The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-01-23


an equIvslsut Tor H." and he should b uhwfb
ling to advise Z their favor any relaxation Of
the rigor Of the law.
We do not altogether agree with the Score
tary Of the Treasury In his view Of this matter.
The law by which vessel once transferred
from tie American flag to foreign one-ex-
cent in specific cases menioned-was forbid
den to be Unregistered in the United States,
was passed as esvly as the year 1877. At that
time our commercs was a mere cipher COM
pared with what 1t low is. The voyages Of
our merchant ships wer> then confined to .
relatively limited sphere, Ind the circumnavi-
cation of the globe was scarcely ever attempted
by our ships. Steam navigation was entirely
unknown. The idea Of the occurrence OF
rebellion as prodigious as that through which
the country has just passed could scarcely
have been conceived. In short, the entire
aspect of American commerce has since that
time been completely revolutionized. What
was then but an infant has now assumed gigan-
tic proportions It should be further remarked
in this connection that 1t was no fault Of Ameri-
can ship-owners that they transferred their
flag. The exigencies Of the case demanded
it. The nation was unable to protect their
vessels on the high seas Their ships
were at the mercy Of few but formida-
BILE cruisers Of the enemy, and they obviated
the difficulty by adopting, what military men
do in emergencies, species of strategy when
they have not the strength to cope with a foe.
Another point: These ship-owners did not
transfer their flag to the enemy; they did not
adopt the ensign Of the adversary as protec-
ton. On the contrary, they incurred double
penalty by being discovered sailing under
false colors. Some sailed under the British
flag, some under the French; others again, in
discriminatory, under the flags of Russia, Spain,
Portugal, Austria, the Netherlands, Norway,
and almost every other known flag Some
vessels that hailed from Hong Kong, China,
were built and owned in Boston; and one, re-
Gently lost on this coast, hailed from Liver
pool while she was owned and her insurance
was paid here. In short it Is reasonable
view of the subject to excuse, II not tQ1aud,
the conduct of American ship-owners this
matter, for the reason that, while they protected
their own interests at no expense to the gov
ment, they kept open our commerce with for
eign countries and enabled us to receive, al
belt under quasi-foreign flag, materials OF
war-saltpetre, for one article-that helped
us to carry on the conflict successfully.
1t must be remembered, also, that all these
vessels, although ostracized by the Secretary
of the Treasury, are still owned by American
citizens; that they still, in fat, comprise
portion Of the American mercantile marine;
that they are insured in American insurance
companies, and that all losses are paid By
those companies. In reality, our commerce
has not been deprecated by the fact Of these
vessels adopting in an extremity another flag.
The same amount of capital and the Same
number of vessels remain here. What the
government may have lost by the non-receipt
of tonnage duties from them, while under
another Gag, Is a mere bagateIle when com
pared with what It may receive after our oom-
merce is again fully restored 10 its lstcy Aou-
ishing condition. IF 1t be necessary 10 revise
the navigation laws In order TO restore them 10
the old flag, now that they again seek Its pro-
lection, by all means do so; aud thus we shall
be carrying out, not only on land, but upon The
seas, President Johnson's admirable recon-
struction policy.