Concord Register

Piracy.--Piracy, which has for a long time been alarming and distressing from loss of property, and from the ill treatment of our valuable mariners, has become agonizing to the utmost tension of suffering, from the foul murders committed on our defenceless citizens engaged in their lawful calling. The bold Buccaneers of other days had something of elevation and gallantry among them compared with these hordes of pirates which now infest our shores. Many of the Buccaneers acted from a spirit of revenge, from real or supposed insults, and had something of honor still, when they took to the lawless course of indiscriminate plunder. These wretches who now plunder, starve, mangle, and murder our seamen, are governed by avarice and wickedness alone, and shed blood in sport and mockery.--The civilized world were united against the Buccaneers, and exterminated them, but these demons are in fact indirectly encouraged by a christian nation.--There is blame in more than one place. The British make less efforts, apparently, but are more successful than we are in protecting property and destroying pirates. We believe that our country has lost more valuable lives from exposure to the climate of the West-Indies, than she has destroyed pirates in our expeditions against them. Have we not made too much of a holy-day business of the matter? Is it a proper mode of scouring the ocean, to carry family or pleasure parties? We love our Navy, we love our national honor: but we humbly ask, has all been done that could have been done? Must parents and children mourn over the victims of piratical cruelty, and over those who die by pestilence in pursuit of pirates, and nothing more be achieved? It is time for England and the United States to say to Spain, or to Cuba, if Spain is nothing, you shall co-operate with us--your existence as a commercial people shall depend upon your hearty agency in the cause.--The Commerce of the world demands, national honor demands, and humanity demands a union of all christian people as conservators of the peace of the high seas. If the complaints of the mercantile interests cannot be heard, surely no nation will be deaf to the cry of the blood of our murdered seamen, which is now borne, from the shore and the wave, on every gale.

Boston Gazette.

In the midst of painful contemplations at the increase of this crime, (piracy) and the dangers to which our commerce is exposed from murderers and robbers on the high seas, we cannot refrain from expressing our approbation at the promptness and gallantry of the British officers and seamen on the West-India station. They have pursued the marauders to their very dens, burnt their vessels, rescued our captive seamen, and punished the depredators. The High Court of Admiralty at Jamaica, have promptly tried and punished every pirate brought in; and by their energy and decision have struck terror to these foes of humanity. We say not this in disparagement to our own officers and seamen--they have done well, and done the best in their power: they have encountered dreadful climates--privations--sickness--death; and yet, with all the auxiliary aid, we are not able wholly to extirpate these monsters. Something remains to be done--something must be done.

From October until May, our squadron may keep on that station with safety; but during the summer months, our losses of valuable officers have been painfully afflictive, and deeply injurious to the country; and consequently little has been done with effect.

It has now become customary to arm our West-India merchantmen; but this is very expensive, and not always a guarantee. The Government of the United States should protect our commerce; and there is every disposition to do so; and we are of opinion that additional hands should be furnished each vessel, at the expense of the Government.

Let us show how this can be done, and what would be the results.

The ordinary complement of a West-India trader is from seven to ten hands. Suppose she mounts four guns, the complement is insufficient to work them.

Let a rendezvous for sailors be opened by the United States, during the spring and summer months, and let all who may enter the service, be placed at the disposal of the commanding officer of the Navy Yard. Let each owner of a vessel, bound between certain latitudes exposed to pirates, make application to the collector of the port, for a certain number of supernumerary seamen, corresponding with his tonnage and armament, and the collector give an order for them on the commanding officer, together with their rations for the voyage. On the return of the vessel, they are to be handed over to the station.

The consequence of this regulation will be, that nearly every piratical attack will be repulsed; the men can work the guns, and use their pikes and cutlasses with effect; our property will be safe; the lives of passengers and crew be preserved, and every vessel will be capable of defending itself.

The expense of this auxiliary aid, will be considerably less than keeping a squadron of small craft afloat, and the experiment at least should be made, and we hazard nothing in saying, that pirates would approach a merchant vessel with great caution, and in most instances would be beaten off. N. Y. Spectator.