New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-08-28
DESTRUCTION OF THE wHALERs.

the atrocities of the Andersonvile dungeon, we
know of nothing in the whole series OF Rebel
crimes equal in absolute wanton wickedness toI
the burning of the American whalers by the
pirate Shenandoah, on the Northwest coast
The business of whaling has been for some TIME,
upon the decline, and years nitst elapse before
the once opulent City of New-Bedford, Mas,
can recover from the blows which this outlawed
rover has inflicted upon its before waning pros
peri,y. But only those who are acquainted
with the peculiar character of the whaling bust
ness can understand the amount OF private dis
tress which these felonies will occasion. III the
! first place, the ships are owned not Dy
one or two capitalists, but by number OF
small shareholders. who have invested thelr
savings in the purchase of an eighth, sixteenth
or a thirty second part Of ship; and these
shares are often held by widows and orphans
who depend solely upon the returns Tor support
"A broken voyage" even when the ship re-
turns means not only disappointment Dut
pryation, and sometimes pinching poverty.
But with the ship goes the whole investment,
unless insurance has been effected at enormous
rates, and this, upon the suppression oil the
Rebellion. was naturally given up. Further
more. the crews Of these vessels are paid not by
regular monthly wages, rs III the merchant
service, but by stipulated per ccntagc upon
the net profits of the voyage. Whenever the
Shenandoah burns whaler, everybody III the
least connected with the voyage suiters-ihe
part-owBers, the outiitters, who nave
hen on the catehirgs for their ad'
vanccs, the officers, the crews, the fami-
lies OF the crews, and traders who, upon the
credit Of the voyage, have supplied these fam
lies with the necessaries Of life. Every ship
burned takes away so much business frorrithe
boat builder, the ship-carpenter, the rIgger, the
sail-maker, the blacksmith, the baker, the
caniker, the stcreiore, the pilot, tho chandler,
Z the nautical instrument maker the slop seller,
the -four and porii dealer, the druggist, the m
sursnce Offices ard the banks. The rum Is Az
embracing 1t reaches every shop, every house,
and every street 1t is only lately that any
body has done any business III New-Bediord
not directly connected with whaling. But the
vocation was extremely profitable, and the
town had grown very wealthy--it was famous
for its fine public buildingS for its excellent
schools, for its large pubic library, for the
beauty a its private residences, for It's churches,
for its excellent ship buildin &, for its lyceum'
one of tbs eldest in the Unit ed States, ana Tor
il, first-rate commercial credit all over the
world 0nly one yrar ago 1t celebrated the
two hundredth anniversary oil IT'S ioundatoh.
This is tia city which one wicked enterprise has
/ b, ought nigh to ruin and hal filed with anx.
ie,y and distress.
But there are still further excavations. The
commander Of The Shenandos h knows very well
that the Rebellion has collapsed; and he Is run.
n'ns a muck merely for the sake of revenge.
lie has at even the hope of'proit which stimu-
laAes the ordinary pirhte. In comparison with
the property which 10 destr oys, that which he
retains, as The result of his theft, is insignifi-
cant. The bonds winch Toe EFFORTS from the
masters Of ships which ho spares. are of nc
value, ard lie knows that theyae Of none. He il
,nly trying to keep up pre- tene of lawful war
fare. II anybody is 10 be banged for participa
ton in this revolt, Naddell, the commander o
the Shenandoah, is The MAI.
: Among the items Of Intelligence are tive
| which ere not calculated to promote nationa
; comfy. We are told thai among the people OF
the Shenandoah Twas an Englishman VIII,
soemeGto be prosp 1e,inEfor fre vessels to be pu
3 on "A line between Australia and New Zealand
, and pvpbubly world purchase some of the cap
r lures ofthc pirate" Further, ian English YES
sci, laden with coal was sean by the ship VIM
t Clifford, bound fer the Shenandoah" The poo
pie of New.B Bedford had little cause to 10y,
England before, for twica they have suffered
from an Englisn invasion. Their affection nov
will be materially diminished, if capable o
diminution at all.
: We cannot hope that We have heard the las
of this mischief-there is possibly worse new
- to come. Perhaps, when fifty ships have been
4 burned, something effective will be done t.
0 protect the few that will be left. II is hard
o indeed, that thrifty and industrious com
f munity, after all the rest Of the country is re
d lieved from the fear of Rebel rayages, and ate
= the Rebellion is fairly crushed out should d
t prevented by their own private ruin from par
/ tcipatng in the rising spirit of the land. Oh'
n thing is certain The acts Of the Shenandoah
g are sheer, naked, unmitigated piracy. VINO
~ ever buys whalers of Waddell for "a line De
:. tween ew-Zcaland and Australia" VIII uo ~
Al. nor;l of b;a paot