, 1863-02-21
N BANKS, Major General Commanding.
The Effect of the Alabama's Depreda-



Since the receipt of the news of the capture
and destruction of some dozen or more of our
ships by this scourge of the seas, there has been
a decided falling off in the shipments from this
port to Europe in American bottoms. During
the month of November the number OF vessels
cleared at this port for European ports was one
hundred and eighty-two, of which only seventy
were American. while the same month last
year gave two hundred and forty-two clearances
for the same destinations of which one hundred
and thirty-eight were under our flag. sa' n
The fear of this new reignng terror has not
only crippled our commerce, but it has had the
effect of suddenly reviving the disgraceful system
of putting vessels ander the protection Of for
eign flags, so much in vogue year ago, when
Semmes began his piracal cruise in the Sumpter
Few persons are aware of the immense number
of American vessels that have been placed under
foreign flags since the commencement of the re-
belllon, or OF the effect II has produced. involving
as it does an immense loss of American tonnage
and consequent increase of the tonnage of our
commercial rivals. Since April of last year no
less than one hundred and thirty-three vessels,
with an aggregate tonnage of more than fifty
tousand tons, by this inexcuSable practice, have
been subracted from our mercantile marine at this
port alone, and added almost entirely to that of
nation ready at any moment 10 take every ad-
ent moment is doing her utmost to aid in break
ing up of our Government. Notwithstanding
this, scarcely week passes that one or more of
woud-be patriotic ci zens do not lend their aid in
decreasing the tonnage of the country.
Throuh fear of capture by cruiser which flies
the British or rebel flag at pleasure, and the loss
of few paltry dollars, they set themselves sys-
tematicaly at work to AID the very nation that
built and set the pirate ahoat, and indirectly to
pull down their own. The starry emblem of our
countrys glory, which has waved so long and
proudly at the masheadS of ;her ships, whose
every timber grew on American soil and was
shaped into beauty and grace by American hands
and Yankee industry, must give place to the flag
of Britannia because they fear that the old stars
and stripes, under which they have sailed so long
and under whose protection they have perhaps
amassed fortunes, will no longer protect their in
terests. In their greed for present gain they for
get their country and the future, and instead of
manfully mailing the old flag to the mast they
trail it in the dust of avarice and sefShness. In
stead of claiming the protection of their country
and indemnity for loss by pirates at war with her,
they voluntarily place their vessels beyond her
reach and their own control, with no hope of
return to the old flag, except by act of Congress
and the .eniency Of the Government they have
outraged. To make the mater present even a
worse aspect, it is known that these transfers are
merely nominal. The British law requires that
the owner must declare himself British subject,
and, as a matter of course his name must appear
in the register as such; but in these cases mort
gage for the full amount of the purchase money,
power of attorney TO manage the entire affairs
of the vessel is given by the buyer to the seller,
and the seller is STILL to all intents and purposes,
the owner, except in name.-N. Y. Herald.