Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-12-17
on srn navy, and involve other important oouse-

/
Q ern navy, and involve other important conse-
Q Mr.. Bruce, Of Kentuckv. submitted q. resolu-
ton 70 the house Of REPRESENTATIVES directing
the Ritenfion Of the eommiftse on naval sfairs
70 the expeclency Of smsndiuZ the law relating
70 prlYateeTing. The honorable member sug-
gests that duly commissioned officer shall be
allowed to enlist a crew anywhere and the
, crew 10 be covered By his commission. GO I
} would said Mr.. Bruce, go amend the law as
J TO commission any man Of character who de-
sired 70 embark iu the exciting enterprise Of pr-
vsteeTing, and allow him 10 put his commission
ia bis pocket, and make his way sut Of Our
country as he could, and purchase bis vessel.
associate others with him, enlist his officers
and crew in any part Of the world, from Cuba
to China; end the commission 50 issued snd
held by this one man sbenld protect every Off
Ger and seaman on board, in css8 Of capture"
As the lag now stands, any one applying for
letters OF marquis and reBrissl has to give a
I particular description Of the tonnage AMI force
! Of the vessel, and The name and place OF resi-
4 deDce Of each owner concerned there b, and
\ the intended number Of the crew BY the
1 proposed change Tire commander. and l0t the
! vessel viii be fcencsd or commissioned
1 During the blOcksds the necessity Of register
| inE The vessel IS an insuperable difficulty, and
/ as It seems 20 ne, = needless preczuGon. The
practical differences viii be that Tie 0i5csr's
commission viii cover any vessel OF crew h0
nay command, instead Of covering aregisseIsd
vessel sad crew. No objection can b5 made TO
/ purchasing vessels in Europs f1r DriTatseing,
even if the pUrp05s Of ths purchase were need
/ lessiy avOwsdf for procuring vessels for Con
isdera.s DrivEteerisg is not greater violation
Of las than the Esserals buying ri3as sndOthsr
sgsIike stores in Europe. il We have uor mis-
conceived The bearing Of Ar. Brucs's proposal,
i VIII iUpart % .h8 commanders Of privateaTs,
whilst IN service, SCnsUhat the standing o off
Gers in the Conisisrate navy, just as ths Con-
Tolerate government has recognized the s0-clllsi
guerilla bands = branch of tie regular mill
tery servics. Such so alteration wguld raise
the character Of privatsering, and bring 10 u1dsr
the direct aud Eh0iesme control OF the EEscu-
tive.
There is, We know, with soma people much
that Is Objectionable in the idea of developing
and systematizing privatesring. We shall per
hap5, be told that its business is plunder Of
private property, sst that we ough. not 90 com
pare It 70 the s0-ealled guetlls bands, who are
bound 70 respect, and in the South haze rs-
specled, private property. We need only reply
that pTiVAteeIlnE is retaliation Ias Federal
war vessels do not respect the private property
Of Confederate citizens. Let them raise the
oloesase and allow private property Of mer-
chants tree ingrss5 and egTss5, and pTivatsering
would be uuJ gstilable, because there would be
no demand for retaliation. Privsteering Is a
system Of rspTisal, lawful and Just. We do-nCE
offer apy opinion IS TO the eIpsdiency Of psr-
milting the merchantmen and merchandise Of
an enemy to be unmoested. Il may be said
that since commerce supplies the sinews Of war,
/ the less commerce IS interrupted the JHger
would Be the war, and so the philanthrOpist
who thinks moIe Of his fellow creatures lives
/ than be does Of his pocket, may have some pre-
/ teuce for opposing any scheme TO make WaE
/ less costly 70 the general Community; but go
long as seiziag the property Of private citi-
zens a. sea Is right, privsteeHng cannot
/ be wrong. IL g OF the utmost importance
/ that pTivatasrs should no: transzTess the
/ law Of nations, and this viii be to a great
extent insured by a system that commissions
/ respectable men, Irrespective Of ship OF crew
| IN the circUus .Gnccs of the C0nfsdsra.s States
We sgrso with Mr. Bruce that the alteration IS
| eIpsdisnt as well IS c0mmsndable.
/ blr. Bruce also proposes d" to allow a pTiva-
/ beer to destroy an ensmy's property when It car
not be brought into port, and to receive pay
ment therefore under suitable regu latiOns"
This viii vastly increase should It be adopted the
number Of pIivs,seTs, f0T 1t viii prevent the dis
satisfaction consequent upon having 90 lose pro
/ psIty captured a. considerable risk, aud i5
viii also prevent pJivsteers incurring the danger
/ Of being taken BY the enemy in trying to save
/ their prizes. Air. Bruce observes that the Con
| IeuefAle gaFeEn-Al-nI VIII not iOsd oy slcu an
/ arrangement, for the pIivateers viii TAX The Ie-
| sources Of the Norris, Withdrawing portion Of
| the blockadmg squadron, and VIII, IN fact,
be cheap and very ef5cscisus suxiliary 70
| the COnf-derals nsvy. In the event Of ne pro
perty of ueutrss being accidentally seized or il
| jared, Mr.. Bruce Justly observes fhst The Con
fsderste government would make immediate and
ample reparsti3n.
It is not easy 30 estimate The probable results
] e q Cd
/ 1t would, as We have remarked above, be q val
usble aid to the regular navy. Many privstsers
/ would, doubtless, be able to run the blockade
/ with CsIgoes Of ammunition, receiving ia pay
| ment csrgOes of cotton. The main effect would
/ be the paralysis Of Northern commerce, snd this
would make the war felt BY those cliquss who
are amsssiBg riches on the ruin Of their coun-
| try, and who are unspaTing in thsir sDdeav0rs
/ to Proong the contest. II Congress should
| think proper to adopt the proposal of Mr.. Bruce,
no one on this side Of the Atlantic VIII fad isHls
with its decision.