Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-21


THE WORLD EEFoRE HIM. BY Ho-
ratio d A AlgeT; Jr, Aqth9r Of The Odds
etc. Philadelphia: The Penn Publish
ing Company. For sale by Hunter &
Co.
This is good book for boys, full of
attention throughout. Frank Courtney,
the hero, had been led to expect COM
Portable income. but suddenly thrown
upon his own resources through the ma
chination of his step-father. He is con
fronted with many difficulties, but by
perseverance, courtesy, and good, hard
common-sense. he works his way steadi-
~ upward. His career is an inspiring
lesson.
THE AMERICAN MERCHANT MA
RINE: IT'S HISTORY AND re-
NANCE FROM 1870 to 1902 BY Win
throp L. Maroon, associate editor of
the Boston Journal. Charles Scribner's
Sons. vo.; PIP. 444. Price, 49,
The publishers commend this book as
having the interest OF a romance espe-
cially the chapters dealing with the East
India trade and with the whaling fishery"
No Intelligent reader will dispute the jus
tice Of this claim. The book is intensely
interesting, not in one or more, but in all
Of its chapters with their entertaining
and instructive sidelights on American
history.
Very few Of the best Informed of our
people have any adequate conception Of
the work and influence OF the American
mercantile marine in the making Of
American history. The United States
navy with it's glorious past and promis-
ing future, is of comparatively modern
date. But tho mercantile marine in spite
of the jealous handicaDping of the moth
er country, was no inconsiderable element
of colonial strength and prosperity during
the regime of the Stuarts and the ear
lier Georges. Not only in the New Eng
land colonies, but in our own Southland,
many of our people were interested in and
active participants in sea ventures and
ocean communication with Great Britain.
During the Revolutionary war the naval
force of the colonies was almost en-
tirely composed OF merchantmen trans
formed into offensive force against Brit
-ah commerce, to a small extent by pur-
chase by the Continental Congress. but
mainly by letters of marque authorizing
pursuit and capture of British vessels
upon the high seas. Tie few commits
stoned officers and their crews We're grad
yates Of The mercantile marine. but the
chief successful work in Gripping British
commerce was done by privateering. The
extent to which this was effective Is lit
influence in the. creation of that public
opinion in England which forced a re-
iuctant King and Parliament to the recog-
milton of our independence. The war of
1872 was occasoned by the insolent and
persistent invasion of our commercial
rights upon the seas.
The United States had no naval force
at all adequate for the protection Of our
mercantile marine. and American ships
and American cargoes were at the mercy
Of the British navy, and the immunity
which they enjoyed was recklessly and
worthlessly and insoIently made available
to cripple our commerce and Danish our
shipping from the seas. All along our
own coast-almost in sight of our shores
our vessels were overhauled and visited
and despoiled of their seamen under the
preteXt that they We're born British sub
jects and liable to imprisonment, despite
the protection of the American flag, for
services in the British navy. After years
OF remonstrance and protest and ineffec-
tual efforts by peaceful negotiation to
avert the necessity of open war, we were
forced to that revolt, and upon the sea
and the land that war was waged for
free trade and sailors rights. The land
warfare was by no means decisively sue
ceSSfui to the Americans. and the crown
ing victory at New Orleans was accom-
rIished after negotiation had resulted in
the restoration Of peace. But the poten-
tial influence in eXtorting peace was the
injury to British commerce by our little
navy to no nconsiderable extent, but
vastly more by American privateers which
swarmed upon the sease. and saucily in
vatiins the British camel as
sailed with destructive results mercantile
intercourse between England and Ire
land. The graphic narrative by the au-
thor OF the wrongs and outrages perpe-
trated upon our shipping and sailors
which provoked the war, is intensely in
teresting but full of mortifica ton for
the long and humilating submission to it
by government.
The author comedies to our Southern
members of Congress the credit for cham
pioning the rights Of American seamen
and compelling a final declaration Of
war.
The efficiency of operations against the
the mercantile marine of his foe by a bel
ligerent, over-matched III national naval
strength, is further set out by the author
in his later chapter upon the war between
the States, and a full and interesting de-
tail of the ravages upon the United States
marine by the Confederate cruisers, eSpe-
cially the Alabama. The author is can
did enough to acqut the Confederate
iutilOliliSS U tliS liitutsllAc4i hSeAAiiSI Tic
Alabama Of the stigma Of piracy, or any
transcendcncy Of the then legitimate
rights of warfare upon the seas.
The chapters devoted to the whale
tishery-the Newfoundland cod fishery
and the lake feet-have no less of interest
and romance.
In 1888. the first year Of the reign of
Queen Victoria the successful venture of
the Sirens and the Great Western settled
for all coming time the then controverted
practicability of navigating the ocean for
long voyages by steam power. The al
most immediate result of it was to trans
fer from sailing packets to steam vessels
the transportation of passengers be-
tween Europe and America Many of
these sailing packets were owned by
Americans and the Stars and Stripes flew
at their masthead. The ocean steamships
were mostly British vessels. In 1870 some
two years after the successful voyage of
the Sirens and Great Western. the British
government practically began her policy
of subsidies. y contract was entered into
with Samuel Cunard for the building OF
four or five steamships to carry the ocean
mail on an agreed compensation vastly
exceeding the cost or money value of the
service That contract has been contin-
ued to the present time, with enlarged
service and enlarged pay, and the Cunard
line to-day commands a large portion OF
the patronage of the travelling public.
In 1S47 the United States adopted the