The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-02-06
Rebel Piracies.


Rebel Piracies.
AS the news reaches us that the Rebel pi-
rates have captured and destroyed another
ship, surprise is expressed that the Navy
cannot sweep from the ocean the two or
three marauders that intest it. Men speak
of the impunty which these pirates en-
JOY as if the like had never previously oc-
CURED. They censlre the Navy Depart
inent for indifference, and its best officers
for ineffciency. They say that England, if
the ease was hers, woGld permit 10 such
piratical practices. But in thus arguing
they overlook the strong facts OF the pres
ent, and the still stronger ones of the past.
Steam has effected as great revolution for
commerce as for manufactures. The pi-
rates OF the present day can command
steam as readily "a those of the last centu
ry could command canvas. How far Eng
land was able to suppress privateering may
be gathered from her own authorities. In
March. 1913. the London Times thus testl-
fes to the helplessness Of her vast navy
under the destructive activity OF a marine
10 which steam was entirely unknown:
1.-The public learn, with sentiments that
we shall not presume to anticipate, that
third British trigate has struck to an
American. This is an occurrence that calls
for serious refiection-thls. and the fact sta
ted in our paper yesterday, that i.ioyd's
List contains notices Of upwards OF tive
hundred British vessel. captured in seven
months by the AmerIcanS-five hundred
merchantmen, three irigates, and three
sioopS oi war.
Can the statements be true. aul can the
English people hear them unmoveh? One
who had predicted such Il result of an
American war this time last year. would
have been treated as a mailman or a trait
or. He would have been told. ii his oppo-
nents had ccndescended To argue with HIM.
that long ere seven months had elapsed,
the American flag would be swept from the
seas The contemplate Navy of the United
States annihilated, AMI their maritime ar
senals rendered heaps of ruins. Vet down
10 this moment, not II single American ri
gate mas struck her flag. They insult Us
and laugh at our want of enterprise and
vigor. They leave their ports when they
please. and return to them when it suits
their convenience. They traverse the At
iansic, they beset the West India Islands,
they advance 10 the very chops OF the
Channel, they parade along the coast Of
South America nothing chases, nothing
intercepts, nothing engages them but to
yield them triumph.
\ more remarks able confession of failure
could not be made. Here was the whole
British navy unatle To suppress the very
evil which SO many persons expect to see
instantly abated now. Then it was mere
sailing vessels that were to be captured
now il is vessels made almost ubiquitous
by being propelled by steam. At that Pc
Rod England was con:essedly supreme up
on the ocean. She had DESTROYED the ma
vies OF France and Spain, and had a thou
sand armed ships against the six or seven
frigateS with which we opened the war.
Yet her great organ admitted that these
preponderating advantages were OF no
avail. Our own histories of the times in
form us, without these admissions. that the
suppression of our rrivateers was vain
undertaking. Their audacity was une-
qua!ed, and they were never skulkers.
They stood up in fair fight a thousand times
bravely giving large odds. The Rebel pri
vateers have done no such thing. They
! have systematically avoided battle except
with unarmed merchantmen, keeping away
from latitudes in which our Navy was
known to be cruising. Neutral ports have
been their constant refuge when pursued.
| There they have remained in safety until
the pursuer had disappeared, or on his con-
| tinuing the watch too long have sold their
vessels. They have done every thing but
| fight they Went TO sea for no such manly
exercise.
| All these facts have tended to secure to
-, the rebel prvateers a sort of exceptional
impunity. The Navy has been untiring in
its efforts to capture them, and it's success
has far surpassed that Of England under
similar circumstances. Most Of them have
been sunk or captured. some have been
abandoned IN port, where they were TOO
closely watched. and the two or three that
still remain af1oat have been hunted into
the remotes: seas where they rarely find q
victim. Their career Of villainy is ineasur-
ably ended. Had not England's wanton
proclamation OF neutrality been issued,
! thew would never have seen seen upon the
ocean. Had that proclamation been hon
estly inspired they would not have beer.
permitted to enter her ports, either to refit
or lie secure from capture, thence to sally
forth when the danger had disappeared, to
commit new depredations on the com
merce Of friendly Power. 1t is 20 this
British aid and comfort thus lavishlv ex-
tended that the difficulty Of driving them
| from the ocean is to be mainly attributed.
We were fighting a piracy that England
stimulated by supplying ships, and after
ward encouraged by giving Them free use
Of whatever her colonial seaports could af.
ford. The British ministry is responsible
for making this inaratirne havoc possible
to the rebels, not the American Govern
ment for failing at once to prevent tn.
| Y. T-tbNsle.