The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-08-07
PIRATES IN THE COLONIES.
The Different Colonial Governments Too
Weak to ProtectrThemselyes

Weak to ProtectrThemseIves.
We, in these times of America,
protected by the laws and number
of paople about Us, can hardly CON-
prehend such a life as that OF the
American colonies in the early part
of the last century, when it was pos
sible for pirate like Blackboard to
exist, and for the governor and the
secretary Of the province in which
he lived to share his plumber and to
shelter and protect him against the
law.
At that time the American colo
nists werei. general a rough, rugged
people, knowing nothing of the finer
things Of life. They lived mostly IN
little settlements, separated by long
distances from one another, so that
they could neither make nor enforce
| laws to protect themselves. Each
man or little group of men had to
depend upon his or their own
strength to keep what belonged to
them and to prevent force men or
groups of men from taking what
was theirs away from them.
1t is tho natural disposition OF
every one to get all that he can. Lit
tie children usually try to take away
from others that which they want
and to keep it for their own. 1t is
only by constant teaching that they
learn that thoy must not do SO, that
they must not take by force what
does not belong to them. 1t is only
by teaching and training that people
learn to be honest and not to take
what is not theirs. When this teach
ing is not sufficient to make q man
learn to be honest, OF when there Is
something in the man himself that
makes him not able to learn, then
he lacks only the opportunity to
seize upon the things he wants, just
as he would do if he were a little
child.
In the colonies at the time, as has
Just been said, mon were too few
and scattered to protect themselves
against those who had made up THEN
minds to take by force whatever
they wanted.
The usual means of communica
ton between province and province
was by water in coasting vessels
These small coasting vessels were 81
lefonseless and the different colonia
governments were SO i'll able tt
protect them that those who chose
to rob them could do it almost with
out danger to themselves.
So it was that all the western
world was in those days infested
with armed bands of cruising free
hooters or pirates-men who had no
been taught, or who had not beer
able to learn, that they must no
, take from others what belonged t.
those others. These pirates used t.
stop merchant vessels and take from
them what they chose.
Each province in those days wa
ruled over by a royal governor ap
pointed by the king. Each provin
cial governor was at one time fire.
to do almost as he pleased in hi
own province. They were account
able only to the king and the HON
government, and England was s
distant that they wero really respon
sible almost to nobody but them
} selves.
The governors were just as desi1
/, GUS of getting rich quickly, just a
DESTROYS of getting all that the.
; could for themselves, as was any
body else, only they had been laugh
, that it WAS not right to be actual pi
rates OF rot )ers. They wanted to sc
rich easily and quickly, but they di
not desire llcheS so much as to lea
them to dishonor themselves in thei
own opinion and in the opinion c
others by gratifying the desire
, They would even have stopped tn
pirates from doing unlawful acts
possible, but their provincial gov
, ernments We're too weak to proven
the freebooters from robbing mez
: chant vessels or to punish then
! when they CAME ashore. The prov
inces had no navies, and they real
, ly had no armies. Neither wer
: there enough people living within
the communities to enforce the law
; against those stronger and fierce
men who We're not honest.-HoWar'
} Pyle in st. Nicholas.
Uhx, Ha Want nut nf J,neinaco