New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-14
RUCCANRRRING.

II is on old custom of buccaneers, slave traders,
and pratical craft generally to ship their crews I'M
der false pretepses The usual practice is to anchor
beadand, and while she lies thus moored, to carry
to her in boats, from quarters where they can be
procured, the necessary complement of men for the
crew. Sometimes these men are obtained under
one prete xt and sometimes another, and sometimes
by sratagem. The chief point in the case is always
to get the requisite numbers on board. This
done, means to csjole, to bride, to frighten, or
in some other way to induce acquiescence In the
objects of the voyage, are generally found. VI
course, in one shape or another, the motive ad'
dressed to all is plumber.
The slave.trading Democratic ship is just now
engaged in following this example. 1t Lies OIL and
Cd, in sailor phrase, picking up its crew. IL mas
its boats running in various directions, gathering
strspgers, wherever they can be found. II has
opened recruiting offices, where large, and, IL IL
hoped, thriving business, is going on under iaIse
pretenses. One ofthese shops was lately opened In
Philadelphia. The sign put out there was for able
bodied Union and Constitutional seamen. tn un-
derstood that considerable number went TO the
recruiting station, attracted by the captivating title
on the sign; but who enlisted, or who went aboard
be Philadelphia boat to be carried of to the ship,
we have not learned. Whether any of the we'll
meaning parties attracted to the station saw
through the scheme, or, in vulgar phrase, smelt
rat, we do not know. 1t being sort OF mock
auction concern, it is hard to tell the decoys from
the dupes. The decoys profess to enlist In the
belief that the ship is good and the purposes Of the
voyage honorable. The dupes do the same thing In
good faith. Once on board the boat, if suspicion
is aroused the decoy's business is to profess sur
prise, but to furnish the argument in favor OF going
in and making the best of the case.
Another recruiting station was opened last night
at Newark, N. j., as we observe by the following
paragraph from The Express of last evening:
"a mass meeting of Americans, Old-Line Wings,
and other national and conservative men, is to be held
this evening at Newark, n. j., to form Constlta.
tional Union Club Roll on the ball !-and keep 1t
rolling"
The expression here employed Of keep the ball
rolling, simply means "keep the skiff running"
The Express is on the lookout station, hosts lights,
makes signals, and plays the pimp generally to the
whole operation. 1t understands the mock-auction
dodge perfectly and is the main decOy on this part
of the coast We don't know what success was
met with at Newark. At this present writing we
are not informed whether any were got on board
the boat or not.
This business Wi now be kept agoing as briskly
as possible. Stations are about to be opened at
various points, ard The Express will give notice
when the mock-auction sign is out The necess-
ties of the DID, worm-eaten lugger that these opera
tons are designed to furnish with crew, are very
great The flag must therefore be kept flying, and
the boats running, while single greenhOrn remains
to be entrapped. We have heard of some who say
they have thought Of enlsting, and think of it now,
for they do not believe by the looks of the boat that
they have seen, which was tight and well painted,
and even cushioned on the after seats, and
where sat several respectfully gentle
men, in white cravats, with gloves on, and
patent.leather boots, that it could belong to
any slave.tradipg, buccaneering craft whatever.
But if these confdiDg persons will only put their
noses inside of any mock auction shop in this city,
they will find just such a crowd of gentemanly
persons-well.dressed fellows, all of Them looking
so honest Still, we are not going to be urgent in
The matter. We do not suppose there will be fool
less for anything We may say; but, if any man
thinks we are mistaken, just let him get on board
any of the boats, and see which wayshe is pulled
as soon as her complement is on board. If she
does not head straight for the old Democratic,
worm eaten, slave-trading ugger lying just under
the head in the distance, he is at liberty to come
back and tel Us we ore mistaken.