Virginia Argus

PRIVATEER

Whatever the English navy may have been in past, it is now a great body of active privateers. It wages war, not on nations, principles, nor on public property, but on the private fortunes of men who are honestly and peacefully sailing on the ocean; and it has grown rich by a species of plunder which is the most cruel and inhuman effect of war.

Men who feel so very much concerned to hear of the fitting out of American privateers, should ask themselves what now is the character of the British navy, and what has been its conduct for many years towards the American commerce? Their gun-brigs, sloops of war and frigates are incessantly engaged in plundering. And if privateersmen are to be styled "robbers and buccaneers," then the terms are justly applied to his majesty the prince regent, and their admirals.

By what have the American vessels been captured for these ten years past? Not by private armed vessels, but by king's ships. They have so completely monopolized the trade and venture in it so much larger capital, that there is little room for a private English adventurer.—The king and the REGENT are the greatest privateersmen the world ever knew. A harsher epithet might perhaps be with propriety applied; for the difference between their conduct, and that of pirates is more in form than in the want of any base or unprincipled feature of character.

But we make these remarks in order to expose the British attachments of those men who see the English navy, capturing our "defenceless" merchantmen, and imprisoning our sailors, and find in such conduct nothing but nobleness and courage, and yet discountenance retaliation by our private armed ships as dishonorable, unjust and immoral!

What difference does it make, whether an armed vessel is owned by a private merchant or by the government? Both are authorized and commissioned by the same power; both pursue the same object; both use the same means; both are governed by the same principles; both are equally sanctioned by the laws of nations; both are equally sanctioned by English practice, which with some men is equal to law and gospel too.

The opposition to privateering is in unison with all other plans to let Great Britain beat us. The faction are willing to bring us to her feet and the more they can weaken our means of defence, and diminish our opposition, the sooner will they succeed.

Americans would be villains to let the ocean be always at peace, and never to have a hostile gun fired upon it; but the English government, and their friends in America would never consent to an arrangement that would restore the commerce of the world.

Ib.