Just kiddin' (only partially). I can't remember back so far as my Catholic elementary school days enough to be able to tell you exactly about the term, but it is pronounced as "mark" (not "mar-kay").
The express power to "grant letters of marque and reprisal"... is often a measure of peace, to prevent the necessity of a resort to war. Thus, individuals of a nation sometimes suffer from the depredations of foreign potentates; and yet it may not be deemed either expedient or necessary to redress such grievances by a general declaration of war. Under such circumstances the law of nations authorizes the sovereign of the injured individual to grant him this mode of redress, whenever justice is denied to him by the state, to which the party, who has done the injury, belongs. In this case the letters of marque and reprisal...contain an authority to seize the bodies or goods of the subjects of the offending state, wherever they may be found, until satisfaction is made for the injury...
Put "marque and reprisal" into Google search engine and you should get numerous pages that will describe them for you. This is also a good way to research things before you type in a "stoopid" qwestion that can be quickly answered by a short search on the internet. (Ain't computers wunnerful?)
Contrary to Mr. Sinkspur's ignorant view, the Constitution- where the "letters of marque and reprisal" are contained- is not a "living document", but one of the most superbly crafted and thought out pieces of ideology that has been created in the history of the world. If it is written in the Constitution, I have found that there is usually a d*mn good reason for it and idiots who poo-poo it usually have brown eyes (due to where their head is usually positioned.)
It may be a tritely worded and seemingly anachronistic idea -letters of marque and reprisal, that is- but I have the feeling that it still will serve its purpose exceedingly well for our Country.
"History repeats itself; it has to, nobody ever listens"
Hktd on foniks werkd 4 mee.
I have always believed there is no such thing as a "stupid" question.
In order to ask a revelant question one has to be engaged in the topic..the stupid never are...
It is my guess that there are areas where you have to run to a search engine to get an answer...only google doesn't call you "stupid"
Your mocking tone reveals alot about you.
I worked in the inner city for many years..some of the wisest men I met picked cotten and never learned to read.But they had a quality of humility and common sense that most of the computer generation could use!