New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-01-22
HISTORY OF 1AF1rTE, THE PIRATE.

circumstances made us acquainted. at one
period Of our life. with the real facts Of Lafittes
history, verified in manner that left no loop
holes for falsehood to creep in. Since then we
lave read most Of the novels that have been
written respecting him, and greater iihels were
probably never penned; for they represent La
ntte either az a romantic hero, Or rs a human
htnd, when in fact be was neither tn the
contrary, he was man who had been goaded
by great wrongs to seek revenge, which he did
in shat wild Arab way, so often characteristic
Of seameu, ani which IS nourishe1 in tiie blood,
partly by the loneliness of the sea, and partly
by D life free from the conventiona1ities ei civil
in ion For d true sailor has, as Herman Mel
vile says. spice Cf the wild morality of the
desert. and is. as it were, the Beiou.n OF tie
great deep. M@&
Jean Laftte was born on the Garonne, and
not Marseilles: and was from his boyhood #ae-
customed to the ocean, for he belonged to fam
ily which, fOr many generations, lad furnished
spme Of the most skilltul and daring priyateers-
men Of Bayonne. ln the great war of the
French revolution, WHEN the commerce Of his
native province was almost destroyed, he en-
balked as lieutenant On hoard II private armed
vessel, which, after running brilliant career,
was captured BY superior force and carried
into un English port. Here Laftte, with the
other officers and crew, was cast into prison,
Time passed. his captain. his brother lieuten
ants, The common men even obtained their trec-
dom: but Lahtte himself remained prisoner.
HIS friends, however, and relatives, too, were
active to procure his discharge Several times
were prisoners OF equal rank sent into the Eng
Gsh ports. by the agency of his old captain, in
or4er to be exchanged for him, bnts it was not
until many Ling years had passed, that Laftte
found himself free. This long detention raised
III him mn almost savage thirst for vengeance
aga nst England, and on his release he returned
Immediately to priyatepring. principally for the
harm he might thus do English ships,
The pachcation Of Europe after the treaty of
Fentainhlean deprived him III the means IF legal
ly carrying on his revenge But long years Of
solitary brooding in prison, and night watches
afterwards upon the lonely SEA, had destroyed,
to great extent, his reverence for human Law
he had, IN L word become an Arab at heart
He determined. accordingly, To continue his ca
reer. Yet he retrained from attacking any but
English vessels. since it was only against Eng
land that he sought revenge. his relations IN
France heard of his course with inexplicablt
! pain, and demonstrated with him earnestly, es
! peciaily one who had been n sort Of guardian I,
| his youth, and who now expostulatel with hin
/ almost with tears. But Lafitte was inpxorable
| At last his early friend called in the aid Of re
ligion, and remipded The e-'riBg man of the aw
full destiny he was preparing for himself in eter
nifty. The reply ives characteristic. "If g
| Il ..,.. wrote Laitte. SaTAgeiJ, Will drh!
| plenty Of Englishmen after ,ae. Iiis relative
| aware how great had leen his proyocation, conl
Esay no more But from that hour. fGf man
| long years, the name OF the wandering outla,
ceaseil to be spoken in THE household Of hi
father: and children, in whom. ran blood kindred
to MS own. grew up 10 manhood, ignorant Of Iii
| very existence.
The subsequent career OF Laitte is ,vell known
Though he committed acts of piracy on British
vessels, he paid no regard to the revenue Ia ws o
any nation. For a long time he had under him
quite considerable force at the island of Bara.
taria. But his early education. which had beer
strict, asserted its power at last, old memories
re- awakened, and lie sighed to return again t
civilized life. to lay down the brand of pirate, Il
pass his days in quiet. The volcano of passion
on insanity, for it was IS much the one as tht
other had burned out in that fiery heart Ht
made his peace with the United States as il
popularity known, just before the battle of New
Orleans. Subsequently he returned to his ma
tive land, where he led not many years ago
His wife, whom he married in America, is still
living, or was at the time we heard the narra
tive We have given above.
We would have to violate the sanctity Of pri
yate life, if our authority was to be given. a
the time we heard of the history of Latitte, W,
were told the name of his old captain, of the pri
yateer in which he was captured, aud many
other facts, which we have since forgotten. VI
regret that we did not take down in writing
these details. We could rel possess ourselves 0
them, indeed, in a month or two, for his rela
tiyes still live in their native province, and per
haps we may DO il yet. philadelphia Ledger