The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-08-12

In describing the attempt Of Mexico to establisa
q system OF private ering. in which the governmens
unsuccessful the author gives his views on that
plan Of warfare, and condemns
PRIvATFERs AS LICENSED PIRATES
AZ one time there vas much excitement In the squad
the subject Of privsteerng General salss who
eoure Of the war made hn.ef Sy srse.m,ss
mo quarter the Yankees made strenuous sorts -
our commerce nMexico had been . marati ne pess,s.
this would have b. her true policy few sslas
and manned BY bold fellows in the pursuit q pIu.isS
might have inflicted incse ulable injury upon This
System Of predatory warfare more than any other.
and heavy armed ships Of avail against the lighter
heels and erratc vandsrings Of this Descriptions %
force. But Mexico had materials vhsron 20 operate.
To render prvseerng available to her under the isvs
Of nations that at least majority of the
officers and Of each cruiser should be citizens; not
citizens; and any vessel which might have 81
tempted to cruise under Letter Of n1ara1s ana
have become. from that moment, pirate AZ
Mexico had never possessed any marine. military ee
at the CONNIE OF the had been taken frcu
her by cruisers she found mpos-ols fu 81 this
saas, in order to overcome the difcuty epdesvored
contrary to the good faith which should smoag
est principles sense 70 msnusaetar, etis-s
for the occason For purpose issued bank e~rts
and other places with directions those oesrs
to fill them up with the names Of any adventures
might offer irrespective Of those greet principles vs
understood and practised upon by all civilized naons
in procedure Of such a moment without the ob-es-
Of these principles no man can transfer his al
legsnce to another country and claim the protection
due to citizenship under IL laws sort Il s,s,,s
has grown up the subject which individual nations
longer at liberty disregard aud much LEES have
they right disregard IT, fraud beliissrsat
rights Mexico attempted to do In the preseat In
instance 1t would be a monstrous doctrine indeed "
on the eve OF war or at any time during It's ext~nc-
either Of the beigerens might invite the citizens Of other
nstionf adj tua 70 take part in his quarrel and with
snnla gfr,ka ~ L.
The REQ ustes Of citizenship. and In regard vheA
Mexico and the United States both agree, lat
remuneration Of fsreigu allegiance and sh the oath q
allegiance TO tho sovereign. properly taken before
fde, from beginning TO end; and thsrs must be
fraudulent intent either the part Of he government
individuals Great Britain waves residence In ths
Of serving In her national marine, rather
she regards her ships OF az portions Of her terrtor
and constructive residence follow, necessary result
of the principle Mexico In imitation Of Great Brtsu.
has adopted and extended this principle. since ss
puts her merchant service quordhoc footing With
her neuonal marine Any sailors marines. who
actually in the service Of Mexico at the time Of
blank certificates by President saa might undou otedy
have been made good citizens bus IL Is equally clear
that beyond this limitation every foreigner ~ho might
have undertaken to prey upon our commerce, would
have been deemed and would have been trrat~d as
pirate. This unworthy attempt Of Mexico TO strike
blow at us on the ocean, by means OF great fraud,
was met by the nations Of the world with the
contempt it deserved, and produced results; and IL
was fortunate for humanity that IL govern
ment prepared to adopt the view Of the subject
sternness. Indeed there growing disposition among
civilized nations to put end to this disrrpuabe mode
Of warfare under any circumstances. 1t had its origin
in remote and comparatively barbarous ages and has
for its object rather the plumber II the ban iit than
honorable warfare The cruisers being private vessels
fitted out on speculation, and oaicered and manned
generally, by interruptions and unprinc,ped mes,
it L impossible for the government which eosi,
missions them, to have them under proper. oontrs..
Bonds and Penalties, forfeiture Of vessels etc are
entirely poweriess to restrain the passions Of cupdty
and revenge, when once fairly aroused From tke
ure of the materials II which the Of those vessels
composed-the adventurous and desperate Ct ma
ions the shortness Of their cruises the demora-
zing pursuit in which they engaged IL Is
possible that any discipline can be established OF
mnta among them In short they are little better
than licensed pirates and IL bchoovss all civilized ma
ons, and especially nations, who like ourselves are er
ensivey engaged in foreign commerce. to suppress the
practice altogether.
