Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-12-14
PIRATE or rRIyArEEn.

ftrate or prlvateer, Confederate or corsair,
BE- steamer Nashville, oow lying 10 south.
hmpton waters, Is bideous blemish upon our
nineteenth century Of civilization. A wild
beast or b,rd OF prey is on object Of dread
bu. not Of obhorrehce, The Nashville is
both-a floating den Of brutalizsd human
beings, making destruction the immediate
business Of their lives-the destruction, OF
uuarmed and unofIepding ships, carrying op a
peaceful traffic upon the common highway OF
nations. IL Capt, Pegrsm bolds corimis
sioE or letter OF marque, the law of ustions
to our shame be it said-wil have nothing
TO ssy TO bin, but the moral sense 6 mankind
will still pronounce bis nchie' ement an
outrage on humanity. If be does not carry
either Of those documents, the law of England
will adjudge him guilty of o very specific
offence, according to the facts stated against
bim-aud remit him to the authorities OF the
nation which be disgracss to be dealt with
according TO its laws. In either case we
repeat be has done deed which should
make the ears of all men to tpgle, and bring
TO speedy coacl usion the abominabe syste N
OF making war at sea upon the persons and
property Of peaceful citizens.
Nothing can be more barbayous than the
distinction reco gDized by the usage Of war
between private property on land and oD
water. Except in the actual presence Of the
enemy, or in case Of town taken by storm
the houses sud 6 oods Of non.comostants are
respected.
Yet this is the very letter of instructions
given to Baval officers. They are hidden to
eeze or sink every vessel carrying the enemy's
Hag, no matter what her size, character or
oec upatiou. The richest argosy and the
huublest fishing smack ore alike obnoxious
so this horrible dictum though the one
answers only to priacely mansion and the
other to pea SAINTS cottage. They are no
more instrume nts of warfare than if they were
hauled ashore aud embedded in the mud
There is exac tly the same difference between
0 ship Of war and o merchant ship as between
q fortress and an uuarmed dwelling. A
battery is q battery, whether ashore or oaoat
aud 10 lawful object Of destruction, because
designed to destroy. But house is no less
o house for being fitted With keel and rigging.
1t is the occupation of the Inhabitants, not
the shape OF the structure, that should expose
TO or exempt from the liabilities OF warfare.
These obviously just and humans consider.
ations we're urged at the Paris Congress Of
1856. They so far prevailed that it was
agreed to recommend the abandonment by
all Powers OF the right to issue letters Of
marque. The United States Goverument
replied that by asserting to this proposal they
would be placing their own extensive mer
camille marine OF the mercy Of Governments
possessing far larger arma ment. But they
offered q couoter proposition. equally in the
interests Of sli commercial uatiops-viz that
private property at sea, not being contrabaud
of war, should be entirely exempt from cap.
ture. No such comprehensive or humane
idea had ever emanated from European
Government. 1t was worthy rather of a
Peace Congress than OF q conference Of
dipomatists. 1t would have shorn war of
half it's it's horrers, and have left exposed 70
the sword only those who choose to take the
sword. 1t was welcomed by the Times, as an
organ OF the commercial classes, with prompt
cordiality. The proposal was described in
these perspicuous aud forcibe words at is
now q question for the family of nations to
decide whether cargo Of sugar on the
Atlantic is es sacred es the same articles
when stored in the warehouse of captured
port" Bot the Times is also the organ of a
political clique, under the influence Of which
it soon decided 10 the negative the question
it had stated 10 shape TO command the
assent of every reasonable being.
Acting in secrecy, and on its own irrespon
able caprices, the Government Of Lord
Palnerston refused the proposition submitted
TO it By the American Minister. The opinion
Of tha other European powers on such O
question was comparatively unimportant
Privateering ia, therefore, still permitted by
the lew of nations, and private property still
exposed to capture or destruction on the
open seus. But for this gross abuse of itI
executive powers by the British Government
the crew of the Harvey Birch would have
been as safe under the flag Of the United
States as under the flag of France or o
Great Britain. Commander Psgram woult
k,l ,rtNa -, g e. A
pursuit of bis rGf1ianly vocation. The atroctJ
of which be is stated to have been guilty
wo1ld have been as much violation of publil
law as Of public morals, and he would have
been chased from the seas as tiger is hunted
so the jungle. We can hardly hope that tbc
Cuited States Government would be willing
to reopen, while at actual war, the question
which was 80 bluntly closed by our owl
Cabinet under very different circumstances
The maritime superiority of the North i;
ROW making itself felt. The Nashville viii
not ind it SO easy to re-euter New Orleans
or any other Conieterate port, as 10 make be
exit thence. The Federal cruisers may bt
Figlsat enough ts aPenge the barbGrity the,
failed 20 prevent. Bet our OWE Governmen
now has 10 its hands the means Of revokius
it's wicked biWnder. Let Captain Pezram o.
u.sde 30 answer Tor ds waEtoa destruction O
the UaTyey Birch. Ii be can produce con
ujssiGn or lice2se from the Confederate State
ee aust let him 60, sidce We have recognizes
She beligereat rights Of his employers. Bu
il he has &C better authority Tor bis pratt
exploit than the flag that represents .ebeiiio
aud sla7esy--s compogod most strange su
onnstusal--let bim be delivered up 20 th
United States Consul, TO defend as be may
deed which nothisg 10 Law, authority or ussg
1lu or fu