Year: 1865

Now that the War is ended, and our merchants
feel justified in sending abroad their ships aud to enter
into the commercial again, regret to find that
hundreds of finest merchan. ships no longer our
property and co not bear them glorious ban
ner. which few brief years ago could be found In
every port of note the face of the globe To-day
we see, by walk along the wharves, OF not only
ths but other Of large seaport cities and towns
the flags of all nations floating over majority OF the
finest vessels we have constructed during the past seven
or ten years.


This fact seems strange TO the general reader. who
will naturally ask for the of this great change
The brefest answer give that England in not
preventing the fitting ont of Rebel pirates in her desire
TO overshadow u.s. and control the carrying trade of the
ocean in carrying out her fixed principle OF aggrandze
ent and sefshness has been the direct cause OF the
marked change in our position great mercantile
marine nation.


Our merchants TO themselves from ruin, to en-
able them to carry on business with some degree OF
safety have sold under other flags their ships. until we
are left with a handful where five years ago we
were second only on the list OF commercial nations in
respect to tunnage The bold and desperate operations
Of the few prvateers and pirates furnished the Rebels
by England thinned out number and scores OF our
finest vessels either destroyed by fire sent



into them Only few were bonded the object of these
piratica being to destroy and annoy our CON-
merce to he full extent of their ability. How we'll they
have succeeded, how much they have destroyed is
question not answered by mere facts and figures.


At one time our Navy, which found unceasing EN-.
ployment in making the blockade of effect and in aiding
our large army in its operations poweress to rid
the sea OF these pests and furnish full protection to
our merchant vessels. We did not possess yesses-a
sufficient number of swift cruisers-which were able
10 ousal the vessels which giving US so much
annoyance Wise counsel in reference to this import
ant subject did not always prevail and in consequence
our merchants wearied and worried out of patience and
hope sought relief in taking out provisional registers
FOR their vessels under other flags These provisional
registers" by the laws Of Great Britain, hold good for
six nonths but TO be of any value the ship holding 1t
must enter British port within that time and take out


full register else the protection sought is Of no avail
BY another law a ship becoming the property OF
British subject cannot be sold under another flag ex
cept in circumstances which render the act trouble
some that 1t is worth the while to go through the
routine necessary to accomplish the end. Hence we
have in measure lost of finest vessels, and


much interest abroad represented by the heavy tunnage
transferred.


Not a single steamer has crossed the ocean during





eyer which foated our flag. England. France, Bre-
men, Hamburg and even Sweden and Russia have
been doing that work. There seems TO have been a
combination organized by the force of circumsta TO
drive us from the entirely Take up the shipping


list any week for the three years and look at the
arrivals and cearances. 1t is truly unpleasant
comparison with that of few years ago. Think of it
IT is not an unfequent thing for foreign
er to sail from the United States for European ports in
one day.


The time has come when we trust our merchant
ship owners and the Government will awake to the i'm
portance OF our present standing as commercial and
mercantile marine nation.


1t was until the latter part Of 1862 that became
apparent that could longer hope to carry
foreign trade under flag and in ships. The
priyateers were so active and destructive that it
almost with forlorn hope that any vessel was sent to
sea TO save themselves and protect their property
onr merchants in large numbers began to transfer their
shps to the and protection of other powers who
could protect them The effect of the movements in
this direction on the part of few of leading
chants instantaneous, and in few weeks after the
sales began of ships sold transferred
To give readers idea of the amount Of tunnage
transferred during period OF Is months perhaps
less time we append list Of vessels sold to sail under
the British flag alone.


In addition to these vessels there numbers say
roo and perhaps more which were transferred to the
fags Of Brazil. Buenos Ayres, Spain Italy, and other
minor powers. In round numbers we have lost 900
vessels. and nearly half million Of tunnage: