New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-01-26
Reform In the Navy.

We trust recent occurrences have aided to arouse
the public mind to the necessity OF Radical Re-
form in our Maya Reform which shall strip that
arm Of the Public Service Of some of its revolving
ly aristocratic features and assimilate it in some
slight degree to the genius of our Free lnstitu'
lions. Now it stands out in glazing contrast TO
every Republican maxim-to every idea of HUI
man Equality or Human Rights. The Officers
and the Men constitute two distinct casses-dis
tinct in their source; distinct throughout, and tie
the last, without possibility of commixture. The
Officer first steps on board National vessel Mid.
shipman, bearing warrant from the Government
Ia warrant for tyranny over and abuse OF the
helpless slaves of this anocious system. he ha'
no experience, a boys Judgement, passions and
caprices; he is usually the son of some rich OF
eminent man, and has served full apprenticeship
to doing nothing or doing mischief he is often put
into the Navy because his temper is ungovernable
OF his vices disgraceful, that the prison yawns
for him: and yet this beardless youth, who as yet
knows nothing and is good for nothing in the SER
vice, from the moment no steps on board ship is
the superior Of the oldest and abest in the
Navy, who has given the vigor OF his frame to
his Country; he is paid more amply and fed and
lodged wore dantily than this veteran; and ht
very soon learns TO curse and beat him for neglecl
of duty and incidence said insolence consisting
of wagsish roll Of the eye when the green midd!
gives an order ewkwardly betrays his ute,
ignorance OF the ways of salt water. And so the
service goes on, the officers looking down on the
men as an Inferior order of beings, holding no in
tercourse with them, and even suspectlng OF som.
evil design any Of their number who treats mere
sailors as human beating, whipping and whaling
the crew like dogs on the most frivolous grounds,
until all se-respect, all natural feeling and sense
of right and wrong beaten out of them. and the!
become the brutes they have so long been taken for
Among such degraded, crushed, yet still srsartne
and indignant wrecks of Humanity, is it wonder
that schemes Of mutiny, piracy ard murder should
tester and explode. the disgrace OF our flag, ane
the horrer of our People
The fundamental evil here is not in any man.
but in the abominable system of which the recruit
ing of officers and men in two distinct classes Is
the origin. The officer is by the very constitution
of the Service made despot; the sailor slave
All this should be utterly broken up, and the mid
shipmen chosea from the Seamen and Apprentices
ing to every constant and tractable seaman good
education. Then the officers would know how
their men should be treated, their attachments
would command respect, and the Seanen would
have .palpable inducements to good conduct more
efectual than all the colts and cats in the Uni
verse.
1t is of little use for Congress to make laws de-
claring that officers shall not parish except under
great provocations, and then very moderately
this may be good law at Washington. yet answer
very little purpose III the Indian Ocean or Pacific
The first thing to be done is to break up the mo-
nopoly of sices by the most unfit and unworthy
next, to prokijit atterly all eorporedl pnaish
s,ents in tie Nary. They worth nothing
where force is needed they are worse than moth
Ing in other cases. mutineer must De cut down ;
wilful dsobeyer of orders should be put in irons
while nise-tenths of the offences for which whip
ping is administered in the Navy were far better
left unsunished Let the officers but consistently
act SO as to deserve the respect and love OF their
seamen, and they would save the cordage now
worn GU, on the lacera,ed backs Of our sailors fof
nobler and better uses.
We rejoice to hear that very few good seamen
will now ship in the Navy, which, though reduced
TO aecep, the very dregs OF our great Cities, is still
but half manned. and ships ordered to service on
distant stations unable to sail for want of men
This shows that the evil is slowly working out its
remedy. The good work will go on until either
the cat or the sailor viii disappear altogether from
the Navy. We wish j, might be fastened by meet.
ingsc of Seamen in every Port, to form solemn CON-
pacts no, to in the Navy till the monopoly of
promotion and the instruments of brutality shall
both be bsnished from i, altogether.
Mr.. OspgS.-Feur respectable physicians in
New.orleans have published card, stating tina,
thew havr examined the body OF the late Mr.. Os.
dem. found in the Canal, and are convinced that
he did NO, die from drowning; FIRST, because the
external appearance of the body presented none OF
The usual signs of asphyxia from drowning; sec
opd because the internal organs were In such
condition as TO leave no shadow Of doubt on their
minds thar Mr. Ogden never attempted to breathe
under water. 1t is now generally ,hoght in New
Orleans that he was murdered.