The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-06-21
The Rights Of Merchant Vessels at Sea-
TO TIE EDIr0R OF THE HERALD.


TO THE RDITOR OF THE HERALD.
Commander Rodgers Is very much mistaken In suppos-
ing that cruiser has . right to make merchantmen
show her colors. cruiser has no more right TO make
merchantmen show her coors than has to make
another tell his We are speaking Of period Of
profound peace Every cruising officer knows, by her
appearance and behavior, whether vessel going along
abou. her business the high he anything
suspicious the conduct OF the merchantmau, he would
be manufactured. it would be his duty-to satsy
himself of her character by all means. We know that
cruisers tho habit OF showing their coors 10 each
mercbsntmen eouersy but moi always return the co N.
p,iment Let Commander Rodgers undertake. to mako
merchant captains show toer colors or do mis- bid
ding In any other manner and see how SOFA no would
find out that he had ais m itch. msrcnantnan the
high seas Independent any citizen toe land,
70 stop or nterrogse the one tnau you have TO stop or
istsrrogse the other. You may hail msn sof ask MIN
any pertinent question, and he Do nos hsed you you
NAV think him dissgreeable follow, and in iced, tell
him 30 the next Time you bin. SO Il you nave any
good and proper for wishing spesk msechint-
man and w not ocommote her by causog her 10 hsave
10, you may fire gun ss sisn1 foe the purpose.
Cruisers sometimes Ike 10 send letters hons oy ncr
cbsomen and sisnalize them for the par pose. IL Is
not always thst q merchsntman about losing the
time There never WAS anything moro proper than the
determination which beon expressed not TO have
mesto No cruiser has right arbitrarily 10 interfere
with vessel on the hga seas unless her
cooduct suspicious IL 10 state OF war The fact Of
.
be there since vessels not permitted 70 depart from
any country with out proper leave. FREE BOTTOMS.
TO me EDITOR or THE HERALD.
There he doubt OF the facts you state in your
mort about rigot Search &c, &C., contained In the
pspers Of day but whether true nos there remains
70 said something to certain other cases occurring
For instance. when 10 the years Immediately preceding
states merchant vessels boarded at while
their voyage by British cruisers 81 time when Engaud
aud France we're ~ war seamen on the ground OF being
brother OF mine among the number impress I'd served
four years under the Brit sh lag, dsntng the
spsss.,c sD unit, hu Is..s Isv.shan sss %ssu
he made his escape and reached home. This WAS "a tn
frnxement there can be no dolbt, upon the freedom
me next thing which cane more particularly 70 my
notice the of the Chesapeake frisa,s when In
1907 ooed the navy on aer being oysrhsalsd oy the
siiers;ion the part OF our government Wsl after
waiting i've years, We 20 10 wn-enter upon war with
our part Tue SHIPS unit for service, and Jefferson
gunboas obey having failed 70 make up the force 70
m ns ,o", "sps pS, IL. "ocss wers @
ptsciisips upon own commerce Ia tho porI OF New
York aud other commercial places during tho "Embso"
and "Noa intercourse" acts; aud then, whsn the
broke out, we're only Used 70 guard our hsrbors.
The gunbost system has again appeared under tho
Eogisn nss ana snss ~ s' s a oose 81
treaty stpul~iors bctwocn the Urd States govern
ment and that of EngAnd c,u6ned " the slave business
oniy) are doing wnAievnr may be said about ohsr
matters Asd England there y not IN all
hear any ground Of com plant If We Join hsr in any
com pacs or treaty the same should be carried oui bat
before said IN my last "ve should avoid eotsagiog
alliances With all tons" Aunul the present treaty sai
make the best you can OF bad bargain aud keep your
powder dry.
Having 10 the course Of the last half century become
familiar with naval matters, aud intercourse abroad,
aud connection with trade under all crcumaancss
aud all flags, having made impression, has inclined me
10 make some remarks.
The right OF search for instance ks other rights
depends upon circumstances For instance, vnere Gibbs,
(poor fellow wh, huos some years aso on Giboa
Island IN the port OF Ns~ York had bis sblshmsnt nj
Cspe Apsonio Cuba the prizes he had taken consisting
Of the ship cius and brig Arsties both American and
within the jurisdiction Of Spain, were cao,ur.
cd, and he and the gang OF pirates pursued
land, his own vessel burned aud several boats cap
tured with quantity OF stolen goods IN the houses,
which, when taken out, the houses burned without
the contents The thousands Of envespes ant Wrappers OF
papers and which bore directions 70 several mer.
chants and citizens generally In New Orleans and Charles
me prizes were taken into Havana and Afterwards pro.
ceedcd 10 Charleston the Captain General OF Cuba max
ing objection on the occasion OF our landing ct the
me right Of search was carried out on an occasion that
occurred In smyrna When OF that port, the United
States shlp Warren, bound out with convoy, recovered
from she French frigats Srene and sloop Of that
Ole a. The Navy Department
The abuse Of the navy made apparent In regard 70
ships Of large sire, an surprised so little said about
small crafts
We want your sixty sioops war now sin hsa,y fri
gates and ten 70 twenty light propelers for the Navy