The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-01-09

| them, so much as hired for the service spoil
men and goods, making even a trade and calling
of it, amidst the calamities Of war"
| Soccenius, from his Academic pursuits al
| Upsal, raised his voice in not less emphatic
terms" When a Naval war is unavoidable, il
is far better 10 assail the enemy with domestic
levies under officers and discipline, than TO give
| license TO pirates, the viest Of mankind-who,
once authorized TO plumber, soon forget all re-
straint, and spare not even friends, those
who have never injured them, or their employ
ers." In the last war ships were 6tted out in
our own ports, and sent 10 sea TO cruise Eng
lish privateers against American commerce.
| w here Is the hand that shall draw on the ocean,
Tor seamen let loose TO plumber, the line between
| glory and honor one side, and rapine and
murder on the other In l744, the question was
mooted in France-"Would il not be possible 10
revive the ancient custom Of commercial truces,
and to make war without involving in il com
merce and mercantile navigation 2n And al
later day, DIR. Franklin (who cannot be too often
quoted) said-"This will be happy improve
ment in the law Of nations The humane and
the just cannot but wish success to the PROPOSE
ton" without such check, wrote Captain
Spence, United States Navy, TO the Governor Of
Porto Rico, in 1929, ''what is there to limit
the mischief done by men of this order, who,
stealing from their dens and lurking places, pol
lutte the ocean with the blood OF defenceless
sailors, and gorge their cupdty with the spois
of plumber and ravage2 The good Of every ma
lion, and the honor Of some require that so foul
a system should be made TO cease, that every
navigabe sea may be rendered safe TO the ho-
nest efforts of enterprise"
| On the land, the property of unresistiDg citi-
zens is considered sacred by the conqueror -
s wa il the sD Of hm ss that e can
side of the wharf in your river is prize to the
captor; but the part Of her cargo that lies on
that wharf, and along side of the ship, neither
sailor nor soldier can touch. What would not
only we, but all Christendom. say Of an enemy,
who should issue commission TO private adven-
| turers for entering our territory by armed bands,
that they might pillage and rob, for their own
profit, our citizens engaged in their peaceful and
honest pursuits What constitutes this differ
ence between the property of citizens in store
houses and in ships2 Are the pursuits of com
merce less peaceful, or its results less benef-
! cia TO the general welfare, than agriculture or
manufactures? The same code which forbids
the citizens of neighboring nations at war, to
make excursions into the enemy's territory for
the sake of murder and piage, ought also 10
forbid il on the ocean-the common highway of
the world. And, as pertnenty asked by Linguet,
Whence comes this difference between fleets
and armies, squadrons and regiments, corsairs
and hussars 2"
The practice is demoralzing and as much to
be deprecated, on the water as 1t is on the land
We judge of mems actions by the motive;
and what motive has the privateersman but
plunderP Could inquiry ascertain, it would be
curious and interesting to know what effects pri-
watering, in the contest between Spain and her
American dependencies had in bringing about
the system of piracy that was established about
that time in the West Indies, and broken up at
such cost to the Navy. Vessels, equipped for
prvateers in war, offer, at the cessation Of hos
Titles a ready means for anothera and worse spe-
cies of robbery; and by acting on the cupdty
of the dissolute, they do, no doubt often present
temptations not easily to be overcome.t With
the dissoute and vicious-those whose notions
with regard to smeum and tuum' are vague
there is buta step from the privateer to the pi
rate. The demoralizng influences Of the form
er fit them for the work, and prepare them to
make the change of character with bold and
reckless mind And between the two in war,
the land and the sea send forth their reports of
murders and piracies and daring robberles as #
the outcasts Of society had become emulous Of
glory, and resolved TO hide disgrace in themag-
nitude of criment .
1t is true, we are indebted to American priva-
teers in the last war for many brilliant achieve
ments. The old Teazer, and theyoung Teaz-
er; and after her loss the old Teazers ghost
and many others, did yeoman's service-they
were both terror and dread to English ship
owners. The graceful fall and glorious ruin of
the General Armstrong privateer, havemade her
famous in song and in story But the gallant
spirits and noble deeds which adorn the annals
of American privateering, should not blind our
minds, or warp our judgments, with regard 10
the immoral influences, the individual calami-
ties and the national evils attendant upon it. In
the meelee for plumber, who shall say 10 the cru
city of avarice-"It is enough; stay thy
hand?' The evil consequences OF II spring up
as we go; and you and your readers, Mr. Ed
tor need not the hand of another TO point them
out.
al III. e n,
per to discuss more at large the practice of pri
Watering, or to point out the course to be taken
for its suppression. Enough has been said to
show that it is a general evil and a national sin;
and that the taking of effective measures for the
abolition of it, would, first of all, confer upon US
as people the proud satisfaction OF diminishing
the calamities Of war. In the next place, it
would add to the security at sea OF the life and
property Of peaceful citizens, by clearing out
from the ocean, those swarms OF sedbegg0rs
(gueur de mer) that live by plumber and prey
upon commerce 1t would make doubly form
dablc in war the right arm Of the nation: and
BY lessening for our commerce the risks OF cap
ture, it would prove for the nation both tower
of strength and fortress of defence. The vast
numbers of seamen swallowed up in the bust
ness of privateerng, would then be reserved for
more national purposes, and more honorable
warfare. in the Navy. And the officers in the
merchant service, who had been trained in the
Scholarship, would, at such time, constitute
most valuable corps Of reserve which would
be sufficient TO furnish officers enough for those
seamen, and for as many Of our fast-sailing mer
chant vessels as the government should deem il
expedient TO buy and equip as men-of war
But let US turn from remedies TO the disease,
that we may fully understand the present condi
ton OF our Naval system, before we proceed 10
consider by what means lis wonted health and
strength and vigor may be restored The court
martial code, and the administration of the law
will no found M leSs defectiyp than other naTts