The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-02-13

mitted by the authorities to remain not
only twenty -four hours, but more than
twelve months, and was eventually trans
ferred to an English purchaser, went TO an
English port, was reftted, and LETT the
English shores with contraband cargo.
and has since run the blockade, carrying
supplies to the rebels.
1.-THE Alabama, the Florida, the Georgia,
are armed cruisers built in England, have
an English armament on board, and a1e
manned by crews who are almost exclu-
sively European. Sailing sometimes un-
der the English and sometimes under the
rebel flag, these rOvers, without port Of
their own which they can enter, or to which
they can send single prize for adjudica-
ton, have roamed the seas, capturing aid
destroying the commercial ships OF ma
ton at peace with Great Britain and France;
but yet, when these corsairs have needed
repairs or supplies, they have experienced
no difficulty in procuring them, because it
had been deemed expedient to recognize
the rebels as beliigerents.'
MIR. President it is within the knowledge
OF all the members of this body that when
one of our vessels went to the harbor OF
Nassau, where the rebel vessels had reCeiv-
ed supplies that they might prey upon our
commerce. our vessel was denied the Same
privilege that had been granted to the re-
bel cruisers:
mot one Of the many vessels captured
by these r0vers has ever been judicially
condemned a legal capture. WantOn
destruction has been the object and pur-
pose of the captors, who have burnt and
destroyed tho property OF their merchant
victims.
"This theory of recognizing rebels rs
belligerents so soon as they Lift their arms
against the Government, and thus declar-
ing them entitled to national privileges on
the high seas and in the harbors Of the
world, although without port or navy Of
their own, is the inauguration of . new p0-
Icy in the history of nations. For . long
succession Of years it has been an import
ant point in the progress OF civilization,
and particularly among the Maritime Pow
ers, that the police Of the seas should be
guarded and maintained by the subsection
Of capture to the adjudication of tribunals
administering the law Of nations, which
receive from the hands of the captor his
prize into the custody Of that Law to be dis
posed of by it's rules; but the course par
sued in fostering and giving encourage
ment to the rebel robbers who, without .
recognized national flag or port at their
captures to judgment, are committing their
predatory acts, is a restoration of that AL
gerine and Tripolitan system which long
afflicted the civilized world, but which, I'M
der the lead Of our Government, was ex-
terminated in the early part Of the present
century.
THUS far these rovers have ESCAPED cap
ture. While in the West Indies they were
protected whenever they were enabled -
flee into a neutral port, or get within q
Lmaratime league of tbs shore of q neutral
Governments privilege that was never
in any quarter extended to the Mediterra-
mean corsairs. Unfortunately most of the
colonial authorities and no uncomfortable
portion Of the population of the European
dependencies, Influenced by the protested
neutrality which elevated insurgents and
sought to degrade the national authority to
an equality with them, were in sympathy
with the predatory rovers, and, while lend
ing them aid and often furnishing them
with information, interposed obstacles and
manifested unfriendly feelings to the law
full operations Of the naval forces of tho
Union"
Captain Baldwin would have captured
the Alabama at Cape Town had not his
letters been retained by the postmaster ut
| that place-letters giving him the infOrma-
| ton he desired to insure her capture.
Mr.. President, do not desire to pro-
long this discussion, and will only say .
word more.
During this war a great many noble and
gallant deeds performed; but in my con-
viction fifty years hence it will be the YER
dict of mankind that the most wonderful
thing which has been performed has beon
the keeping up Of this stupendous block
ade, that has been kept up by this nation so
successfully and long. The blockade is
recognized by all foreign nations as the
most efficient that has ever been maintained.
The Navy Department, commencing with
only eight steamships that could be used
| for blcckading purposes at the commence
ment Of the war, and they scattered all over
the world and beyond its reach for many
months, has kept up blockade, according
\ ~ hov IF prOfooonr Rnnho lINnD thA
coast from Cape Henry to the line Of Mexi-
co. Of 5, 459 statute miles. In this line thero
are 189 rivers, bays, harbors, inlets, sounds
or deep openings, of which IS are under six
feet in depth at mean high water, II are be-
tween six and twelve feet, ~ are between
eighteen feet in depth. Not one man in .
thousand has an adequate conception Of the
difficulties attending the building, equip
ping, furnishing, and manning the vessels
required for such service, nor Of the hard
ships endured by the officers and men to
whom the duty is assigned. say without
hesitation, Mr.. President, that the ability
of this nation to build and prepare the ships
necessary to maintain as effective block
AIDE as it has been able to maintain during
the last three years will hereafter excite the
wonder and admiration Of the world.
| This is not all that we have done. While
we have been able to do this, we have been
able to keep fleet in the western waters
traversing the Red River, the Yazoo, the
Cumberland, the Mississippi, the Ohio, Ar
kansas, Tennessee, and all the small
streams that empty into the Mississippi
south Of the Ohio-a service for which we
4 of the Northwest are willing always and ut
all times to return to the Navy Department
our most profound thanks. No man can
overestilnate the services that the Navy
has rendered to us In that quarter, and
these services have been rendered after
overcoming the greatest obstacles.
If it be the purpose Of the Senate to elicit
the facts in regard to the Navy contracts, if
it be not the design Of gentlemen to over
haul anybody, but to draw out the facts in
order to pass preventive legislation, then
let some one representing the Department
be present at that committee, that he may
interrogate witnesses in order to elicit the
truth. l understand that we do not sit
here as \ court ofimpeachment; we do not
send our committee into this investigation
for the purpose of discovering rogues, but
for the purpose Of adopting such legislation
as may be necessary to prevent reguery,
and that the discovery of the rogues il