Mr. Burlingame to Mr. Seward
No. 116.]
Washington, December 1, 1865.
Sir: I enclose for your consideration A
publication from a Boston newspaper, over the signature of John
Humphrey, on the subject of pirates in the Chinese waters. With the
opinions and sentiments of the article I partially concur, and I suggest
that the subject be brought to the attention of the Navy Department,
with a view that, if necessary, special orders in regard to it may be
given to the commander of our squadron in that quarter.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
A Fleet in the China Seas.
Amoy, September 21, 1865.
Now that the government of the United States has succeeded in putting
down the rebellion in the southern States, it is to be hoped it will
organize a fleet for the China seas at once, not
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to lie about in the different ports in
China, but with orders to search for and destroy the pirates infesting those seas. Within the last
two years pirates have increased alarmingly, and at present you can
hardly take up a Hong-Kong daily paper without seeing an account of
a piracy committed or an attempt to commit one. I enclose a slip
from the Hong-Kong Daily Press, giving an account of one
attempt.
If a murder is committed on the land, rewards are offered and all the
machinery of the government is set at work to apprehend the
murderer, but although murder is committed by wholesale on the China
seas, no notice appears to be taken of it. The accounts I have read
in the Hong-Kong papers are horrible. Sometimes the crews are
tortured before being butchered. Sometimes their heads cut off at
once, and in one case they were lashed to the ship and the ship set
on fire. It is probable that many of the missing ships, supposed to
have foundered in typhoons on the coast of China, have been
destroyed by pirates and their crews murdered in cold blood.
It is very mortifying to an American to be told by an Englishman,
“You are indebted to the British government for what protecion you
have on the coast of China.” It is true, nevertheless. There is not
an open port on the coast of China in which you will not find an
English gunboat. What little is done towards suppressing piracy is
done by them. After the pirates are taken (as they sometimes are by
the English gunboats) it is very hard to get them condemned, as, of
course, they are not taken in the act, and there is very little
evidence againt them. I think the proper way would be to have a few
small fast barks, heavily manned and armed and disguised as
merchantmen, attached to the fleet. Let these cruise up and down the
coast and allow themselves to be attacked, then you have proof
positive of guilt, and I say hang the pirates at the yard-arm
without judge or jury. I think all Christian nations should join
forces to exterminate these pests of the seas.
By drawing public attention to this subject, you will confer a favor
on all those “who go down to the sea in ships,” and especially those
who navigate the Chinese waters.
Yours, respectfully,
JOHN HUMPHREY, Master American barque Wild
Gazelle.
The Editors of the Boston Daily
Advertiser.
