The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-09
PRIVATEERING.
Past and Present of the Profitable
Though Risky Business.
CURIOUS HISTORIC GLIMPSES.
How Americans Have Reaped Wealth in
Wars Between Foreign States.
THEY WOULD DO TT AGAIN.

BALTIMORE, May Z, 1878.
1t was Sam Patch, believe, who said that s'some
things be dono US well as others, /" and
through a strange career prosperously enough on
that MAXIM Tho London Times thinks that tho neu-
tray and the Treaty OF WASH together give
Great Britain certain immunity from Russian
prvatearsmcn and letters of marque and reprisaL
Hero IN Baltimore, where we know something about
prvateerng from old oxperience-.h:s pors having
been the great central point Of maritime adventures
OF this sort. IRON the Of Revolution down 10
the latc civil war, to speak Of South American
ventures and n Little bit OF piracy the
Antilles aud OF slave dealing In Congo
we think differently. the Baltic not moro
capable of being blockadod, If SO much
So as tho Chesapeake. Yet, in two wars with
Grcat Britain sailed from the Chesapeake
over three hundred sail OF private armed vessels TO
prey upon British commerce. The commercial activ-
ty Of Baltimore, for which this city was moro
spicuous fifty years ngo than at present. rests indeed
upon the hardy seamcn made and tho large fortunes
acquired by privateering. That trade to Balti-
moro what the fisheries were TO Massachusetts, Bay
nursery OF seamen and the iostcrcr OF enterprise
Our Baltimore sailors preycd upon British commerce
Drake and his stout British sailors prcyed upon
Spanish commerce. and tho hardy seamen OF
the Baltic win prey upon Englands trade,
in Gaze OF ensuing In tho present quar-
rel. How costly TO couuiry's commerce
nm active enemy can make this trade may be gath
cred from or three facts which have lately been
CLEANED tho dusty OF tho past by tho in
dusrry OF Colonel T. Thomas Scharf tho ablc anti
quariln. In tho of his Investigations and ro-
searches for his forthcoming history OF Maryland.
Colonel Schar found, from the actual records OF
tie Council OF Maryland. that up to April !, LIT,
licenses prfvateers wore issued by Inc Maryland
Council Of Safety, and that those vessels
tive that their prizes captured aud sent to the
Chesapeake roaizod over 81, 600, oO0 From April /,
1777 10 March H. 17s3 period Of six years. the pri
vsaeers sailed out OF tho Chesapeake furnished
with letters of marquc and reprsal numbered PAS,
carrying in all 1,slO guns and GAO swvels. THIS was
with q British leet at Hampton Roads and inside the
capes nearlyAli the time. The damage which this
fotilla OF privateors must nave done British commerce
was very heavy. All the merchants who sent out
these letters Of marque cf, fort Again. in 1872
aftcr the declaration OF war; Colonel Schar informs
me and shows tho record of the fact that in less
than ave months Baltimore had sont iorty-two
armed vessels. carrying $50 guns and manned by
5000 men. The captures mado BY many OF those
vessels averaged 81 900 900 and So, 0000 900 zach.
UNDER FRENCH
In 1893, when tho war broke out between Franco
and Great Britain, Baltimore sent TO some iorty
or llty privateers undcr the French flag to cruise
against British commerce. great number Of these
vessels anoat within three months after tho dec
laraton Of war, and thcy wero not only equipped,
armed fitted In port, but they owned,
oGisered and manned by our citizens. These vesseI
were in tho French and Spanish service evcn ain |
tho British cruisers bockadcd every French apA)
Spanish port from Antwerp clear 10 Gcnoo, aN
they continued make captures while the lasteoV
The tho supreme Court OF the United Satos
abound with admiralty appeals IN cases Of this kind
during the French war. the British owners try ing
recover their vessels captured by American
SAILING the French Tag They very seldom sue
AIDS TO SOUTH AMERICA
When the South American war OF independence
occurred Baltimore nisned good many privatccrs
10 yearly all the new states Tho Commodor OF the
Colombian navy was Bait mOrcaD, and our city NJ
ted ont priyatcersmcn Tor Venczuela Chill Buepos
Ayres, Peru and several other States, winch prcyed
both upon Spanish and Portuguese commerce. The
Portuguese Minister in 1916 complained TO President
Monroe that twontysix OF these vessels mad been
fitted out and armed IN Baltimore alone, and in 1919
they reported 10 have captured fifty Portuguese
vessels.
