New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-08-18
PROFIT or PRIvATEERING.

war with England somo citizens OF Salem,
Massachusetts, were the only Americans who
made money by the operation. 1t would follow
that all other participants either lost money, or
Just cleared expenses. But the mere standing
fact that all nations, which possessed ships and
seaports, have. from time immemOrial, FASTENED
to embark in prvateering Immediately on the
breaking out of war, goes to show that maritime
plumber is universally regarded as speedy high
road to fortune. Our own people entertain the
same idea, as was demonstrated by the amazing
Juror with which they embarked iu it in 1912,
and BY the zeal they manifested in continuing to
build and fit out better vessels during the three
years over which the license extended. Their
natural shrewdnefs soon settled the question as
to whether it was paying business. Had they
found it to be otherwise, they would have inccn.
tueDtly dropped it. 1t is certain that England
found it to be perfectly ruinous to her. Though
che sent he,ts to blockade our harbOrs, yet our
prrateers were constantly slipping ont to sea,
Just as the rebel privatcers are doing now. Her
press denounced the Ministry for the ineffciency
of tie blockade, and the people of every English
seaport, in meetings called for the purpose. unit
ed in the condemnation. A perfect panic pre-
vailed in mercantile circles. Thity.two mer-
chantmen were captured off the Tagus within
fortnight. The master OF vessel, who was cap
tured three times, and as often recapturcd, re-
ported in London that he had seen no less than
twenty privatecrs during his voyage. They in.
tested every British inlet and harbor to such an
extent that thirteen guineas premium on ElOO
was charged at Lloyds TO insure vessels across
the irish Channel. Such rates were wholly I'M
known in England At Halifax, insurance pre-
miums rose enormously, willie in many cases no
insurance would be granted. All this time three
| frgates and fourteen slOops ofwar were actually
cruising for the protection Of ST. Georges Chan
| nell The London merchants, memOriaizing the
! Government for protection stated that more
than eight hundred vessels had been captured
by that power whose maritime strength we
" have hitherto impollticaly beld in contempt"
and charged the Admiralty with gross neglect.
Yet this was two years alter war had been dc.
clared.
Such recital will afford some idea of the
national annoyance which priyateeriog may
occasion. But more remarkable than the escape
of priyateers to sea, was the fact that prizes by
hundreds arrived safely in port. A small por-
ton only, of the whole number taken, were
recaptured. Yet this double evasion Of general
blockade shows how greatly the vigilance of the
priyateersmen sharpened by knowledge OF
its existence as nothing but consumInate skill
and dariog could achieve such general impunity.
1t must be remembered in connection, that this
effort at bio kadIDg our ports was made by
England when in the zenith of her naval power.
Nelson had but recently swept both France aud
Spain from tie OceaD, leaving her nothing but
our puny navy of seven frigates to contend with.
When the war opened with us she had more
than a Thousand ships anoat, yet she found it
impossible to make the blockade of our ports
cODplete. Her statesmen remember these facts
Some Of them have recently declared it equally
imposs BILE for US 10 do so. Bat they forget that
while their task embraced the whole coast from |
Portland TO New Orleans, ours is limited to that
portion which lies south of the Potomac If
England, therefore, with powerful fleets at every
harbOr, and numerous frigates cruising along the |
coast, found it utterly impossible to prevent our |
priyateers leaving port or their prizes from
lar state of things exists at present. An absolute
blockade of such coast as ours cannot be
established in day. But it is fast becoming all
that can be desired
The facts which govern the question of the
pro6tabeness Of priyateering convince us that
tremely lucrative employment. 1t has in num-
berless instances rewarded insignificant ventures
with almost fabulous profits. The Spanish plate
ships of Old tirnes bound from Mexico to Spain,
bore cargoes infinitely more valuable than any
California steamer, aud were the continual spoil
OF British freebooters But they left port but
twice year. Carrying tho treasure collected
during six months, their value was proportional
to their rarity. But this century opened with
the commerce Of the world more than quin.
tupled If cargOes were not 80 extrayacantly
rich, they were five times as numerous "a when
the plate ships were afoat. British commerce.
especially experienced an incredible augmenta.
ton from the very year after that country
abolished the slave-trade, 80 that when the war
of 1872 broke out, every sea, both far and near,
was alive with her ships. In thirty days from
the declaration Of war, our prvateers had start
ed In pursuit. Some men, regarding war as
certain, had vessels ready armed aDd manned, SO
that when tue declaration came, all they needed
was the paper authority of the Government to
sink, burn, and destroy. This had, and they were
off. Mere cock-boats thus fell upon homeward.
bound Indiamen, who, ignorant of the war, sur.
rendered their Priucsly cargoes without resist