Weekly national intelligencer., 1863-03-19
LETTERS OF MARQUE.


1t may be within the recollection of our readers
that three weeks ago-it was on the 2lst of Feb
ruary-the New York Chamber of Commerce"
held special meeting " to hear report from the
committee appointed to recommend to the Chamber
what action should be taken by it in reference to
the continued pracies of the Alabama and other
vessels fitted out in Great Britain"
AT q previous meeting held by this association,
on the 2lst Of October last the facts connected with
the burning of the ship Brilliant and other Ameri
can vessels were submitted for consideration, and
series Of resolutions was then adopted expressive
of the 'sense" Of the "Chamber," copies Of
which were duly forwarded to the Secretary Of
State for transmission to our Minister at London
We have before us, in pamphlet form, an authen-
tic report Of the proceedings that were had by the
Chamber on the 2lst ultimo, and as this associa-
tion has latterly assumed to itself the duty Of ma
king "delverance" on divers topics Of political
as well as commercial concern, we are glad to find
that in the exposition Of its doings on the occasion
indicated, the Secretary, Mr.. JOHN AUSTIN STE
vESs Jr, has thought proper to omit from his cert
fed record any minute Of proceeding which was
understood at the time to have made part of the
transactions Of the Chamber on that day. For,
after very judicious report on the subject in
hand had been read by Mr.. A. A. Low, (the chair
man of the special committee on the subject under
advisement,) it appears, from the newspaper ac-
count Of the meeting, that the following proceed
ings took place. We quote from the report of the
New York Tribune
The report and resolutions were unanimously adopted
and copies ordered be sent to the President Con-
gress to the Chambers Of Commerce Of Liverpool and
London, and elsewhere
"Gen. WETMoRE presented the following resolution,
and in support thereof made a brief speech
Resolved That this Chamber approves and earnestly re
the passage Of the Senate bill before House
United States isue letters marque and reprsa
protection of the commercial maritime rights of American
citizens against the depedaons of the Alabama and Florida
and other piraticai cruisers.
"Mr. LEOPOLD BIERwIRTH objected to the policy of
committing tho Chamber of Commerce to such MEASURE
and inquired what good could be attained by letters of
marque under existing circumstances Letters Of marque
and arming Privateers were synonymous The Confede
rates had commerce upon the to destroy, and
privateers therefore, could do them harm, but might
lead 10 the end to serious embarrassments.
Gen. WETMoRE responded, insisting that commercial
ought to ASSERT the right Of seprotection. In
cudDg, he said i do not whence the assault
whether from the Southern COnfederacy which grew up
under the protection of the American ag from Liver
pool in England Havre in France, from the
cial classes that grew rich by American commerce.
whence it comes must say We must evnce determine
on to protect ourselves against all such depredations
Therefore it is that hope the resolution shall pass
Mr. BIERwIRTH again objected to the resolution and
marked that 1t theory that privateers in
tended to protect the commerce Of their nation
The PRESIDENT explained that the question to the
Proprety of fitting out volunteer and the resolu
on had reference to that obectthe fitting out Of voun
teer vessels competent to take Of the Alabama and
other pratcal versels preying on our trade
" On the question being called, the resolution was
adopted"
We regretted at the time what seemed to us
this inconsiderate action on the part of the New
York Chamber Of Commerce, and that we were
right in deeming it not only inconsiderate but in
judicious, would seem to be the opinion of the as
socation ITSELF no minute of the transaction is
preserved in the publication they have made, pur-
porting to be ga true record of SO much of the
proceedings of the Chamber, at the special meeting
of February 81, 1868, as relates to piracies upon
American commerce"
The Congress at its late session passed the bill
to which Gen. Wetmore referred in the resolution
above cited, authorizing the President I" in all do
mestic and foreign wars" to issue to private armed
vessels Of the United States commissions or letters
Of marque and general rsprisa in such forms a, he
shall think proper, and under the seal of the Uni
ted States, and make all needful rules and regula-
tions for the government and conduct thereof, and
for the adjudication and disposal of the prizes and
salvages made by such vessels" The only limita-
ton put upon this grant of present and contingent
war power" was the proviso "that the authority
conferred by this act shall cease and terminate at
the end Of three years from the passage of the act
While the President is thus clothed with full |
power under this head, it does not follow that he
will deem it either necessary or judcious to exer-
else the authority conferred by the act pending the
domestic war; in which the Government is now |
engaged, a war with an enemy who has no commerce
upon which letters of marque may prey in the pur-
suit Of their ordinary and legitimate vocation, if,
indeed in the present age Of the world it be proper
to speak of such vocation rs being Legitimate
in any true sense Of the term.
We,suppose ourselves to make statement which |
involves little no risk of contradiction when we
say that the bill passed by Congress on this sub
ject found its chief motive and its conceived usti6
cation in the contingent uses to which it might be |
put, il, unfortunately, the country should at any
time within the next three years be plunged into a