Alexandria Gazette & Daily Advertiser

New York, June 9.

Among other information brought from the West Indies by the brig Leopard, which arrived at Bridgeport on Wednesday last from Martinique and St. Bartholomews, we learn, that the Buccaneering-trade, still flourishes off the Islands and on the South American coast. Indeed, piracy and plundering on the ocean have become so well organized, and so extensively practised, that they are both carried on without scruple, and without concealment. It is but a short time since an attack was made by one of the most notorious of these marine banditti — the renowned Job Northrop; upon a Steam boat lying off the Island of Cuba, which by the narrowest chance only escaped his fangs. The account of this piratical attempt, was accompanied in the newspapers by a letter from this hardened desperado to the captain of the steam-boat, openly and unblushingly avowing his designs, and expressing the hope that a future opportunity would terminate more favorably for his plundering projects.

The intelligence by the Leopard states, that the French are very vigilant in catching privateers and their prizes; but that still the privateers frequently elude them. It is then stated, that a few days before the Leopard sailed, a rich prize to Com. Daniels' small brig, had taken a brig said to be from Vera Cruz, with a hundred and forty-two thousand dollars in specie, and cochineal, indigo and dry goods to the amount of two hundred thousand dollars, on board, which came off the harbor — that the governor interdicted all communication with them, and in the absence of the French ships, the prize proceeded to some of the keys and discharged — and that another Vera Cruz vessel had been driven into the harbor of St. Eustatia by the French cruisers, where she was taken possession of, and the cargo sold at auction, by order of the Governor, for the benefit of the owners.

These statements certainly indicate, what we have long believed would in the end prove to be the fact, that more or less of the neutral islands in the West Indies would wink at, if they did not positively encourage, this piratical trade. The inhabitants of these islands probably find it profitable to open their ports, as far as may be without endangering their own security, to the use of these sea-robbers, and therefore the governments are perhaps desirous of taking as few steps to check or discourage their depredations as the nature of the case, and their own situation, will in any way justify.

It is certainly much to be regretted, that so much evil to the whole civilized world should have grown out of the unsettled state of things in South America. If the mischief had all rested upon the heads of the Spaniards and Portuguese, it might be borne with more patience, as they are directly interested in the struggle. But whatever may be their deserts, in its strictness, furnishes no justification for bad men, from all countries, who avail themselves of the opportunity to accumulate estates by plunder and robbery. But that our countrymen are suffered, and to a great extent with impunity, to engage in this worse than Algerine piracy, is a mortification, as well as a disgrace to our country. Recent accounts state, that Northrops has been seized and imprisoned. If this be true, it is to be hoped that justice will reward him for his multiplied iniquities. But it is much more to be desired, that the naval powers should by common consent employ cruizers enough on the proper stations, to sweep these picaroons from the face of the ocean.