The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-25
ROMANCE OF AMERICAN HISTORY.
Tho story OF LATTE. tho Pirate Of
Genius, and tho Baratarians.

Tho StUTy VA 1eAsSOt SasO eas"So Va
Genius, and tho Baratarians.
About fortnight ago. according to news
roper reports, some fishermen in Calves
Ton Bay pulled up from the mud bottom
near Virginia Point two small copper can
non These little pieces bear inscriptions
which show that they were cast In Bogota
In 17ss One OF them is named Ell Fuerte,"
tho Mighty, and tho other. "El Cruel" the
Merciless. The Galveston Artillery Company
h,s bought the two guns and set them up
IN its armory: and local psychologists agree
IN the opinion that the cannon formed part
Of the armament OF one Of the schooners Of
jrAy LAr1rTE, tho so-called Terror of the
Gulf. whose fleet was partially destroyed at
virginia Point in the great hurricane OF
1913. during the time when that remark
able adventurer held possession OF Calves
ton Island.
Notmerely Is there o glamour OF romance
about every circumstance connected with
IAr1rrE's career. but there Is historical
importance In any discovery that serves to
fix or verify date or q tradition concern
ing him. LAFITTE is an unique figure In
American history. His origin. his early
life. his latter years. and his death. are OBJ
scured in o mystery that is likely to be
perpetual 1t is only for brief period i'm
medlately preceding and during the events
az 1914 In Louisiana that his shadowy per-
sopality comes into anything like a sharp
focus: and even concerning the few def
pitely asserted facts about him. In that
episode OF his career. there Is room
for IN immense amount OF contro-
yersv. All this would not be surprls-
ing In the case OF an equally illustrious
freebooter OF the fifteenth or sixteenth CEN
tury But 1t must be borne in mind that
LAFrrTE was 80 nearly contemporary with
the present generation that there are still
living In New Orleans persons who may
have seen him in their childhood. He was
thirteen years younger than his admirer.
Gen. ANDREW JACKSON. He was born only
twenty-five years before FERDINAND DE
LEssEPs. He Is a parsonage Of the present
century. Yet with all that has been said
and written about JEAN LAF1TrE. scarcely
more is really known Of him than Of the
misty Buccaneer MORGAN. dead hundred
years before LAFITTE appeared on the
scene. He Is actually a less distinct figure.
from the historians point Of view. we will
not say than FERNANDO CoRTEs. but even
Inuu fEDhO hLNAhhDo VI NoNhhbo LIE
sASDovAL. or any Of the moro conspicuous
companions and lleutenants OF CoRTEs. who
were LAF1TTE's predecessors in the Gulf Of
Mexico by fully three centuries.
There are two views Of LAFITTE to be
considered here. and both are interesting.
One Is the LAFrrTE Of the books OF pirates.
wherein he Is duly exalted as the last Of
the great corsairs; the LAFrrTE Of tradi-
ton and OF the novelist: the LAFITTE whom
Lord BYRON admired and made use OF as
apart ak his poetieeomposite; the restless.
gallant. desperate bandit Of the seas. fear
ing neither man nor devil, nor. again. GODS
hurricanes, magnanimous in his rascality.
and magnificent In his hospitality to friend
or enemy penetrating to his lair and treas
ure house on shore. This Is the wickedly
heroic figure which. cutlass in hand. person
streaming with gore. fighting the way inch
by inch across the slippery deck Of the
richly freighted prize. has for many years
captivated the Imagination Of countless
American and British youths. We frankly
confess q considerable affection for JEAN
LArrrTE In this aspect: but tho sentiment
shall not be allowed to outweigh the laws
Of evidence.
The other LAFITTE Is he Of existing his
torical documents. and such testimony as
has been preserved from the statements of
credible citizens Of New Orleans who knew
him well in the early years Of the century.
This LAFrrTE Is the landsman blacksmith
who knew how to drive a sharp bargain.
even II he did not know how to navigate a
ship and never brandished a boarding cut
lass over the deck OF any craft Of COM
nnaro ba fpv ~ thu (sV1f
glers. the trader who by his commercial
genius and personal force built up at Bara-
taria an extensive mart for the sale Of the
goods and slaves captured by the priva-
teers sailing under Carthagenian or Co.
lombian colors. which then swarmed In the
Gulf and the Caribbean Sea. preying upon
the Spanish merchant marine: the client
and friend OF EDWARD LIVINGSTON. ex-
Mayor Of New York city; the adroit and
polite citizen who enjoyed the confidence
and society OF the solid merchants Of Loui-
siana. and managed. on the whole. to keep
either well within the statutes. or. at least.
on the safe side Of public opinion. OF this
LAFIrrE. about the worst that can be said is
That he was a practical free trader on a
large scale. who amply atoned for his lack
OF respect for the revenue and admiralty
Jaws OF the United States by a service OF
lnestlmable value to the country at the
time wnen the British were preparing to
invade Louisiana
The evolution and destruction Of the
mythical LAF1rrE afford an interesting
subject for study. The best way to treat
MN Is 70 trace the probable process by
which he became celebrated as the typical
pirate OF the age. the scourge OF commerce
10 both the East and West Indies, and the
terror OF the Gulf. Then. by following the
Investigations which demolish so much
uhe popularity accepted narrative. we
snail measure the residuum of truth.
NO account need be taken OF pretended
sketches OF LAFIrrE's career In the various
Lives and Exploits OF tho Most Noted
Pirates. published early in the present CEN
fury. Literature Of that class does not
concern itself much with facts. and names