of Paris professed to settle. The imf portance of the' hange is readily ; Slnstrated ' 5 by taking one of oor ports as an "example. ',. There is " evidehrdangw7ineHter1ng "Hxr-' port of Wilmingtpn .fromp;resei!e'.ol:.i. : oiucaauuig lorce, anu oy uns- ui uie 010CK, ade is effecUve. " Access is cot really pre -V vented" by. the blockading fleet to the same 1 port, for steamers are continually arriving and departing, so that tried by tin test the blockade is ineffdctl ve and InvalItU"Th 1uem,tHt tice of our complaint oo this point Is so man-' ifest as to leave little room for doubt, that further reflection will induce the British gov ernment, to give n such assurances as wiDv , efface tlie painful impressions that would re sult from its language, if left unexplained, f " From the foregoing remark wwittpei"" ceive that during nearly two years of Jtrng'-'Sp: gle in which every energy of par country ha ' been evoked formaintaining its Tery exist ence, the neutral nation of Europe hare pur-v sued a policy which, nominally impartial, haa , been practicaKy most favorable to our ene- " mie and most detrimental tflf u. '.".,. V,; The exercise of a neutral riebt of refusinar . entry into their ports to prizes taken by both ' belligerent,, was, eminently hurtful to the , Conlederacy. It was sternly asserted and '' luaiulaiusd. .1. : -''' " .. " The exercise of the aentnl Hght 'of com - -merce with a belligerent whose ports are not ' blockaded by fleet sufficient really to pre- vent access to them would have been emi-' , iiehtly hurtful Jlo the United Sutes. it waa . toi i iplan Uy baiir6he - The-4hity f neutral Smt to reeeive Vith conlinlifyN and recognise" ie Itvrifederatkii; -tnat tndepeno!i.t.',Siire9'.,. , may think proper to form, wis too clear to admit of denial, "but it poetponement i L eminently beneficial to the United States and . detrimental to the Confederacy. It was post-poned'r-r'"Ty':.'",',f'"'T In this review of our relations with , the neutral nation of Europe, it ha been my purpose to point out'distinctly that this Gov ernment has no complaint to make that those - r natious declared their neutrality.-' It could - neitjier "eXpecH nor desjre more The com plaint is, that tlie neutrality has been rather nominal tlian real, and that recognized ben- ' tral right have been alternately asserted and . waived in such manner, a to bear with great severity on us, and to confer signal advanta ' f ges on onr enemy. .y " rs t -j I. uax'e hit lierto refrained from calling to vHir aMeutkMi taut condition w1 our relauoii .,: the i-hief of these. Was tlie fear that a state" -. . i , i -. . iiM-iii 14 our ivist rrouuuj ot coiiii'mi't aainsi ests, might be misoonstrued mto .an appeal lor auL 'Unequal as we were, in mere num bers ai d available resources to our'encnih", " . we were; conscious of powers of resistance, in --. reLition to which Europe wa incredulous, and our remoustrauces were therefore pecu-' r Hafly- Kible to be misunderstood. troudly sell-relian ty tlie JCohle4eracy fcnowiifgi7 fml well the uliaracter of the contest into which -' i wa forced, with full trust ia the superior qualities of its population, the Superior valor of its aokliers, tlie superior skill ol its-Qenet - . als, and above all- in the - JiHitHi(B"'irft;cBwv,- felt no need to appeal for the maintenance of . iu right tootbof tarthly aids, and it began -and has continued this struggle with tbacalm coofideoo tree inspired in those who wiUi. Stisiiuanurt 't "5' .1 i 4 5 -..I' .4 " .- j 7. 7.1