New York Herald
April 20, 1861
WASHINGTON, April 19, 1861.
The President has issued a proclamation stating that an insurrection against the government of the United States has broken out in the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, and the law of the United States for the collection of the revenue cannot be effectually executed therein conformably to that provision of the constitution which requires duties to be uniform throughout the United States, and further that a combination of persons engaged in such insurrection have threatened to grant pretended letters of marque to authorize the bearers thereof to commit assaults on the lives, vessels and property of good citizens of the country lawfully engaged in commerce on the high seas and in the waters of the United States; and whereas, the President says an executive proclamation has already been issued requiring the persons engaged in these disorderly proceedings to desist, therefore calling out a militia force for the purpose of repressing the same and convening Congress in extraordinary session to deliberate and determine thereon. The President with a view to the same purposes before mentioned, and to the protection of the public peace, and the lives and property of its orderly citizens pursing their lawful occupations, until Congress shall have assembled and deliberated on the said unlawful proceedings, or until the same shall have ceased, has further deemed it advisable to set on foot a blockade of the ports within the states aforesaid in pursuance of the laws of the United States and the law of nations in such cases provided. For this purpose a competent force will be posted so as to prevent the entrance and exit of vessels from the ports aforesaid. If, therefore, with a view to violate the blockade, ad vessel shall attempt to leave any of the said ports, she will be duly warned by the commander of one of the said blockading vessels, who will endorse on her register the fact and date of such warning, and if the same vessel still again attempt to enter or leave the blockaded she will be captured and sent to the nearest convenient port for such proceedings against her and her cargo as may be deemed advisable.