Tho British, In tue Bovo utlonary War, spoke Of The
spanish Mnisicr at Washington ia 1917, Don Luis
dc onis, wrote 10 Mr. Monroe mat III IS
pirates have been fitted QUIZ from BaIti-
more ana Now orleans. Hc complained that the
priyaecr Swi. when, sailing under the nag OF Bucnos
Ayres, had Just captured the spanish poiacca Pas-
tora, 's now IN Baitmorc River, and her captain,
James Barncs who has 80 scundulousy vio.ated the
law OF nations the neutrality OF TINS government and
the sting treaty has had The enrontery to make
regular rItry OF mis- vessel NJ tho Custom House OF
Baltimore, declaring hts cargo 10 consist OF bales and
packages containing silks, laces ana other valuable
articles. all, as you may SUPPOSE pundercd from tho
SpAniards' ibis reads IKE nom0 oil the letters
oil Minister Adams TO Earl Russell IN regard to the
treatment OF the Alabama Jamaica oil tho Shen-
andoah In Australia To suppose mat these things
will not again simple Jolly. As long as pri-
watering be made prohiable II viii be pursued,
IT. conditions adjusted TO the changed crcumsi
OF the times Captain Semnes. in ms steamer Ala
baina, out modernized version OF Captain Barnes
IN his Baltimore clipper schooner swift. Don LUIS
"A hat.u nkns ttnn fhn nvh A.rt.
the Paz and the Romp, all "pratesn sailing out
OF Baltimore IN search o. spanish commerce and goo-
bling II up million dollars at Time. He is also
gricved account Of the misdeeds OF "tbo corsair
Aongorc.n tho Potosi taas the spartanl III e lnde-
peDdcncia del sud Commodore CnaytorI. the Con-
greso tho Regent. tue RcpuDlcano, the Alerta, the
Calypso, the chiffon. the Felix Guiana aud tue Young
spartan, all OF Baltimore.
SYMPATHY AID PROFIT.
IL was the acts OF these vessels which led TO the
treaty with SPAN IN 1879 rho impro3abiity Of pre-
venting THIS sort Of irregular warfare rested upon
fact. First, the people OF Baltimore sympatnizcd
very strongly with the rcbcliious states Of south
America; anu, second, the business OF pr:vuteeripg
very prohl able. For instance, In OF ms lot
ters Don LUIS dc onis, writing 10 Mr.. John quincy
Adams secretary OF State, says IN regard 20 the
rival OF soue privateers al Baltimore that they had
como 'ior the purpose OF conveying the parties IN
terrs,ed at Baltimore the proceeds Of their spolia-
tons tho Spanish commerce, aud, among others,
that OF the Philippine Company's snip Triton, to tho
amount o. $l5OO, 200. captured by the pirate lndc-
pcndencia del sud- and carried TO Bueuos Ayres TO be
sold there
an HONEST ENTERPRISE
business so profitable as tins IS TO DO consd
cred honorable also And indeed find. from the
curious list OF names OF vessels and owners
engaged IN privatcering during our Revo-
lutionary War that tho very best people IN
the state followed the prccarious trade indusiri
ously and The foundations OF the solid fortunes
10 the state werc thus laid Not only that, but many
French, Dutcn and spanish merchants out money
W Ban more ana bought shares IN our prvateefing
adventures. The privatecr the nurse OF the IN
lam navy OF the country, and many OF most dis
ting uishcd naval officers began their cap
talns or officers OF Baltimore priyatecrs need only
Alexander Murray and Joshua Barney TO convince
you OF The stun our early pfivatccrsmcn were made
oil. Among those who sent out the vessels aud
embarked IN this sort Of risks, lind from ColOnc
ScbarPs fnenoranda) tho most venerable and re-
spccted names IN the state and country. nnd Robert
Morris, tho great huancer Pnadep ha. tue Trend
OF Washington and oi Franklin sending out, MS his
own private venture, the brigantinc Lively, James
Belt. master. carrying ton guns anu two swivels.
nd John johnson, Of Annapos, aiterward Chancellor
oi the State, making several ventures, while samuel
and Robcr. Pnryisncc and Robert and Alexander