June.] 



CHRONICLE. 



47 



they may be transported ia vessels 

 to foreign countries. A similar 

 fate will await those iirticles des- 

 tined to be imported into Germany. 

 The merchant protects himself by 

 insurance against the ordinary 

 dangers to which vessels aie usually 

 exposed at sea. Even during ma- 

 ritime v.ur, which is so injurious 

 to commerce and navigation, the 

 same protection is to a certain de- 

 gree obtained by higiier premiums, 

 although the payment of these pre- 

 miums is a heavy tax both on the 

 manufacturer and the consumer ; 

 but they cannot possibly ensure 

 their property against the threat- 

 ened attacks of the Barbary pi- 

 rates. 



These pirates, who are totally 

 ignorant of the law of nations, and 

 who cruise for the express purpose 

 of plunder, first announced tlreir 

 declaration of war by their attacks. 

 It must not be supposed that these 

 vessels are the property of private 

 individuals ; they are fitted out in 

 execution of their laws. These 

 plunderers limit themselves to no 

 time or forms ; they unexpectedly 

 attack defenceless mercliants, and 

 carry off not only property but 

 »ven men, German fellow-citizens, 

 whose cries are re-echoed from 

 their native coasts, and whom these 

 African pirates plunge into the 

 gloomy dungeons of slavery. Dan- 

 gers of such a nature could never 

 be anticipated, and consequently 

 no precuiilions have been adopted 

 against them. Occurrences of this 

 nature have given rise to feelings 

 of insecurity, wliich have inter- 

 rupted navig^ition and connnercc ; 

 lor no one knows how long may 

 l>€ the continuation of tiicsc atro- 

 cities, which have for the mean- 

 while occai joiied a total stagnation 



of Uadc. These pirates will be- 

 come more audacious by being al- 

 lowed to escape unpunished, and 

 to succeed in their desultory enter- 

 prises. It is even probable, that 

 during their cruises they may land 

 on exposed and defenceless parts 

 of the German coast, and there 

 carry on their trade of plundering, 

 and kidnapping, and spread dis- 

 tress and devastation on every side. 

 In addition to all the disasters 

 under which Germany has groaned 

 for so long a period, may they not 

 communicate to us the infection of 

 their indigenous plague, the most 

 dreaflful of all etirthly calamities? 

 What has already been stated will 

 doubtless sulBciently account for 

 the Senates of the Hans-Towns 

 having been induced to represent 

 to the Diet, that not merely those 

 towns, but likewise every maritime 

 and commercial State, and indeed 

 the whole German nation, are in- 

 terested in putting a stop to the 

 depredations of the Barbarj' pirates . 

 The Senates have reason to hope, 

 that the revolting occurrences 

 .which have called forth this repre- 

 sentation will excite the utmost 

 indignaiion among the high and 

 illustrious membei s of the German 

 Confederation ; and that not only 

 each individual member will exert 

 himself to root out this evil, but 

 that the High Confederation, as a 

 collective and European Pov. er, 

 will adopt every possible measure 

 to put an end to these piracies, 

 which threaten (he honour of the 

 ficrman ilngaad the welfare of the 

 German nation. 



Even though the German Con- 

 federation jiobsess, as a federative 

 body, no naval force, it is neither 

 deficient in the powci or means 

 nc.'Citary for cifcctuully watching 



over 