TIE BuENING or THE BEId CREOLE
II wa during the absence Of this expedition that
Lieutenant Parker accompanied by Passed Mdshipman
Rodgers and Iynson with i've sexmen, performed the
clever exploit OF burning the Mexican merchant brig
Creole under the walls Of San Juan de UlIos. rhey
pulled n under cover q night ami eoardng the vessel
without opposition fred her in several places. and de-
Iarted unmoestea-athough within pistol range tbs
castle. Some little soise having been male on boar the
brig when they in the OF boarding, they were
hailed by Of the sentnes; but Lieutenant Parkes
speaking the language like a native gave some sstis
tory reply, aud they were not further noticed
In the sixth chapter Of the work, the reader will
find description of the harbor, gales, AMI pecu-
laritics belonging to
THE PORT or YER. CgrZ.
Vera Cruz L. situated In about the latitude of 10 der
10 min. forth little more than degrees witns
The ropic Is the only port the whole .af
Mexico where a vessel OF warcthcr THAI gun and
smaller crait-can anchor. Old Bernal Diss tells that
the pilots OF Cortcz compared the harbor pocket
full Of holes: description which gives good idss
Of at the present day The city fronts the sea 20 On.
northeast. Beginning at the reef u sand and rocks
little TO the nothwsrd aud eastward OF the city knows
the Gaesa and which the castle OF San Juan de-
toa Is situated continuous chain Of reef aud small
issnds extends around. by east toward the south
far sacrihcios-about three miles from the castle.
Between these reefs and islands, excellent chaunelS
having sufficient water for the largest ships, lead
and out Of the anchorage abreast Of the ctyheace tho
description pocket fun holesn The best anchorage
l. within the triangle formed ny the city the castle and
this triangle the holding ground Is good being COM
posed Of and sand and the dpth Of from
three to five and half fsthous-the deepest water being
near the castle. sacritcios Is the usual anchorage
for men-of-war-Mexican jealousy not permitting
them To ~ preach the city. There ~ perhaps.
small, and the presence Of large ships Of might
incommode the merchant men, In receiving and dts
charging their cargoes. This pocket full of holes" "
open the northwest which IL the quarter whence the
terrible Noyt,s-nortbwest gses-come sweeping down
the coast snds consequently ANYTHING but . secure
Of Vera Cruz Is not the city Of the name drsS
built by Cortez This chieftain LANDED here but being
dissatisfied with the country and with the hsrborthe
former being series OF arid ssndhills and removed
from the inhabited districts aud the latter saordng hin
but ndicr, mt shelter for his ships-hc directed his
pilots Alsminos and Aware rrconnoter the coast 70
the hvard and westward In search ofa better
They cruised as far a. the mouth OF the Panuco-on
which Tampco IL stusied-snd returning after an sb-
q eight ten day reported that at the distance
o about twelve leagues from the point wht they then
th had discovcreda fortified city called By the
natives Quish uitsn situated about q league from the
shore and that there large front Of t.
not far from the cosst, which would afford protec-
ton to chips from the Dorthers This they named
Bernsl-tbe present Bcrnsl Chico. Asmpos, In whom
Cortez had Always rat confidence, having given It
his opinion that this port preferable to that II
Inos-which name the adv.turers had Already given TO
the modern port Of Vera Cruzthey TO remove
thitber
msJ not b. smiss to remark by the way that Cortes
before breaking up hi encampment to r.nove 20 tn.
newly found port gave ON the sand hills where nov
stands u modern Vera Cruz the trst iustrous ex-
ample OF pIurcarpi,nc which has been 20 TAFT hfulIv
followed ~ his defendants and especially by the GOOD
city itssf few 81 the prominent 81 h,s fa,lov
srs among whom was the doughty old captain and hs-
oman berna pa before mentioned after having f,lt
heir way by sundry intrgucs against yelsue,
he governor IL Cuba, under whose auspices the exp
ton had been started and proclaimed their favorite
IL ..Ila l-.l.nr -. L.