The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1844-05-29

interesting to be neglected; and to give it place.
we omit other matter, prepared for this days
paper.
The old ballad of Captain Kidd is familiar to
all classes of society; and, though a very homely
performance, if its literary merit be considered,
it will probably be found as imperishable as the
works of Shakespeare, Spencer, Ben Jones, or
any of the old poets and masters.
There is not seaman, in the naval or mer-
chant service of this country, or of England, who
has not sung the ballad of Capt Kidd, and wept
over the fate
-''of William Moore"
who was cruelty killed by the renowned Captain
Kidd,
''And left in purple gore
Not many leagues from shore,
AS he sailed, as he saied;"
and the "salt," who should be found ignorant of
the metre and the merits of the ballad, would be
incontinently elected from the forecastle by his
shipnates But, to the article in question.
Here it Isl
Few names in the annals of our country have
been more familiar to every class in the commu-
nifty, than that of William Kidd Childhood has
listened with terror to the tales of his unnumber-
ed crimes, and credulous love of gold has sought
with the confidence Of assured success, the i'll
gotten treasures which he buried in the lonely
recesses of the sea shore.
The ballads ofthe nursery, too, have immortal
lied this renowned freebooter of the ocean; and,
although it was not true that "his name was Rob
et Kidd, as he saed" yet "most wickedy he
did, as he sailed;" and among other things, che
murdered William Moore, and left him in his
gore, not many leagues from shore,;'' and when,
~ 1o1t tn,eI. L 1. l.
appeal to ''young and old to see him die )" most
disinterestedly telling them they were "welcome
to his gold, for by't he'd lost his soul, and must
die"
Romance, also, has borrowed from tho same
store-house, and has told us how carefully the
treasures which the pirate and his crew conceal
ed have been watched over, from time immemo-
rial, by certain grim-vsaged parsonage, who,
for valuable consideration, made known its hi
ding place TO that curious gentleman "Thomas
Walker"
Although these romantic incidents have made
their abiding impressions upon the youthful i'm
agination of thousands, few have stopped to draw
from the personal history of Kidd, the illustra-
ton which it affords of the manner in which JUS
tice was administered i'll the English Courts, a
century and half ago.
Although, from a simple perusal of the in
dictments against Captain Kidd, and the evi-
dence adduced to sustain them, no one would
be led to imagine that his trial had any connec-
ton whatever with the political affairs of the coun-
try, yet such, in fact, was the case, and it be-
comes necessary, therefore, to offer brief ex-
plation of his previous history, in order to ascer-
tain the full degree ofimportance which was at
tached to his arrest and conviction, as a murder
er and pirate.
The first we learn of his history, was in 1896.
Before that time he had been an enterprising
shipmaster, sailing from New York. where his
family resided.
AT this time there was an universal alarm felt
in consequence of the numerous acts of piracy
which had been committed on the high seas, es-
pecialy in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans;
and the attention of the Government of England
was particularly directed to the means of arrest
ing the evil. The war which had been termi-
mated by the peace Of Ryswick, in 1896, had gi-
ven rise to an extensive system of legaized pi-
racy, called 'privateering," many of the vessels
so employed having received commissions from
James the Second, then all exile, to cruise a.
gainst the commerce of England. MANY ofthese
privateers have laid aside the himsy veil that GOV.
cred their true character, aud waged war indis-
crlminately upon whatever vessels came in their
way
Under the administration of Governor Fletch-
or, of New York, many Of these piratical vessels
sailed from ports within his government; and
Smollet, in his History of England, gravely aE-
firms that "during the war, the colonies had
grown rich by piracy"
Upon the removal of Fletcher rom his gov
ernment the King resolved to appoint some one
who would be certain to adopt efficient measures
to break up the system ofpiracy which had be-
come SO alarming; and for this purpose commits
stoned Lord Bellamont, a nobleman OF high rank
as Governor of New York, and soon after added
the provinces Of Massachusetts and New Hamp-
shire to his jurisdiction.
1t was proposed to fit out naval expedition
to take command of the enterprise.
BY singular and most unfortunate fatality
Kidd was the person so selected. He was then
in London, and was highly recommended fol
the place by MIR, Livingston, of New York, who
had known him there, and who happened 10 be
in London, where he was consulted upon the sub
ject by Lord Bellamont,
It was proposed to fit out government shir
ofthirty guns, to be manned with hundred and
fifty men. But there we're SO many difficulties
interposed by the Admiralty, that the expedi
tion, as public one, failed, and private adyen
ture was planned as substitute.
II had two objects in view--one, TO cruise a
gainst the French with commission IS priva