THE BLOCKADE RUNNERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 621, 24 October 1863, Page 7

THE BLOCKADE RUNNERS.

It is reported in the American advicas received by the last mail, tint the commanders of the blockading fleet off Charlestown have announced their determination to sink all blockade runners without waitino- to capture them, and three vesse's -namely, the Herald of Charleston, the Isaac Smith, the Beauregard and Britannia— have beea sunk while attempting to enter or leave that port. The blockading squadron is at liberty to sin's turn, or destroy the ships of the enemy wherever they are found, aud any vessel found attempting to run the blockade, and resisting capture, may be sunk or otherwise destroyed But we can- hardly suppose that the officers of the blockading squadron have received instructions to treat ali ship* foun'i running the blockade alike, and sink them iadiscriiniiiately This.would be to abolish all distinctions between the property of neutrah and belligerents, aud convert neutrals at once into ene raies The penalty recognised by international law as incurred by neutrals for violating a legally estab ished blockade is the capture and confiscation of the offending ship and her cargo. It is for the Piize Court of the captors to decide upon the facts connected with the capture, and to say whether they constitute good ground for condemnation. It never could be the intention, even of the Government of Washington, to supersede the jurisdiction of the Federal Prize Courts in ali that relates to the offence of running the blockade, and confer upon <he commanders of the blockading squadron summary jurisdiction, by virtue of which they are at liberty to destroy not only the property, but the lives of neutrals. To take this course would be to invite, and not only to invite, but to iu'luce hostilities with every neutral maiitime State. It is alleged that the resolution to destroy blockade runners indiscriminately has been taken in consequence, amongst other tldng3 of the frauds committed in the Prize Courts, whereby the captors, it is asserted, have been deprived of their prize moneys. If this statement means anything, it means this: that because ail the seizures of neutral ships made by the federal cruisers are not upheld as good seisures by the Federal Prize Courts, and the optors have occasionally foiled to realise the profits they anticipated, they will not trouble themselves henceforth with making captures of the blockade runners, but will sink all vessels they fall in with attempting to make for or to leave a blockaled port We say that we cannot believe the Government of Washington has sanctioned any proceedings so illegal and so hazardous, and, therefore, until we are iv posses-ion of more definite information on the subj°ct. we must treat the report in question as one of those rumors which must be received, at least with caution.— Skipping Qazetle.