The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-04-27
rRIVATfERS AND pRivATEER-
ING.
Chicago Times Herald.

TRINAIEENS ANU VHlNAl L "
ING
Chicago Times Herald.
What part If any would be played BY
privateers In naval war between the
United States and Spain is largely a matter
| OF conjecture. As is well known, the Uni
| ted States and Spain are not boun1 BY the
treaty of 1856. which abolished the Practice
of issuing letters of marQue and reyrisa.
Mexico and Uruguay are the only ether
| civilized nations which have not APPROX, d
| the treaty. And in this connection ii Is
well to correct the popular impression that
the United States declined 10 sign the
treaty in order to preserve the right. ibis
| is mistake. Secretary Maccy decline i
| because the treaty did not 20 tar enough
| and pointed out the weakness Of its tI-
forcement in the absence of pfb1ur def
| milton OF contraband. With more strin-
gent clauses he was willing TO approve =.
should privateering exist the .ni;ed
States would be the greater loser rhe
tons register of American shipping is some
seven or eight times as ,reat as that of
spain 1t is reported that Spanish M
Vateers are ready TO prey upol Our cir,-
merte as soon as the Madrid government
shall grant them the necessary perm,ssion
But whether privateering will be allowed IL
question. Neutras always suffer in such
conflict, and it is quito likely that ~
the right of might the otn,r nations p,ay
forbid 1t. Such action bv Great Brian
would restrain Spain. md not only is T.g-
land our friend but Spanish privatLers
might easily carnage her commerce.
The truth Is that privat s.ng Is obsolete.
1t belongs to the old days OF small SAIL
Ing ships and of pirates Ana tho dist;nc
ton between pirates and privntccrs is not
easily drawn. the only difference being thai
the privateers are egalized b. the home
government. They belong to an era when
nayies were small aud were &c ys,ovn
OF weak nation against greater rltri-
Time power. Effective use of them was
made by the United STATES in our wars
with England
Congress has power to Issue letters or
marque and reprsal, but congress- has not
made use of the power for wears, olt.,o, IN
u delegated the power to Lincoln during
the war. when IL was not used .,aeet-
crate privateers were llne,ods
me word marque. by the way Is from
the German mark" meaning frontier. ard
means the right TO cross the frontier. End
make reprisals. 1t was given tc ,rivate
owners who were authorized to arm ves
sells to prey upon the commerce @. lie
enemies. Sink. burn and destroy" were
i Ihe ora words To encourage ori;atuer!ng
treat Britain once ordered that all the
property captured should 70 TO the can
tors. N"p
IN one form or another priva.a arl,g gees
back to ancient times. but IL flourisbrd
cnieiiy from about the middle II tho six
teonth century TO the close II IN, .Snon-
ieonic wars II was then the custom. when
nu.luns oi europe were at var with each
otfer Tor most of the time for the crow,
OF an armed private vessel 20 hail anoiEer
and climb over the sides 4 rio ,ossoi
win naked cutlasses aud demand IN t,,ow
their nationality. Ii the prize w,s osn,ct.
ally rich neutials were not raspe.fcJ 7,
was SO easy for the commander IL NJ.
thcking vessel to believe that tho "a, lain
OF his prize was liar,
These priyateers of the old DAYS v,ro
not much better than pirates. They made
men Walk the plank just as Gid .he l,sck
hageers' and In fact. the buccaneers ,se,e
some tunes privateers and some times nj
rates, The practice Of Sir Erannls Tratn
a man honored In English hisr,rv m.. >,
.ahem as TYPICAL. In 1877 he made nm ex !
pehuitioh to the South Sea. and during ina,
voyage piundered ports and robhsl ,rht |
ana LETT everywhere. Cities we're h,,rneI I
ana others we're forced TO pay l,rre I'm.
SONS. Another Englishman OF tho Same ,
period always tortured his prisoners Wien
they ana net yield him enough nloney Uia !
name was Cavendish. The rich con,,nc,c e
oi srain. IN what was hen ca,ls1 No
spanish Main, yielded large fortunes !,
iact. IT was said thai while all |. IL, V, nj
III search Of gold al Grsat ,ritaia t,lsS
out ships TO steal 1t.
These abuses. growing year liz war
greater led TO reform in tie mcthof.
ne practice was revived again by the
United States during the snr w,th rng
land, but without any useless slaughter :,
prisoners. During The rey9lu,lpn =, ~
rather surprising TO hear. not less t,an
1861 private vessels were sent out H.. M,
Aneiicans against the British. Tn 20 w.
u al kinds and ranged In clnss 500
row beats to ships. This number dnas IN ~.
lhriude the vessels which were a rsv,,iSs
part OF the United States navy THO 49,.
avert net IN the revolution, by M 800
was the equipment OF eight b1ats ~, ~,
ooiohy OF Rhode Island Tor priv ,ss,, ~
purposes. Their sizes may be ln,,, n,,ns
wne'l y Is remembered that their $3.50
ask.eka'su nut sixty men, Armed ,'s
'sN'ns stones they attacked ana ren.,,ssa
ne Engiish schooner Caspe, 4 ienaar
w british squadron which hal so,,,n.,..sI
81 'po'' ne pYiyatoering expcdItlnn hoa.,e
y " NJ June ~. I'VE, and then dcstrov'd