Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-03-20
FFnH kEEci'f.

| caily.
For the Enquirer.
CONSIDERATIONS on PRIVArEERING-h VOL
UNTEER NAvY-No. II.
The plan Of receiving p'ivats armed th'ps
into tho public service c"inuii -sNnirg the
officers, and governing item by na"al laws
ami regulations; but lrttins them lay :hsin
Selves mainly with piz, mo,'ty-wa' sng-
geStca more thu'; rrar Hri.l half 4 T., with
view to avoid :he Paris pronuncanciso,
and ~ g.t the pr'v.i'ga cf ,riesins the az.
bors cf sIch powcrG ~ should r:crS:":zc Us
SO belig"ren!;- a privilege accGIdel hT tho
comfy Of nations 20 ali national vfnscls-
though any State ANY specially withhold it.
This privilege i; t."c' ssary for asylum, sup
plies, sni bringing III iir.zeF; and or aim
should ;r t. ini;:c, soInc nations /" irbear
the inhl!it:"u, as hey pro baby VIII, nt our
| instance.
Every ;hcng'Ilui m,I :sn nnw a"r that
| il Congress ha 81" ~ !" Il a yiirlnt-er ravy
yes5 n'"i hnf ~" when II :"aH tira. pro
posed; W.: might, ny this timr, h.r" captured
or destroyed 1T ls.s: so 00G,0cG -..7,h &C
t;Ie ereny 5 marirc pro! e?.y, hcs'ics tendc;
;ay ~. her ;nvau .b;o s,d IL tn. caui- Of ,nn
C,nlr.ersry.
TO ahow h"w private entcrpri.r. >Ls".u-
lated by ustt!ntism, AID the !.,ire of gr,n,
will sat ia tiis matter, If pionsril invoked,
encouraged and projected. nntn the following
fscte:
In Cox's vow @: thu Unltrd Sla;es, page
3iG, 1t 10 s:a,pd shat thcrn waro taken, brought
in snd iiheleI, in the Massachusetts, ports aiols
dnring thu revolutionary war, | 095 vessels
snd X carg ,c:, ,,cSidrs; aAas tho number Of
v6esr!s belonging 10 great B:tain. i'll l7774, was
62l0 aud, hcncs, that Great B:itain l1s. over
ont sixth OF her mercantile marine. But this
IL not all. Careful irquirers estimated that
the number Of vcsSeia c'ptircd, hut not
brought in, &C., ave lied the lo.s % the enc-
my t., about 2,4j0 sail. Seo . vcuma Niles
register, Dos. And this will not be deema I'd
incredible whsn 1t IL mentioned tina: the col
onies sent to sna during tbs war--n my
memory serves u.e--a out 1900 privac"'n,
with about II Q0D guns AID G0uU0 men.
In tho short war Of 1872 tho United S,aL,s
sent to STA jl' authorized lrivatcets, with
$500 guns and over 2j 900 men, which cap
iurcd over > 300 vessels.
1t vas lhcaB thrusts at the stomach nfthG
British lion, that made tho brute sick Of
these wars, and gavn him very bad opinion
Of privsteoring
While setting forth tho sanfIl lnducolnent,
T ,rI CT anE hn
falacy of it. "Privateersinon hnvu dHly tho
of .oppona;s. Mo'loy, Albericus Genti!is,
and Lcc:eniuS in tnc Geventeeiilh and eiSh-
teenth centuries. called them ''pirats," CT
Martens declared much later that their only
motive WAS 'boss self-irtercst" oT "lovo Of
gsin." Y Among the adverse writer's Of this
century will quote rs sample, but one, .
forcible writer in tho North American Re-
view, (gonme ll0 at is the motive which
determines tho character OF tho action, AMI
whas motive has the privatcersnan bn. plan
der -
All This is false, as to ", fighting Tor in
dependcncr ard ell wo holI Gear. Our citi-
zsns arc not like those Of othsr countsita
Each has dual status. lie II mt OILY a
citizen or suhj"r', 'rrl = part OF tn" govern
mcnt; and no IA heh.ualcd to a;'rlyicc snv-
ernrnantal ethics and policy, IS We'll ~ do
Gliding and voting therrcu-R other words,
to governing thu Cauhiry. Thus Interested
in governmental Affairs, snd IL some sort rs-
spnnsihlc therefor. if hs he good citizon
anl thnuglitful conscientious niau--aad no
oIher should be commiasinnej-hn will ST.
ways wish to act righF, preserve nj; country's
gnnd character and support the hnnnr and
dignity of that government which is the po-
litlcAl reflex Of himss!f
Hence, whether warning on Land or sea,
Individually or otherwise. boing part of tho
body polite, and Of government, he is slim
u,a:cd by patriotism, al we'll M self-lh.erest
tho latter not being purA'v ""-aid, but tho
interest of his home, his FAM his property,
ard his Institutions, as apart 1m mere love
of country, which pstriotisr, defined to be.
! conclude, then, first, |; our citlzHns
will bo as patriotic in yolu' sering for this
war service on the sea as b are in doing
SO fur tha! on tho land.
81. That these CIIuani"r'' commissions
should only hc given t. ci!'7 'rs, 81 Foreigners
cannot be thug doiunled, tl,e'r motives gene
rally being that Of Cain or T., which mikes
This distinction II rec' f.r': Il by fa;tol,
who says: "tIitizens m,i. "Ith safe con-
science, servo their c"ur,;ry by fitting out
priyatecre But il j infamous for foreign
ers to take commissions IT, .irate cn nation
that is perfectly innocent in respect 10 them,
for the thirst for gold is The only induccmcnt.
They only are excnsah!r, who aasist in
jus: cause. from hatred CT oppression, and
love of justice.
All The adverse writer's are obviously very
unjust ar: uRcanjid, not to say dishonest in
APPLYING now all the harsh aod condemna-
tory terms that were ever used, ignoring
all changes and reforms that have been male,
and not needing, airing for, the necess'-
ties Of minor az ..ralime powers. Ii they
were the r-' -.Lvocstcs of England they
could hsIi. Uc more One-s'jed.
The afo. osaid writer in the IN. A. Re-
vew," in speaking Of the chapter of the
"Consolato del Mare" Compiled in the 18th
century, which carefully regulates privateer-
ing, complains that no commission Is rt-
ouired and no judicial condemnation.
lie then quotes several subsequent writers
to show that such privatsers are fsesbooters
and their prizes plunder. These dtsidsrata
existed at the time lie wrote, but stu he calls
priyateers plunderers. Would the volunteer
navy, fully assimilated to any other navy,
satisfy him y
However, like many others crazed with pre-
judice, but with lucid intervals Of candor, he
nearly demolishes himself
He couples the practice of war against prl-