It does all this without accomplishing any substantial good. If it be
said that ships are needed for transportation, or for the blockade,
or in order to pursue pirates on the sea, then, I repeat, let the
Government hire them. The way is easy, and it is also the way of
peace. To this end I offer a substitute for the present bill, which
will secure to the Government all the aid it can desire, without the
disadvantage or shame of a measure which can be justified only by
overruling necessity. I will read the substitute.
“That the Secretary of the Navy be authorized to hire any
vessels needed for the national service, and, if he sees fit,
to put them in charge of officers commissioned by the United
States, and to give them in every respect the character of
national ships.”
If Senators desire a militia of the seas, here it is,--a sea militia,
precisely like the land militia, mustered into the service of the
United States, under the command of the United States, and receiving
rations and pay from the United States, instead of sea-rovers, not
mustered into the national service, not under national command, and
not receiving rations or pay from the nation, but cruising each for
himself, according to his own will, without direction, without concert,
simply according to the wild temptation of booty. Such a system on
land would be rejected at once. Nobody would call it a militia. Do not
sanction it now on the ocean; or, if you are disposed to sanction it,
call it not a militia of the seas.
The bill was then amended, on motion of Mr. Sherman, by
limiting it to “three years from the passage of this Act.”
Mr. Sumner then moved to strike out the words “in all domestic
and foreign wars,” and to insert “to aid in putting down the
present Rebellion,” so that it would read,--
“That, _to aid in putting down the present Rebellion_, the
President of the United States is authorized to issue to
private armed vessels of the United States commissions,” &c.