Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-12-01
BARBARY PIRATRs.

| How n Slap In the Face Led TO Their
Overthrow by France.
i Henry n. Field in the New York Evangelist
1t is go bewitohing to sAunter about the
streets in this African sunshine that one L.
| apt to forget that AlgIeIs was not always
so attractive to European visitors. For
three hundred years 1t WAS in the power OF
| the infidel, who ruled with an iron hand.
| The only Christians TO be seen were s.
work in the gslleys, or at some other kind
| of hard labor, or In the servants halls of
| great houses, always In some menisl occu-
patton. If they had any skill as srtifcers
it WAS put to nee in the decoration Of the
houses of their masters. All tie old pal
aces of Algiers, among which are those of
the governor and archbishop, are filled
with elaborate carvings, miracles of labor,
which must have required the toll of Year,,
| all of which Was the work of Christian
| slaves.
Nor is 1t long since this high carnival of
barbsrism had sway, for it continued till
| within the memory of men now living.
| 1t is only sixty-thrse years ago that the
| fsg of the hoslem hosted from the Kas-
bah on yonder hill a place of such grim
associations Is worth visit. 1t is 8 pref
| ty steep climb, bat not wearisome If taken
in the afternoon, when that side of the
hill is in shadow, and If you make fire.
| quent psuses by the way, as you will, TO
turn and look down upon the city at your
| feet, or off upon the Mediterranean. Here
is an open space that you might pass with
out notice If not told that il Is the place
where the Ru!llotine is Get up for capital
offenders. A grewsome spot indeed, but
not unworthy of being kept in view among
a turbulent and lswless people Thus
slowly climbing higher and higher. you
reach the top, when a glorious outlook
bursts upon the sight. Here stood the old
castle, now dismSntled and gone. But
what history it has to make men shud-
derl For this was the greatest den of rob-
bers In the world, as il was the stronghold
| of the Barbary pirates, who, from this
hesdlsnd light, kept sharp lookout north,
east and west for any sail thst might show
itself on the horizon. For three centuries
they preyed on the commerce of all Ia
tions. Not only did they rob ships of
their csrgoes, but the unhappy voysgers
were seized as lawful prey, to be subjected
to the most cruel slavery.
| The horrors endured by these wretched
"prisonsrs and cRptives" are almost be-
yond belief The story has been told by
Sir Lambert PIsyfs! In his "ScoGrge of
Christeudom," one of the most thrilling
tales of suffering In tbs annals of man
kind, yet not without relief in the cour-
age with which 1t was borne, and the
friendship and devotion which 1t called
| forth. Gases were not wanting of those
who became so bound together by tneir
common suffering that when one was Tsn-
somed by his kindred at home he would
not sccept deliversnoe. refusing to leave
his friend behind. And to the eternal
honor of the Roman Catholic church be 1t
remembered that priests volunteered to 90
among thsir brethren in captivity, even
though they must needs be themselves en-
slaved, sn that they might give TO others
the consolation of rsligionl But that such
state of things should be continued at
all in the nineteenth century was the die
grace of the civilized world. True. the
danger of personal capture and slavery
was somewhat reduced by the payment of
tribute to the Bsrbsry powers-s tribute
that was paid by almost, If not quite, eve
, ~ European stata-hut this was itself 9
confession Of weakness or want of cOur-
age that was to the shame of sill Cbristen-
doml Oar own country. too. paid tribute
for q time, but il had the excuse of being
, the most helpless in the case because the
farthest away. Aud to its honor, be IL
, said, IL was the fir@t power to refuse TO
pay it longer. In 1915 the United States
, sent Commodore Decatur to ''serEs notice.
on the dey of Algiers that from that time
forth we should pay tribute no more. The
dey, seeing that the American captain was
, IN earnest, and fearing the effect of such
an example, tried to compromise and mod
estly suggested that he would sccept even
, q little powder just TO keep mp appear
, ances, to which the gallant comm odors re-
piled that 'if he took the powder he must
. take the bslls, tool" a suggestion which
was not at all agreeable; and the dey soon
! made the best of bad cass by yielding
. the point. virtually admitting that rsthsr
!, than receive that kind of tribute he would
, receive none at ALI But this was q ms,e
prologue to the great drama that was now
, opening, the chief act in which was per-
formed the following year, when an Eng
lish feet under Lord Exmouth anchored
! off the mole aud laid half of the city in
ruins.
, Algiers was then at the mercy of Eng
land, and come may think 1t q want of
J foresight that, having possession, she
did not do what France did afterwsrd,
keep It, as che has kept other parts of
: the world, as an insepsrsble portion of
the mighty British empire. But this
great inheritance wss to go to the country
of st. Louis, who, nearly six centuries
before had led q crusade to Jerusalem
for the rescue of the Holy Sepulcher.
z To France Ii remained to give the coup
de grace to this relic of bsrbarism. II
came about In q somewhat dramatic way.
4 The relations of the two powers had long
n been strained, bnt with no rupture, till
In q conference between the dey of AL.
| Qfers and the representative of Francs,
= the former SO far forget hirnsslf IS to
give the latter a clap In the facet That
o settled him-not the Frenchmsn who re
ceived the blow. but the barbarian who
y gave It. The offence was worse than
y defeat, for every man in France felt al
% If he had been struck In the fsce-an In