In Monroe's last State of the Union address of 1824, he urged Congress to strengthen to authorize the U.S. Navy to pursue what Joel Roberts Poinsett called the "scandalous system of piracy" in Cuba. The Navy needed the ability to pursue the Pirates on to land and prosecute them. The scandalous nature of the piracy, was that the Spanish government was doing nothing to stop piracy in their West Indies Colonies. While the Spanish flag gave merchants of Spain protection, the same could not be said for the U.S. and British merchants who were plundered and often killed by the Pirates would then slip back into Cuba where they sold their plunder in the open markets. Under the Monroe doctrine, if Spain would not act, then America would take it into their own hands.
Two years earlier, in 1822, President James Monroe appointed Joel Roberts Poinsett, a current member of U.S. House of Representative from South Carolina as a special envoy to Mexico. Monroe was concerned about the stability of the newly independent country of Mexico. Poinsett was a natural choice. Poinsett was a supporter of the Monroe Doctrine and was previously the first "special agent" in South America as Consul in General to Chile and Argentina. After spending two years as the special envoy, Poinsett published a report titled "Notes on Mexico". The Notes were written during Poinsett's journey through Mexico in the fall of 1822 and contained a diary of what he saw and experienced. Poinsett's voyage took him to Puerto Rico, Vera Cruz, Jamaica, Jalapa, La Hoya and many other towns before reaching the cities of Mexico . He visited the Cathedrals, the Acadamy of fine arts and many other cultural places. Poinett studied Mexico's manufacturing, commerce, military and government. All of these he documented in the first 13 chapters of his 225 page report (plus 125 pages of appendices). But, it was his last chapter that is of interest here. In the final chapter of his report, he described Havana, and the Island of Cuba with particular attention to Piracy. As Poinsett wrote himself, "I cannot take leave of Cuba, without adverting to the scandalous system of piracy, organized by the lawless ban ditti of Havana and Regla, and countenanced and protected by the subaltern authorities of the Island." In other words the organized gangs of pirates where were allowed to roam free and even protected by the Spanish colonial authorities in Cuba.
Poinsett reported that the pirates were "so numerous and daring" and so wealthy that the weak and corrupt authorities could easily be bribed to ignore the gang's "frequent and flagrant violations of the laws". The pirates would leave from the town of Regla to go on their "piratical cruises" and return openly with plundered goods. They made no attempt to conceal how their goods were acquired, and sold them openly in the city. If anyone asked, with a wink and a nod, they just swore that they were purchased legally from other parts of the island. There was no effort to "elude detection" because there was no fear of punishment or even the "restitution of the their plunder". According to Ponisett, it was only the "subaltern" or colonial governors that profited from this "system of villany", but he also believed that the "higher authorities of the Island [were] not free from censure." Often times, the crew on the ships were plundered were killed, so that they could not report back to the authorities. In 1822, a British schooner was captured, and the Pirates made the British commander "walk the plank". As he tried to swim away, they shot him in the back. At one point, a British squadron arrived in Cuba with an order from the Spanish government to the captain General of Cuba to cooperate in the suppression of the piracy, but the captain general refused declaring that he had no naval force he could dispose of. Yet, there were nearly 5,000 men in Havana and a fleet of ships in the harbor including 3 26-gun corvettes, a brig of war and 4 schooners. Cuba had the men and the vessels to suppress the Piracy, but had not the will. This was in part due to the fact that the Pirates never plundered a ship under the Spanish flag. It was well known, that the Spanish flag alone was sufficient protection against the pirates.
Poinsett was aware that President Monroe was planning to send a "flying squadron" under Captain David Porter, but Poinsett warned that the efforts would have only a limited effect. The fleet can not be everywhere, nor remain forever. The pirates were patient and could afford to wait for the right opportunity. It would be like guerrilla warfare, but on the seas. Eventually, the U.S. navy would tire of maintaining a large squadron of ships in the sea. The only way, to stop the piracy was to force the authorities of Cuba and Puerto Rico to expel them from their territory. And, the only one who could make this happen was Spain. Poinsett explained, that in order for this to happen, "all the great commercial nations of the world, ought to unite to induce or to compel Spain to adopt some such measure." And, with that Poinsett concluded with words that must have been music to Monroe's ears, demonstrating his support of the Monroe Doctrine, "If that nation does not possess the power of carrying it into effect, the United States ought to lend the necessary aid to insure its execution."
