Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-05-27

Priatccrs especially useful tn thoe Powcrs Who,
navy il nfeIior to that Of their enCmc, Beic rcns will
! powerful aud extensive naval armamenta nav cr ia
cruise upon the seas with er national n,yies should
those States whose naval forces OF less power aud
tent be let to their Own rources they could hold
out in a maritime war; whis ty the equipment of prvs.
teers they may succeed in iii:nC upon the enemy an
injury equivalent TO that which they themselves sustain
Hence governments have freq ienty been krown, by
cry possible appliance, TO favor piyateer armameLt'
IL has even occurred that soyerigns merely SAT- fed
with issuing letters CT marqae have also kerr as it were
Interest in the armlmert THUS did LOUIS the Fou.
teenih frequently lend out hs ships and sometimes re-
sr7e fer himself share in the rr'zes"
History throws much light upon this subject France,
at m 'ary period was without a navy aud in her wars
with & cat Bitlin and Splin bob then naval Powers
rcsorted with signal gooi effect 20 prvaeering not
only for protection, but successful aggression She Oh
tiiued many prvatefs from Iolsnd aad by this force
ned decided advantage the ocean over her enemy
Wns. in that condition, France could hardly have been
expected to originate coucrr 10 proportion to abo
s1 watering. The condition Of many Of the -msller
StaAs Of the world is 10 relation 10 naval Powers
not much unlk that of France in the middle OF
tle sixteenth century,. At a later period during the
reign OF Louis the Fourteenth several expeGt oas were
hIed cut by him. compoa'd wholly OF pyatsors which
with naval Powers
The ocean i the common property Of al nations, arL
ins'ad cf yielding TO eGsuro which will be likely to
secure TO few possibly TO asccndarcy over IT,
each Should petnscousy retain all the means posses.
ses to defend the common heritage.
The injuries likely TO result from eurrendering Dc
mlnion Ct the seas TO few natons which have
powerful rasc', arise main from the practice Of sui
Jecilng private property the seizure by bell
grnn's. Justice and humanity demand thar this practice
should be aaaGoaed and blt the rule in relation TO such
property o. land should be extended to t wbel found
upon the high seas.
The President, therefore, proposes TO aid to the first
proposition in the Declaration Of the Congress Paris
the ioloEng words and that the private property Of
the subjects or ~ M OF bclgeIent the high
shsl be exempted from seizure bv pubic armed vessels
of the o,her begeront except IL be contraband" Thus
amended, the tivernmen of the United States will adopt
IT, tcg ther With the other three principles contained in
that Declaration -
am dir cted to communicate the approval Of the
Pre den 10 the eoGd Third and fourth proportions indc-
pendenty c the first should the amendment be unacccp
table. Wrholt the proposed mod atoa o. the first
rrhcpl" be cannot oOnviLce himself that i. would he
wise or safe to change the existing Law in regard the
right of privatecrrg
II The amendment should not be adopted it vii be
proper for the United States to have understanding
in Frgr! TO the treatment OF their prvatrcr7 when they
sthil nave occasion 10 visit the pot Cf tho Powers
Whch are o. may become priies to the b. clara ion G
the Cougr s. a Paris The United States WILL upon the
ground Of right aud nty. claim for them the same
extended to ia m u'd"r the Law of nations before the
attempted mobilization oi i. by that Corg'ess.
SEwFLLS IoISr BA1TFRY-A Formidable ArYAiR--
So Tar from pr venting the erection Ola battery
clis Point, Threatened by the Minnesota the ri
ra'iral oriit are nov afraid TO 20 within range
Of the powerful guns which have been planted there
Norfolk correspondent, u"dcr da.c Of May . says:
Yesterday steamer Which had been above Newport
N'ws, block idrg the eaharcc 10 ! amos river attempt
ed &c 90 down to FORT NouEo.. When nearly opuo-itc
the battery At S'wc'a Point shot Was tired from that
pace which brought ter 10. She returned the fire, but
'iler s'V Il sao'5 bad been exchanged bcsceu them
hadrg eAc canll not pl5 the battery, she pu; back
20 u, place from which she came. SHE is now tstcn
ed in there, unless she posed ont during The night
that was IN lie morning. Yesterday afternoon the tug
Young im.r RE: ran UP within q nile and cxchiug
tso or three shots with the fort at Se@crs Point, bur
being backed cur ty the tfc from the fort she ~n n
TO the steam irigitc AiuHsso Which came no aud
rounded TO about two miles (which s about as near al
most rs s. can approacl) from the fost and oleucd
with shot apd .aeii rIon the battr at Seweps Point
firing about fifteen Bafes. The battery answered with
great prt from seve,al heavy guns which causcd her
To back cut rather they let ler drift cut of IA, ge-
lie fire. bad tct uTnn the battery nor was any o.
wiLI il the least jarrd. Wheher she sustained any
Ijnry or n"s hl4 not been ascrrt1iacd.
Tnc turGi & taeL Cf the steamer from James river.
think Il be- Of greA. adcIutg', the battery st Sc
welrs P'i & will soon be in n condition to protect ;hc
entrance aud thus break up the blockade far as the
passage from Richmond TO Norfolk j. concerned in a
short tiUe. send GOgn the steamers Yorktown and
Jam st0wn hra'iy armed and well manned, and III
guarantee their s'' passage from Norfolk TO RichmoLd