Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-07-01

cnfity Without adYeftfS u t''e
and npprinciplcd business OF prlvateseflhR
eeraIly. and tie very llttie change whle" - -
c,ssary 10 convert it iaro piracy ''9hia ~
fb. question, is this a!l The protectie,l ""'9H
this nation will afford to commerce, IL wa
.pndertak en-, it is said, for no other purpose
TIM for the assertion, protection and secol'iY
-of our commercial rights Alter harassins
and depressing the mercantile interest with
eryihargoes, non-intercourse, non-lmpoTtaloF,
s,c. sc. are you about to throw TIE merchants,
liaprotected on the ocean, with Liberty to hgfl
their own battles against The nayles ct the
whole world at their own eXpence, aid risk,
while every step taken BY the nationis calcn-
lated to preciptate then, to destruction! WAS
it fol- such a protection as this that the CON-
mercial states associated in the present ma
tional compact? This is I know consistent
with the Uniform resistance OF every attempt
to have any thing like arespectable naval force
during the last ten years; iutIt IS not consist
ent with the declarations OF gentlmen, often
repeated with eaFnestness on tbs floor; that
the present war was necessary to Vlhdlcdte
their rights, that tlclr rights " re invaded and
must not be surrenderedR WDat rights are
inyadedP Not certainly orr right to the SOIL
or any of our political rights. AS 1t respects
these we have still, thank Heaven, the prlvl-
ledge of*managing our own 4fairs n our own
way, una@ed by the open and avowed mandate
Of any foreign despot. How long tins may
be the case, is known only to him who knows
all things. The invasion of our rights OF
which w5.complain, is that Of our commercial
rights, ogr rights on the ocean, and tie very
first step taken il war, undertaken ostensl-
bly, for their defence, is 20 abandon them en-
tirely by the strong arm Of the governments,
and merely permit the individuals, III whose
persons .these rights have been invaded, to
fight then own battles without any assistance
sffota!the This is not to defend, but 70
ai5sandon Arose very rights Ior the ostenslble
leIcUce aud maintenance Of which we are a.
bout to be plunged into war.
1t farther deserves attention, that the calcu-
latons upon the success Of priyateerlng, either
as mean OF defence or of annoyance OF The
enemy, arc probably very erroneous. From
the circumstance OF my occupying situation
Considerably inland during the revolutionary
war, doubtless know much less about the
situation Of that business than others, who
were in { more favorable situation to be &C
quainged with it. But | know enough on
witch to found belief that it WAS in general
afforded with loss 10 those engaged Ii It.
When the attempt was first made, DUNG the
estly part Of the revolutionary war, II was at
tended With some success, because 1t was
species of warfare unexpected by The ems my,
and one Whinl. tfC was sat moment pre-
pared TO meet. But in the latter stages Of the
Har, when the Business of conveying mcr-
chant ships was more completely arranged, 1t
was business which WAS, with very few
receptions, ruinous to the undertakes. Those
ano went on board, instead Of accumulatlng
fortunes as they had previously contemplated,
frequently found themselves, either Oh board
prison ships, or II the laiis Of Europe, while
those at whose eXpence the privatcerS were
atted out were ruined. lad an opportunity
70 know the fate Of privateering lii one IL
stance, Ill which some of NY near relatives,
anda larger number of my acquaintance en-
parked III It, doubtless with The most san9ulne
expectation OF enliching themselves. The
prNateer was taken, and the crew carried to
20. tsmonth, Iii England, & imprisoned, where
some OF them died, some found t0eans to
escape and 10 reach France, from whence, al
Ter long Interval, pare Of them reached their
native shore, and the remainder were released
at the close Of the war, after captivity Of ~
months, aid thought themselves fortunate In
escaping prison ship, and in being located IN
a place where they were treated with all the
humanity and indulgence compatible with a
state Of captivity. That was also a much
more propitiouS period for privateerlng a
ganst Great Britain than at present. The
British feet did not then possess that decided
superiority over the other fleets of Europe,
which it has since obtained. Had this been
the case French feet never could have CO.
operated in tho capture of Cornwalls. IN
deed throughout almost the whole Of the war
it could claim but little superiority above that
of France. It WAS not until alter the Cele-
hrated victory obtained by Sir George 3. Rod
new over the Count de Grassc, in the West
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