The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-03-04

The improvement of national morals
on this continent is in nothing more evil
dent than that enlightened public senti-
ment which has come to regard priga-
teering as piracy. No one who has faith
in human progress and the perfectability
Of the species can contemplate this
change without new hopes in humanity
and increased confidence in a fact asserted
by Calico" And yet it moves"
There is no human thing 50 perfect
that it may not be improved. We are
apt to suppose that the character Of the
founders of the American Republic was
an exception to this rule. Such impress.
sions are natural and proper enough in
their descendants. But, nevertheless,
that character admitted of some improve
ment. They had no objections, for ex-
ample, to the slave trade, and recognised
a right Of property in man, which is
shocking to think Of Nor was this their
only defect. 1t is melancholy to think
that their moral sense was so obtuse that
they looked upon privateering, nowjustly
considered piracy, as a legitimate and
proper method of making war. We
have before us, at this moment, an au>
thentic record Of fact which otherwise
might be deemed incredible. The in
structions Of the Revolutionary Congress
to John Paul Jones, aWell known pirate
of the Revolution, are as follows
"Take, sink, burn or destroy all such 6
the enemies ships, vessels, goods and
effects as you may be able" An act
was passed November 5, 1775, which
prescribed the ratio Of distribution among
the officers of American vessels of such
goods and chattels of the enemy as they
should be able to appropriate. We find
this man Jones, in one Of his first letters
to the American Commissioners at Paris.
relating, with the most unblushing effront-
cry, how, on his last cruise, he took a
brigantine, bound from Ostend with
cargo of faxseed for Ireland, and sunk
her; took also the ship Lord Chatham,
loaded with porter and merchandise,
which he manned and sent to Brest; met
a Scotch coasting schooner, loaded with
barley, which he says ho "could not
avoid sinking; made sail after ten or
twelve merchant ships, which he
"thought an enterprise worthy atten.
tom; and made an expedition to
Whitchavcn, on his native coast Of
Scotland, where he kindled a fire
in the steerage Of large ship, sur.
rounded by between three and four
hundred others, whereof he cody says !:
81 should have kindled fires in other
places if the time had permitted. AS it
did not, our care was to prevent the one
kindled from being easily extingmshed.
After some search, barrel Of tar was
found, and poured into the fame, which
now ascended from all the hatchways.
The inhabitants began to appear in thou
sands; and individuals ran hastily to-
wards US. | stood between them and
the ship on fire, with pistol in my
hand, the truculent villain and ordered
them to retire, which they did with pre-
cipitation. Had it been possible to have
landed few hours sooner, my success
would have been complete. Not single
ship could possibly have escaped, and
all the world would not have been able
to save the town." However, he relieved
his mind Of the partial disappointment
by going round to the Firth OF Forth,