New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-01-14
voL. III. no. 23s.
The seueYs.

Wv - 'NN'N
from r. II. DANA Jr., Esq, of Boston, to a friend,
giving an account OF his visit TO The Naval Court
of Inquiry, and to The Brig Soners, on which the
late tragedy which has SO ugitatcd the public mind
was enacted. We have not room FOR the whole
letter. but the following passage concerning the
dimensions of the Brig and the facilities for effect
ng rnutlny IS worthy of attention, coming as it
does irem one familiar with the sea and by no
means disposed from his experience AMI position,
to favor despotic tyranny on board ship.
:" From the t5ort Caroline went 10 the Som
ers and here mus; SAL ,hat ough; to
form an opinion upon tao issue of this conspiracy
without first secing the Somer.. You have been
on board a man-of-war, and YOU have, doubtless
Gas find others nave, formed your notion OF the
state of things in the Sonsrs, by what YOU have
seen before In the ships Of the line frigates. or
sloops OF war which you have visited, there 10
great appearance Of protection, defeDre and i'm
posing authority connected with tie after end Of
he ship. There is a poop deck, cabin built
above the main deck, with doors and windows
looking forward, marine with bayonet and load
cd musket a, the door, another at the gansway,
snd others guard at "ario1s PARTS OF the ship,
clear, roomy decks, plenty OF officers aboct, and
the quarters of officer, furnished with arms and
well guarded. But you must make revolution
u all your ideas upon these particulars, to judge
Of the Somers. You would hardly believe your
eyes if you were here to see, as the scene of this
dreadful conspiracy, little brig with low bui-
wark 3. a single narrow deck, flush fore and aft,
and nothing TO mark the officers quarters bu.
long trunk house, or companion, raised few feet
rom the deck, TO let light and air in below, such
you may have seen in cur smaller packets which
ply along the sea board. You feel as thong II half
dozen resoutc conspiators could have swept the
decks, and thrown overheard uli that opposed
them before aid could come from below.
And in coming on deck( which seemed tom more
fearful tkan any thing else in the officers condi-
tloa) the officers would have TO come up the steps
and through the small companion scu,tles, at which
couple OF men could easily have cut than down,
or shot them as they appeared. The officers quar-
EZRA and the cabin are on the same floor with the
berth deck OF the crew, separated only by bulk
ucads aud there was not a marine on board TO keep
suard at the doors, in the gaagwass; or over the
,plril room, powder magazine, or arlnor chest All
tilcsc places and Others of hardly Inferior impor.
lance, have be guarded by the officers themselves,
entrusted to such of The petty officers and men
IS they could place confidence ia. We were not
permitted to go below, but could easily believe
hat, allowing sufficient between decks for the &C
commodation Of the officers and men, the hold
might be so occupied by Stores ammunition, bal
iast and the neccssaries of ship Of war in actual
service, as To leave place where halt a dozen
cunspirators could be safely confined, apart from
the crew, even if retaining them on board at all
had been possible la short, one, at all acquaint
I'd with nautical matters, can see the Soiners
without being made feelingIy aware Of the defence
- IS, Fov, ,fE~ Gpa "a
crew of ninety persons a whom some were knownto
be conspiratols, while of the rest they hardly knew
upon whom to rely for active and efficient aid in
time of danger.
"Wi,h u.s. in Boston, | have heard but orin-
ion but in New-foik there have been some mis-
and misconstructions. as | think.
You will not suspect mo OF inchning in favor OF a
despotc use of power sea; yet, assure YOU that,
having seen the Somers, ard felt the defcnceiess
situation of the officers; knowing that besides
Mackenzie there was but one commissioned eihcer
on board and that of the warrant officers, the
elder are but young men, and the younger but lads
knowing that there narlaes on board. ana
that some of the forward officers, upon when
great reliance is usually and somewhat necessarily
placed, were implicated in the conspiracy; that
there was no chance for escape, nor OF aid from
abroad, nor in conccs sous; and that the guilty
persons, whether arrested or free, whether dscov-
cred or secret, would naturally make desperate
effort before reaching the land; and remembering
the public daty the officers had to perform IA s.>e
the lives Of those committed TO their chargr and
10 preven, at I'll hazard the of these hostes
humani gcneris;-I am willing to believe That
we shall oil finally be satisfied that the execution
was an act of solemn necessity. We look tor the
remainder of the evidence with anxious interest.
M ANTED-A situation in private
w family. by an excellent PLAZA cook washer, &c
(;osd references Apply nj 30 MUlheiry.st. IIS3t'