Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-05-01
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j lord IIacauIay,s Account OF Captain
Kidd, the Colonial Pirate.

Lord macauIay,s Account OF Captain
Kidd, the Colonial Pirate.
We extract the following from the fifth volume
of Macauleys History of England, which has
just appeared:
Some years before, while the war was still
raging there had been loud complaints in the city
Il that even privateers at St. MalO's and Dunkirk
caused less mOlestation to trade than any other
class of ma-auders. The English navy was fully
employed in the eharnel, in the Atlantic and in
h the Mediterranean. The Indian ocean mean
while swarmed with Iirates, of whose rapacity and
feruelty faithful stories told. Many of these
lnen, it was said, came from our North American
Colonies, and carriel back to those Colonies the
spOls gained by crime. Adventures, who burst
not show themselves in the Thames, found
ready market for their i'll gotten spices and stus
at New York Even the Purtans of New Eng
land, who in sanctiInoniOus austerity surpassed
even their brethren of Scotland, were accused of
eonniving at the wickedness which enabled them
= enjoy abundantly and cheaply the produce of
Indian looms and Chinese tea plantations.
In 1895, Richard Coote Earl of Beamont, an
Irish peer, who sat in the British House of Com
mons, was appointed Governor of New York and
Massachusetts,. He was man of eminently fair
character, upright, courageous and independent
Though decided Wing, he had distinguished
himself by bringing before the Parliament at
Westminster some tyrannical acts done by Wings
at Dublin and particularly the execution, if it is
not rather too much 10 be called murder, of CAT
ney. Before Bellamont sailed for America, Viii
liam spoke strongly to him about the freebOotng,
which was the disgrace of the colonies. sIsend
you, nv Lord, to New York" he said, because
an honest and intrepid man is wanted to put down
these abuses, and because l believe you to be
such man" BellamOnt exerted himself to
Justify the high opinion which the King had
od of Erou or Navr
that the Governor who had just arrived from
England, was bent on the suppression OF piracy
and some colonists, in whom he placed great con-
fdence, suggested to him what they may perhaps
have thought the best mode of attaining that OBJ
iect.
Z mariner named William Kidd He had passed
most of bis life on the waves, had distinguished
himself by his seamaEshp, and had opportuni-
ties of showing his yalOr in action with the
French, and had retired on a competence. No
man knew the eastern seas better He was per-
-fectly acquainted with all the haunts of the pi
rstes who prowed between the Cape of Good
Hope and the Straits of Malacca and he would
undertake if he we're entrusted with single
ship of forty or fifty guns, to clear the Indian
Ocean Of the whole race. The brigantines of
the rovers were numerous, no dOuot, but none of
them we're large; one man-of-war which in the
royal navy would hardly rank fourth rate, would
easily deal with them all in succession, and the
lawful spoils of the enemies of mankind would
more than defray the charges Of the expedition.
Bellamont was charmed with this plan and recon-
nfended it to the King. The King referred it to
the Admiralty. The Admiralty raised difficulties
such as are perpetually raised by public boards
when any deviation, whether for the better or for
the worse, from the established course of pro-
:eeding is proposed. 1t then occurred to Bella
mont that his favorite scheme might be carried
into effect without any cost to the State. A few
public spirited men might easily fit out priva-
teer which would make the Arabian Gulf and the
Bay of Bengal secure highways for trade
He wrote TO his friends in England, implOring,
demonstrating, complaining Of their lamentable
want of public spirit. Six thousand pounds would
be enough. That sum would be reDaid, and re-
paid with large interest, from the sale of prizes,
and an inestimabIe benefit would be conferred on
the kingdom and on the world.
His urgency succeeded. Shrewsbury and Rom
ney contributed Oxford, though, as First Lord of
the Admiralty, he had been unwilling to send
Kidd to the Indian Ocean with King ship, con-
sented to subscribe a thousand pounds Somers
sui scribed another thousand. A ship, called the
Adventure Galley, was equipped in the port OF
London and Kidd took command, he carried with
him besides the ordinary letters of marqne, a
commission under the Great Seal, empowering
him te seize pirates. and to take them to SOME
place where they might be dealt with according &c
law.
Whatever right the King might have to the
goods found in the possession of the malefactOrs
he granted, by letters patent, to the persons who
had been at the expense of fitting out the expe-
dition, reservng to himself only one tenth part oi
the gains of the adventure which was paid into
the treasury. With the claim of merchants to
have back the property of which they had been
robbed. His Majesty. of course, did not interfere
He granted away, and could grant away, no rights
but his own.
The press for saiors to man the royal navy
was at that time 50 not that Kidd could not OBJ
tain his full complement OF hands on the Thames
He crossed the Atlantic, visited New York, and
there found volunteers in abundance. At length
in Fel aary 1897, he sailed for the Hudson with
a crew of more than hundred and fifty men,
and in July reached the coast Of Madagascar.
Il Is possible that Kidd may at first have meant
TO act in accordance with his instructions. Bu
on the subject of piracy he held the notions which
were then common in the North American colo
nies, and most of his were of the sam'
mind. He found himself in a sea which Wal
constantly traversed by rich and defenceless mer
chant ships, and he had to determine whether ht
would plunder those ships or protect them. Th'
gain which might be made by plundering then
was immense, and might be snatched without tn
dangers Of battle or the delays of a trial. Tn
rewards for protecting the lawful trade were com
paratively small. Such they were they coul'
be got only by first fighting with desperate ruf
then By instituting proceedings and obtaining
Judgment in Court of Admiralty. The risk o
being called to a severe reckoning might not nat
uraliy seem small to who had seen many oil
buccaneers living in credit and comfort in Ne'
York and Boston
Kidd soon threw off the character of priva
teer aud became pirate He established friendl
communications and exchanged arms and ammu
milton with the most notorious of rovers WHOM
his commission authorized him to destroy, an
made war ON those peaceful traders whom he wa
sent TO defend
He began by robbing Mussulmans, and speed
ily proceeded from Mussulmans to Arn-eDian
and from Armenians to Portuguese. &c 5;AC
venture Galley took such quantities oil eot'o9 an
silk, sugar and coffee, cinnamon and peppeF, ths
the very fore mastnen received from hundre
TO two hundred pounds each, and that the car
tain's share Of the spoil would have enabled hi
to live at home an oPulent gentleman Wit
the rapacity, Kidd had the cruelty of his odior
calling. He burned houses, he maSacreed pea
antrv His prisoners were tied up and beate
with naked cutlasses, in order to extort inform;
ton about their concealed boards. One of h
crew, whom he had called dog, was provoke
into exclaiming, in an agony of remorse, "Yes,
am dog, but it was you that have made me so.
News Travelled very slowly from the easter
seas to England But in August 1895, it W;
known in England that the adventure gaIle-
from which so much had been hoped, was ii
terror of the merchants of Surat and of the villi
gers Of the coast of Malabar. 1t thougl
probable that Kidd would carry his booty to son
COLONY. Orders were therefore sent from Whit
hall to the Governors of the trans marine posse
sessions Of the crown, directing them to be {
the watch for him. He, meanwhile, having bur
his ship and dismissed most of his men-wi
easily found bertls in the slOOps of other pirat
returned to New York with the means, as
iattered himself. Of making his peace and liviI
in splendOr. De had fabricated long romano
20 which Bellam0nt, naturally unwilling TO b
leve that he had been duped, and had been Il
means of duping others, at first disposed
listen with favor But the truth soon came OJ
The Governor did his duty firmly and Kidd w
placed in close confinement till orders arriv,
from the Admiralty that he should be sent
England.