The National tribune., 1903-06-18

Admiral Dewey at Manila and of Samp-
Son and Schley at Santiago, read not unlike
fairy tales of adventure.
The onward and upward march of ou'
great Republic has been irresistible OH
both land and sea. The United States mas
now become a world power and acknoWl-
edged as such by the great Powers OF Eu-
rope. This fact is even now beng demoh-
strated by the controversy with NeneZueia,
All glory to the American army, that
has so nobly fought and bled for freedom.
Union and humanity, but TO the navy, 1t IS
not unjust to say. largely belongs the cred
it of our present high sanding abroad.
A cruise in the Mediterranean and along
the coast of those blue waters cannot fail
to call to the minds Of patrio. ic Americans
some of the most picturesque and thrilling
chapters of American naval history. Many
American lives and ships were lost there.
but the places where these events hap
pened lie n little out of the beaten road,
being along the coast of Africa from Tan
s,iers to Tunis, and comparatively few
rrave,ers see them.
1t was before the shores of those Bar
barry States that the American navy first
gained recognition and respect for the peo-
pie of the then "New Republic" The
four years war in the Mediterranean was
crowded with evidences of the temper of
the embryonic American navy. The men
WHO SlileQ III between Tie IistfS VI I1eI
cues," under the Stars and Stripes, were
new breed to the people of the inland
sea. They possessed the tenacious fight
ing spirit of the English combined with the
quick. ingenious. reckless daring of the
Americans, fiery under injustice and impo-
sition, aud imbued with the unconquerable
spirit of Liberty.
THE BARBARY PIRATES
Were the ancestors of the Moors, Berbers,
Tripolitans and Tunisians, who live in the
same filthy coast cities to-day as their
forefathers did, with the ignorant AFRO
gance of the Arab people and the snarl-
ing submission. for the most part, to
white yoke which they did not use to wear.
In 1888. peace having been signed with
Great Britain. the nucleus of the navy
then in existence was disbanded This was
partly due to the disinclination of the
sturdy Americans to keep a standing es-
tablishment, either military or naval, in
time of peace. The same tendency of
the American mind is observable to-day.
History ever repeats itself The chief
reason, however, for the dissolution of
the navy lay in the inability to collect
States had formed themselves into con-
federacy, but so jealously had each State
guarded its individual rights that no pow
er was left to the General Government
The navy, being a creation of the Cen
eral Government. was therefore left with
out means of support, and in 1855 the
last remaining frigate, the Alliance, was
sold because there was not enough money
in the Treasury to pay for needed repairs.
For some time thereafter the Nation re-
mained practically without a navy.
Gradually a very considerable COM
merce sprung up under the flag of the
United States. The Stars and Stripes
began to be a familiar sight in seaports
as far away as China and Japan, but as
far as it afforded any protection to the
vessel above which that banner waved.
it might have been meaningless bit of
striped bunting.
In 1855, shortly after the sale of our
last frigate, as will be noticed, the Dey
of Algiers, looking 10 piracy as a source Of
Government revenue, as the Prince of Mo-
naco makes gambling today, sent his pi-
: ratical cruisers out into the Atlantic to
prey upon the commerce of the new Ma
tion that had no navy to enforce its au-
thority. Two vessels were captured and
their crews sod into disgraceful slavery
in Algiers.
When the First Congress of the United
States, under the present Constitution, as
sembled, President Washington called the
attention of the law makers to the crying
need of navy, but as Portugal and Al
Hgiers were then at war, and the Algerian
corsairs were blockaded in their ports. and
American vessels were enjoying a tempo
rary immunity from piratical attack, Con
gress hesitated. But in 1893 peace was
suddenly arranged between Portugal and
Algiers, and Immediately the corsairs
swarmed out of the Mediterranean Sea
and swooped down upon the American
merchantmen.
-. PIRACY AS A BUSINESS.
The Bashaws, Deys and Beys made pi-
racy profession. They kept tribute books
with weak Mediterranean cities. and prices
of white slaves in Algiers and Tripoli rose
and fell as copper and corn in our mar
kets to-day. The stronger nations of Eu-
rope placated these pirates or awed them
with their armadas. But the United States
had no armada, and but little with which
to placate them.
In a few weeks several ships were in
their hands and the gangs of white slaves
In Tunis and Tripoli were re-enforced by
nearly 200 luckless Yankee sailors Then
Congress awoke, and ordered the immedi-
ate building Of six frigates. But before
the completion of the ships a treaty was
negotiated with Algiers. And what a
treaty it was! By it the United States re-
linquished their claim to the rights of a
sovereign Nation. 1t agreed to pay an
annual tribute to the piratical Dey in con-
sideration of granting to American vessels
the right to travel on the high seas. And
when some slight delay occurred in max
Ing the first payment of tribute The Gov
ernment presented the Barbary corsair
with frigate to allay his wrath. While
this treaty was in force the United States
paid the Dey more than a million dollars.
For the same sum his crews of cut-throats
might have been wiped off the face of the
earth.
1t was the pleasure of this savage TO
force the American tribute bearing shin
George Washington. Capt. cambridge. to
carry his Embassador and suite to Con-
stantiDople. his declaration being "you pay
me tribute by which you become my
slaves. l have right to order you as /
think proper" Capt. Bainbridge protest
ed. but to no avail. Accordingly he COM
piled, but dispatched a letter to the author
tiles at home saying: 81 hope may never
again be sent TO Algiers with tribute un-
less / am authorized to deliver it from the
mouth Of our cannon"
But, while the tribute paid to AIyiers
had merely changed the attitude OF that
country from open hostility to contemptu.
ors forbearance. it had also brought the
other Barbary States clamoring to the
United States for tribute. Tunis and Trip
oil demanded blood money, and each EN-
phasized its demands by capturing Yam
kee merchantman and selling their crew.
Into slavery.
BEGINNING OF THE "BARBARY WAR"
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