ly rigged, with immense spars, a
spacious deck, and of a genuine buccaneer model. The armament of this
privateer consisted of one long twenty-four-pounder and twelve heavy
carronades.

After the deliberation I fixed upon the Paul Jones as the more desirable
vessel. The warlike preparations and rakish appearance of this schooner
looked like BUSINESS, and I had seen the insolence of John Bull so often
exhibited on the broad highway of nations, and had so often listened to
his taunts and sneers in ridicule of the prowess of the Yankees, that
I longed for an opportunity to lend a hand to give him a drubbing. I
stepped on board and inquired of an officer who seemed busy in giving
directions, if I could have a chance in the privateer. He asked me a few
questions, to which I gave satisfactory answers. He said there were many
applications of a similar character, but he thought he could insure me a
situation; told me to call next day at two o'clock, when the agent would
be on board, and the matter could be arranged.

The important part which the American privateers bore in the last war
with Great Britain is well known. They were fitted out in every
port, manned by brave and active men, and heavily armed. Managed with
seaman-like dexterity, and superior in sailing capacity to vessels
belonging to any other nation, they could not be easily captured. The
injury inflicted on the commerce of Great Britain by these privateers
is incalculable. They carried terror among our enemies in the remotest
parts of the ocean, and the desire of the British government to put an
end to the war may, in part, be attributed to the activity, courage,
and enterprise of our privateers. The principle has been adopted in
all ages, that private property, captured on the high seas, is a lawful
prize to the captors; also, that the destruction of private property
belonging to an enemy is a justifiable act. To a well-constituted mind
it must appear, on investigation, that such principles are unjust,
belong to a barbarous age, and cannot be advocated on any platform of
ethics recognized among civilized nations in modern times.

An attempt was made within a few years on the part of Great Britain,
which also met the approval of the French government, TO ABOLISH THE
PRIVATEER SYSTEM, on the ground that this mode of warfare is wrong
in principle, irregular subject to abuses, and to a certain extent
irresponsible. A proposition was made to our government to be a pa