Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-03-26
LETTERS OF MARQUE.

We observe that our contemporaries, with great
unanimity, SO far we have marked the expression
of their opinions concur with us in deprecating the
utterance of letters Of marque by our Government
In the present war; And as it seems to be general
y conceded that there is no use to which such let
ters, In the ordinary sense of the term can be ap-
piled, and as it is rather proposed, even by those
who favor the enlistment of private enterprise
In the naval service to limit the activity Of private
armed vessels to the specific work of capturing the
armed cruisers of the insurgents it is to be hoped
that the designation of all vessels so employed,
should any be authorized by the Government, will
at least correspond with the specific function to
which they assigned. The generic name Of
"letters of marque" will be too comprehensive
for such peculiar class of vessels as can alone be
enlisted in this particular service, and to apply
such term to them would be to take the nominal
odium of privateeriDg in the eyes of the world,
while admitting that the practical benefits of pri-
watering are out of the question in the present
case.
To this effect the New York Evening Post re-
marks as follows:
Is great misfortune, think, that the term let
ters Of marque' should be applied To the ss;ons
about to be issued the TO the armed
our merchants profess Themselves willing to prepare
is term that the vocabulary of law applies
e1cuvoy 70 prl'ateers which, under the existing cir
cums'ances, are not wanted The rebels have No G m
me co on which private armed ships could make reprsas
anu u sehu them forth would little than threat
against The Commerce of friendly and peat eiu natons
besides ut the best, prvateering looked upon with
by all nations and s only tolerated NOT approy
ed' Dy the Jaws OF nations. Judge Kent in his Commen-
aies very properly lays that privateerng under all the
restrictions which may have been adopted is very liable
" abuse The object Is not fame or chyarc warfare
but plunder and profit The discipline of the crews is not
apt 70 10 u the highest order aud pvaeers are often
neutral commerce. They Are some tunes manned and
,mcered by Foreigners having permanent connection
WITH the coultry or interest in its cause This was
complaint made by the United Stae in 1919 in relation
10 irregularities and acts OF aroclty committed by pr-
yate aimed vessels under flag of Buenos Ayres
Under the best regulations the business tends strongly to
blunt the Of private right and to noursh awe,s
and fierce spirit IF rapacity.'
nat .ur merchants propose to do then and what the
CnamDer vi Commerce, we trust at its meeting tomorrow
VIII recommend 10 the preparation for the Government Of
swift and we'll capable of catching and
coping with those rebel corsas the Alabama and Florida
Our existing navy large as it is few such ves
sels Those has are necessarily employed 10 tho srn
gent duties o The blockade aud the Navy Department
80 engrosed in the building Of clads and other sea
monsters that it would find it difficult to push forwa
the proper ships Let the merchants, then, come TO its
a'o my nian0 noe' VI marine soiunteers just as they
have already helped contribute land yoluneers This
would constitute militia prec sely like the land mill.
a mustered into the service of the United States and
ceing rat ms and pay from the United States instead
sea tovers not mustered into the national service
der naliona command and not receiving raons or pay
rom the naton but cruising each for himself according
to his own wi without direction, without concert simply
according to The wild temptation OF booty"
The New York Tribune holds the following lam
guage on the subject:
Why should our Government now resort TO the issue
OF letters of marque The rebels have no commerce to
prey upon and how letters of marque to be employ
I'd against the British pirates flying the Confederate
flag III our merchants choose 10 fit swift well
ed steamers to down and capture those pirates very
let the Government regard them volunteer additions to
It's navy We trust that Chamber Of Commerce will
see The wtdcm OF giving the efforts of merchants this
shape We see not why all possible good may not be
cured all apprehe evil averd by takiag this course