The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-05-25
The Lors or the steambost Empire.
Adjutant General.

Tho investigations, before the coroner's jury, ut
Fishkill It will be perceived still continued but
i is expected that they will be brought to close to-
day. The examination seems TO be thorough and
minute readers will see in looking at the
port of portion Of II which we publish in this paper
What the return Of the jury will be- or whether IL
which va will moi anticipate Ill., however, we
must say here that hope no hesitation will be felt
in measuring out 10 those who are responsible for
the accident the full degree Of blame ,s, which they
desire 10 sce any individuals held up TO public CEN
sure; not from any feeling that fault attended with
such gricvous consequences should meet with Its
Just retribntion but simply because we believe that
lies the only safety Of tho public. Tenderness 10
single individual will be cruelty 10 thousands. There
is no solcitude for the preservation Of human life
which can be too great the part Of those who
igate tho steamers while carrying many thousands
to and fro on our great advertisements, the con
srucon of which Is as fail as their speed Is extra
ordinary-and they should be made to know that any
rashness on their part or relaxation Of prudent and
perpetual vigilance, II attended with fatal conse-
quences, involves something of the guilt and the In
famythe term, we believe, is not too strongof
homicide.
Those who, by nm act of rashncss for natiention,
have occasioned the loss Of life 10 their feow-crea
lures will, of course unless they extremely de-
PRAYED, suffer deeply from sef-reproach, and from
sure. This should make no difference, however In
the judgment we are 10 pass upon their conduct
We must make tho most Of the case, as warning
against rashness and inaitenton in future Those
who persisted In the wreck of the Empire, persisted
In vnin ftheir fate should not have the effect of ma
king the navigation Of the river In steamers safer
hereafter. To seek plausible grounds of excuse for
the act of negligence or fool-hardiness of which
they were the victims, is almost the same thing as TO
invite its repetition.
We would 60 farther titan this we would hold the
owners Of the steamboats, 10 the strctest RESPONSE
bility for the characters Of the men whom they
ploy They take care ofcourse to employ men who
are skllfnl and enterprising as navigators,
whose agency they depend to increase their pro-
fits. We would obligc them also 10 employ men of
the most circumspect humanity; men who are ten
der Of humun life; and we would hold out to them
the strongest induccmcnt TO do this--ihat Of aveng-
Ing public reproach Ii tho censurc goes no farther
than the plot who perhaps but obey ed the instinct
Of too enterprlsing character, the proprieors may
Ill his place with another of the same temperament
There has been some complaint Of the hardness
with which the preparations have been made for rails
ing the Empire and exploring her cabins. Many
families having conceived tho fate Of their friends
are waiting with intense Impotence for the dsco-
which yet 10 DO made, when the interior Of
the steamer can be entered. The reasons for this
delay ought to be satisfactorily stated and IT, as IL
said, the preparations for raising the Empire could
not be completed earlier, II ought also to be made
clear TINT II could not be partially raised, so as
to allow the interior 10 be explored and end TO be
put to the painful uncertainty Of those whose friends
are missng.--N y. Evening Post.