The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1882-01-14
PRryaTEERTSG.


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In former DAYS the treasure-ships be-
ionred to the enemy until they became
ours BY capture IN the present age the
treasure and the ships that carry It are
English. and it is difficult 10 picture the
consternation in the city on hearing Cd
the loss of some steamer bringing home
ward rich freight Of diamonds from
the Cape, or of gold from Australia.
But rs we hung steadfastly 30 tine right
Of making prize of the Spanish plate
ship, it Is not to he expected that any
enemy which fate may now send us Will
waive his claim to fhe English steam
ers. II only he has the power to assert
it; and against that it behooves us &c De
on our guard. il seemss however, prob
able that, under the existing rules OF the
Declaration Of Paris, hut lew large
prizes will be made, such as founded
many fortune In the last or earlier CEN
turies. when international scruples did
not exist. and naval opinion Was abso-
lutely single as 10 the advisabiiity and
even necessity of making captures and
sharing them cut among the captors.
This opinion, rooted in the 'custom" Of
the sea. was as old as the English nation,
snd had descended from the DAYS OF
Hengist and Horsa, Of Harry Psge-the
Arripay Of the French elironiclers-
Drake, or Frobisher, or Lancaster,
down to the time when Commodore
Wager took the great gslleon, or Arson
Quilted the Alcapulco ship.
! The stories Of such times seem to the
seamen of to-day, like iairy tales Of
childhood, too good 10 be true : b.it
from strictly naval point of view they
have their dark aide; and it is very GER
tain that of the quarrels between senior
officers which so often disgraced our
service, q great number were due, d.
rectly or indirectly, TO the natural but
unchivalrous desire Of making money.
The bitter fend between Rodney and
Arbuthnot, on the coast of North Amer
ica, in 1880, was one of these. The
friendly relations between Lords ST.
Vincent and Nelson, which led to such
glorious results, were interrupted by
lawsuit on their rival claims for praze
money and the i'll feeling which Nelson
and Sir John Orde entertained for each
other was al least strengthened by pc
cuniary considerations. Lord Howe's
conduct on the "1st of June" was
,angrily criticised by many, rs though he
might have rendered the victory still
more decisive had he not been over
anxious about the security of the prizes.
Sir John Jervis was similarly spoken of
after the battle Of st. Vincent; and after
the battle OF the Nile, the burning of
several of the prizes, whose preservation
would have taxed the efficiency of the
feet, appeared to Nelson a measure of
very grave responsibility, rs defrandiug
the men under his command Of the
money to which they were justly en-
titled. H<l tteexWet5 a
The bitterness which frequently arose
out of considerations OF prize money
was undoubtedly increased by the dis
proportionste share Of the senior officers.
OF the prizes just referred TO as burned
at fine Nile, Nelson estimated the share
of the Chief as E3, $50,
of Captain as 2l ,00e; hut q Lieuten-
ant as g75, aud OF seaman as e. Al.
Id. lii the face OF stieh figures, ii ID all
very well to talk Of prize-money as
encouraging seamen to do their duty /;
but it's principal nss was to offer great
CHANGES to the senior officers, and its
real evil WAS the promoting Jealousy and
ill-will between the flag officers and even
the Captains. THUS, however. naval
officers would have been slow to &C.
knowledge.