The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-05-28
CI)e l1aiIp grseman.
EEONTPELEERs, wa,
TUESDAY. MAY 20, 1861.
From the New York Courier,
The Pirates Code.

FUN lil7 NC" iork courier.
The Pirates Code
Extracts from the Law Of the Rebel Congress
authorizing Piratical vessels to prey upo.
American Commerce.
rREMIuMs--A PRIZE SET UPON NORTHERN HEADS.
SEC. 10. That a bounty shall be paid by III,
Confederate States Of 500 tor each person on
Ioard any armed ship or cessel belonging 10 Ii.
mated St"tes, at The commencement Of am ca.
gGgement, which shall be burnt, sunk or de-
stroyed by any vessel commissioned as af,rc
said, which shall be of equal or inferior
force, the same divided as in other cases of nrize
money and Il bcuaiy Of s2j shall be pad 10 Ne
o,eners, officers ard cre,rs Of the yrilatc ay32ca
cesSe(3 commissioned rs otoresaid for cach oaa
e0cry prisoner By tAem captured qpa brouqht
| into port, and delivered to an agent authorized
to receive them. in any port CT the Confedera to
State, and the Secretary of the Treasury J.:
hereby authorized to pay or cause to be pail to
| the owners, officers and crews Of such private
armed vessels, commissioned as aforesaid. 0,
their agent, the bountics herein provided.
REWARDS FOR TllEETs OR PROPERTY.
SEC. H. That on all goods, wares and mer-
chandlsc captured and made good and lawful
prize OF war. by any private armed ship having
commission OF letters of marqnc and reprisal
under this act, and brought into the Confederate
States, there shall he allowed q aed4ction of 33
! 3 per cent. on tie amount Of dulies imposed bv
| tar.
! THE REBEL GOVERNMENT TO SHARE THE PLUMBER.
SEC. 10. That five per centum on the net
amount (after deaucting all charges and expon-
dltures) OF the prize money arising from clptur-
ed vessels and cargoes, and on the net amount Of
the salvage OF vessels and cargoes re captured by
the private ar.ned vessels o! the Coniederat
State, shaN be Secured aud paid orej 10 khc coYec
tor or other chicf officer Of The tustomSm at tie pod
or placc in The Confederate States at wAich such
captured or rc-captareG ucsscis mag arire, or to
the Consul or other public agent OF the Conlec-
crate States residing ut the port or place, not
within the Confederate States, at which such
captured or recaptured vessel may arrive And
the moneys arising therelrom shall be held and
are hereby pledged by the government of the
Confederate States as q fund or the support and
maintenance of the widows and orphans Of such
persons as may be slain land for the support and
maintenance of such persons as may be wounded
and disabled on hoard or the private armed YES
sells commissioned as aforesaid, in any engage
Inent with the enemy, to be assigned and dis
tributed in such manner as shall hereafter be
provided BY law
Most assuredly, these modmen are calling
down upon themselves q fearful retribution.-
We are no A60htionists, as the columns of the
Courier and Enquirer, for the whole period Of
its existence, now thrty-tour yea's, will abun-
danty demonstrate. And for the whole of
that period. except the first six months
of it's infancy, it has been under our ex-
elusive editorial charge. Never during that
long PERIOD has an abolition sentiment found
it's way into our columns and for the good
reason, that we have respected, honored and
revcred the Constitution; and recognized our
duty to obey and enforce its mandates. But
Rebellion stalks through the land. A conled !
eracy Of Slave States has repudiated that Con
sttuton and placing themselves beyond its !
pale, openly seek to destroy it and ruin all
whom it protects. They no longer profess any
cannot claim It's protection. By their OWE act,
our duty to respect their rights under that
Constitution ceases with their repudiation Of 1t :
and oar right to liberato their Slave property /
is as clear as would be our right to hberatc
the Slaves of Cuba in a war with SPAIN,
Every Freeman in America, is an enemy to
american S'areyy and the moment he is dis.
charged from his Constitutional duty to respect
the Institution and to protect his fellow citiZcns
in the enjoyment of Slave property where it is
by the Constitution, he is morally at
liberty to pursue just such course in relation
to Slavery and Slaves, as his feelings and bis
sense Of duty to the Slave himself, may dictate.
His philanthropy and love of justice-his con-
victions of right and consideration Of public
becomes his only rule of
conduct The abolition Of Slavery everywhere
in the Slave Conlederacy, is matter to be de-
cded hereafter, by questions of public cxpedi-
ency and not by considerations Of obligations
to Constitution which the Rebel Confcderacy
repudatc and utterly ignore.
Let the Rebel Contoderacy reflect upon these
facts and then if they dare, Issue solitary
letter of narque, or what they may pretend to
call such, well knowing that band Of lawless {
Rebels and Robbers, can possess no such right,
and the attempt to exercise it, is nothing more
than organized Piracy. The first assault upon
our commerce from such quarter, becomes by
The late Pratical law of the Slave confederacy.
the act Of the whole Plratlc horde and just as
certainly as it is made, just so certainly the !
people of tho North with one voice, will not
,nly demand, but will compel the manumission {
IF every bondman in the Slave confederacy.
This is no idle threat. A band of Pirates
;hrea ten and authorize Piracy upon Northern {
commerce : and from the moment that threat is
carried into execution, the fettcrs will fall from
The manacled limbs of their Slaves, and they
will be encouraged and aided in the establish |