The native American., 1840-03-14

If possible, to digest some plan by when an
abundant supply ofnatiye born American sea-
men could be procured 10 man our Naval Ma
rine.
The policy of the United Stales has ever
been turned to anursery for seanlen. Nhle
our commerce penetrated every ocean, and
our canvass whitened every sea, nothing was
done to create seamen, u class OF nen extreme
" slow to form, liable to more casualties than
any other, sinking sooner under hardships and
prvations, and falling victims to restlence
and disease in foreign ports.
II was supposed that high wages would al
lure 4 sufficient number Of foreign seamen 10
desert their country and their flag to sail from
the United States, and that certificates of
citizeusIlip would give them national iden-
llv, aud that tie FLAG of the United States
world prevent them from itnpressmcnt
war with Great Britain followed and al
though the honor of our flag was gloriously
and trumphantlv vudicated, and the right OF
search abandoned, vet our pride is alleged by
la feeling OF reproaeh Of which we cannot d.
vest the question. "Our country always right
but our country. right or wrong'-shoud
be the maxim Of every American c,tlzen;
when an appeal .o arms becomes inevitable;
bit 10 preserve our country always right and
ito guard again$t reproach, should, i'll time OF
peace he the conduct otevcry patriotic amer
lean. Our short.sighted policy, which an
severed Il temporary purpose, has now, now
lever become. inefficient. Alter drawing from
Great Britain, France and every other mari
time power, every sailor we could allure, we
find that from our increasing foreign com
merce and our extending coasting trade, we
can hardly procure men for our merchant
lservice; and when they are wanted Tor our
naval marine, we find, to make crew for a
man of-war, we have TO ship from ten to
twelve foreign to one American sailor. we
refer, in confederation of this fact, to the Re
port of Mr. Reade, as Chairman OF the Naval
Committee in Congress, where the startling
fact is disclosed, that out Of 100000 sean'en
sailing from the United States, about 5000
were American, or about one in twelve. Here
then we have our stock of seamen, say 5000,
for the whole commercial and-naval marine
of the United States, our coastlng trade and
the fishcries-the steamboats, which are null
|tiplVing upon our waters and the various ana
diversified descriptions of craft for which sea-
men are Indispensable
| Natural causes are also operating against
the formation of American seamen. Our
large and uncultivatcd national domain, the
low price ut which land can be purchased,
the high rates of wages, and the comparative
ease with which life can be supported on
shore offer tothe industrious and cnterprsIng
. certainty of success, without exposing them
selves to the uncertainties and hardships OF a
sea -farno life and without some extraordl-
nary means to procure supply OF seanen,
the conclusion is irresistible, that either our
commercial or naval marine must be suspen-
|ded. AS it is in various parts OF the Union,
|seatnen are so scarce, that enormous wages
have to be paid, and even in New York, the
Commercial Emporium of the J.lited States,
where seamen most do congres cate, our pack
ct ships are frequently detained for want OF
men,
The only remedy lies in a naval school as
a nursery for scamen and in proportion as it
is intellicently and energetically carried out,
will our national wants be supplied. There
is already something like two thousand boys
in our naval schools, and the reports of the
various commanders of our national vessels
who have them in charge are most encourag-
ing The Secretary ofthe Navy has evlnced
a deep and patriotic interest in the success OF
the plan, and to his intelligence and grasp of
mind in carrying ont the details SO far as ne
llttS JCCI ttttlol iACN ny iee"3 ~ VIZ AANN-
tlebted for the present promising state OF the
naval school A great deal has been dome
but that which has been accomplished has
only shown the extent TO which the plan is
susceptible Of being carried, and the great ad-
vantage which would accrue to the service by
having competent persons to visit the various
naval depots, and to see that in each of the
States the quota Of boys was contributed,
which could not only be done without injury,
but o!lentmcs with advantage. III the State
of New York, for instance, five thousand boys
could be spared for the naval service; and by
drawing from all the States in proportion to
their populations and III few years we would
have an infusion of something like fifty thou
sand native American seamen, and IN process
of time the proportion of foreign seamen
would be so small as to be unlmportant to our
national pride or rulicy. But lis the matter at
present stands, should we find ourselves again
| involved in war with Great Britain, and I'M
der the necessity Of sending our ships-ot-war
.xlrxI t,,rAA