The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-02-07
Rehel PIrncIrR.

AS the news reaches US thab the Rebel
pirates have captured and destroyed
another ship, surprise is expressed that
the Navy cannot sweep from the ocean
the two or three maVauders that infest it.
Men speak of the impunitV which these
pirates enjoy, as if the like had never
previously occurred. They censurs the
Navy Department for indifference, and
its best officers for inefiicisncY They
say that England, if the case were hers,
would permit no such pirstical practices
But in thus arguing they overlook the
strong facts Of the present and the still
stronger ones Of the past. Steam has
effected ss great a revolution for com
merce as for manufactures. The pirates
of the present day can command steam
as readily as those of the last century
could cOmmand canvas. How far En-
gland vas able to suppress priVateering
may be gathered from Der own autbOri-
ties. In March, 1913, The Loldon Tines
thus testified to the helplessness of her
navy under the destructive activity of a
marine to which steam was entirely un-
known.
"The public learn, with sentiments
which we shall not presume 20 anticipate,
that a third Britiah frigate has struck 10
an American. This is an occurrence that
calls for serious rsflection-this, aud the
fact stated in our papers Of yesterday,
that LlOyd's List contains notices Of up
ward Of five hundred British vessels cap.
tured in seven months By the Americans
five hundred merchantmen, three frig-
stes, and three slOops Of war
"Can the statements be true, and can
the English people hear them unmOved
One who had predicted such result of
sn American war this time last year,
would have been treated as = madman or
= traitor. he would have been told, If /
his opponents had cOndescended to argue |
with him, that long ere seven months had |
elapsed, the American flag would be swept |
from the seas, the contemptible Navy Of /
the United States annihilatsd, and their /
maritime arsenals rendered heaps Of /
ruins. Yet down 10 this moment, not .
single American frigate has struck her /
hsE. They insult us, and laugh at our
want Of enterprise and vigor. They leave
their ports when they please, and return
to them when il suits their convenience.
They traverse the Atlantic, they besst
the West India Islands, they ad-
vance to the very chops of the Channel,
they parade along the coasts Of South
Amsrica-nOthing chases, nothing inter-
cepts, nothing engages them but to yield
them triumph"
A more remarkable confession Of fail
L 4 - I
whole British navy unable 20 suppress
the very evil which 50 many persons ex-
pect 70 see instantly abstsd now. Then
it was mere sailing vessels that were to
be captured-nOW il is vessels made 81
most ubiquitous by being propelled by
steam. 81 that period England was con-
fessedly supreme upon the ocean. She
bad destroyed the navies Of Trance and
Spain, and had a thousand armed ships
against the six or seven frigates with
which we opened the war. Yet her great
DTgan admitted that these Brep0ndera-
ting advantages were Of no avail. Our
own histories Of the times inform us,
without these admissions, that the sup /
pressing Of our privsteers was 3 Vsia
Their audacitY was une-
lualled, and they were never skulkers.
They stood up in fair fight q thousand
times, bravely giving large odds. The
Rebel privateers have done no such thing.
They have systematically avoided bat {
lie except. with unarmed merchantmen I
keeping away from lsiitudes in which
our navy was known to be cruising.
Neutral ports have been their constant
-efuge when pursued. There they have
remained in safety until the pursusr had
disappeared, or on bic continuing the
watch too long, have sold their vessels.
they have done everything but fight
hey went to sea for no such manly ex-
Ircise.
All these facts have tended 10 secure
. the Rebel priTAtsers a sort Of excep-
ional impunity. The Navy has been
lntiring in its Efforts % capture them.
md ita success has far surpassed that Of
England under similar circumstances