On May 19, 1824 Rep. Poinsett bore witness in front of the Committee on Foreign Relations Committee, "to the excellent work of our ships in the West Indies and to the vexatious obstacles interposed by certain Spanish authorities". The committee was responding to complaints of merchants that the U.S. navy had not provided proper protection of American Commerce. Poinsett repeated much of what he published in his notes and testified that in his observations, the Spanish Government had been "repeatedly and ineffectually required" to suppress piracy off the island of Cuba. The current Captain General of Cuba did act with courtesy towards our commanding officers, but when the pirates were captured and turned over, they were never charged with punishment that fit their crimes. As part of the testimony, a letter from Captain David Porter defending his actions in 1824 of having left the West Indies, and ordering the grater part of his force to return home. In September of 1823, Captain Porter and the USS Macedonian attacked and destroyed a pirate force at Funda Bay. Some pirates were captured, but many escaped allowing them to regroup and on November 8, 1822 Lieutenant William Howard Allen of the USS Alligator was killed by the pirates. Allen's death allowed Commodore Porter to obtain a larger force including 8 new shallow draft schooners, and the new squadron left the United States for Cuba in February. On July 15, 1823 the U.S. Navy squadron encountered a heavily armed schooner with a crew of about 75 pirates, near a Cuban village. As the U.S. Navy cannon fired, the pirates panicked and began to abandon ship by jumping into the water. The sailors on board, remembering the death of their lieutenant, began firing volleys into their fleeing enemy, shouting "Allen, Allen". Of the 75 pirates, only 5 survived. Porter witnessed first hand what Poinsett had also reported, the battle against the pirates of Cuba was futile unless the government of Spain put a stop to it. Captain Porter concluded his letter that his only cause of regret was "that I did not remove them earlier, by which many valuable lives would have been saved, and that there should be a necessity for their return at this unfavorable season, which will undoubtedly cause the death of more."
In his final state of the Union Address, President James Monroe echoed the words of Poinsett and Porter, when he urged congress to determine the appropriate action. But, unlike Poisett, Monroe did not specifically call out Spain. Rather, Monroe asked Congress to authorized the U.S. to take matters into their own hands, and consider "Whether those robbers should be pursued on the land, the local authorities be made responsible for these atrocities, or any other measure be resorted to to suppress them".
"The force employed in the Gulf of Mexico and in the neighboring seas for the suppression of piracy has likewise been preserved essentially in the state in which it was during the last year. A persevering effort has been made for the accomplishment of that object, and much protection has thereby been afforded to our commerce, but still the practice is far from being suppressed. From every view which has been taken of the subject it is thought that it will be necessary rather to augment than to diminish our force in that quarter.
There is reason to believe that the piracies now complained of are committed by bands of robbers who inhabit the land, and who, by preserving good intelligence with the towns and seizing favorable opportunities, rush forth and fall on unprotected merchant vessels, of which they make an easy prey. The pillage thus taken they carry to their lurking places, and dispose of afterwards at prices tending to seduce the neighboring population.
This combination is understood to be of great extent, and is the more to be deprecated because the crime of piracy is often attended with the murder of the crews, these robbers knowing if any survived their lurking places would be exposed and they be caught and punished. That this atrocious practice should be carried to such extent is cause of equal surprise and regret. It is presumed that it must be attributed to the relaxed and feeble state of the local governments, since it is not doubted, from the high character of the governor of Cuba, who is well known and much respected here, that if he had the power he would promptly suppress it. Whether those robbers should be pursued on the land, the local authorities be made responsible for these atrocities, or any other measure be resorted to to suppress them, is submitted to the consideration of Congress."
On February 2, 1825 Congress responded by passing an act for the Suppression of Piracey, which among other things authorized the U.S. Navy to "land on the said islands, in search of pirates, and there to subdue, vanquish, and capture them, and bring them to the United States for trial and adjudication, as the said instructions of the President of the United States my prescribe".
special note: While visiting an area south of Mexico City, Poinsett gathered a flower known as "Flor de Nochebuena" or the Christmas Eve Flower. Poinsett sent some samples of this plant back home, and by 1846 it became widely known as the "poinsetta"
References
Presidency.ucsb.edu. (2017). James Monroe: Eighth Annual Message. [online] Available at: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29466 [Accessed 12 Dec. 2017].Poinsett, J. (1825). Notes on Mexico, made in the autumn of 1822. Accompanied by an Historical Sketch of the Revolution, and Translations of Official Reports on the present state of that country. By J. R. Poinsett, Esq. Member of Congress, United States of America. London: John Miller, 5, New Bridge Street,m pgs 221-223
Register of debates in Congress,. (1825). Washington [D.C.]: Printed and published by Gales & Seaton, pg. 4111
Usni.org. (2017). Our Navy and the West Indian Pirates: A Documentary History, Part 9 | U.S. Naval Institute. [online] Available at: https://www.usni.org/heritage/west-indian-pirates-part-9 [Accessed 12 Dec. 2017].
En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Joel Roberts Poinsett. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Roberts_Poinsett [Accessed 12 Dec. 2017].
En.wikipedia.org. (2017). West Indies anti-piracy operations of the United States. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Indies_anti-piracy_operations_of_the_United_States [Accessed 12 Dec. 2017].
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Pyle_pirate_plank_edited.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment