The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-06-15
From the Neic Haoen Journal and Courier, Jsne IL.
Floggtng I'm the Navy.

/
To all representations of the cruelty and intrin-
sic injustice OF the summary punishment of the
gangway, the ready answer is: at can't be abol-
lshed Sailors as class, are turbulent that the
lash is the only thing which will keep them i'm sub
| ordination" Yet Rear Admiral Collingwood gov
erned his crew OF vagabonds from the huks and the
ais, and the sweepings OF the back slums of Ports
| mouth and Gosport, without infiicting blow. So
did Cromwell's brave Admiral Blake So, indeed,
did Stockton, when Commodore Of the American
California fleet during the Mexican war. And if
men OF their character can maintain order in an
entire fleet without the Of the cat il surely is
not too much TO ask that the law shall make i'm
pcrativc on all what the voluntary humanity of
their natures dictated TO these commanders. Is II
lawful TO scourge n Roman, being uncondemned?
once asked the indignant father Of christian elo-
quence; and now, nineteen centuries later, among
| a people Boosting a than Roman freedom,
| and in a republic which looks with pity on the i'm
perfect knowledge OF the rights of man possessed
by the republics OF old, the answer must be- "Yes,
II Is right to scourge an American freeman, and to
| mark him with such wales and stripes he shall
carry TO his grave and with which he shall rice at
| the last day"
The mean injustice, in nation that PROCESSES TO
govern its entire Legislation by the principle of the
equality of all before the law, of forming code for
| the men before the mast with penalty different
from that for the officers the quarter deck, lie
| evident to all who will honestly look at IL. What
would be thought of the State of Connecticut en-
acting a law 10 punish class Of offences in Jour
ncymen and day aborers with stripes, and
expressly excepting lawyers, doctors and
| chants from the inhictionY A perfect whirlwind
of popular Indignation would crush under a com
| mon and burning indignation the authors, the de-
tenders, and the exccutioners of such outrage
Gus enactment. And yet this is the law under
which our lads-with rather too much of the white
horse IN their composition-our young men,
brought up, IL may be, side by side with the Off
GERS over thcm-and our old tars, whose wives aud
children may be in our midst, and whom a froie
or paternal hope OF Inending their morals may
have sent into the navy-rnay be hauled up to sui
fer the indclible disgrace Of such treatment IL
proper only Tor ours and mules. IL logging Is
good and necessary for offenders before The mast,
II - Just as good for those abaft it-and, in the
name of fairness and Justice in accordance with
all those principles OF equity between and
nIan-which are the boast of free born Yankees
let this wretchcd baseness Of class legislation for
ever be expungcd from the statute book Of free
men.
II is not in this country Il Ia in the arstocraiic
countries Of Europe, where the navy lie filed with
the younger sons of the nobility and gentry. Here
John Tins the ioiner nsy ccntriye 10 ret r,ddy's
warrant for his young hopeful, John jr., Che
youngstcr may rise to the command OF n fleet
while his school-mate, the son Of shoemaker, may
ship before the mast, and be liable 20 indig-
mites than the high bred English officer would
think OF infcting the chaw- bacons in bis fore
castle OF all tyranny, the tyranny OF low vulgar
upstart Is the greatest and until naval service
placed under the great democratic law Of equality
recognising the eligibility OF all for command at
sea--howevcr humble their present station, even
the humblest aborcr on land Is eligible TO the high.
est office Of Statet will be impossible 10 make our
of what they should be, the perfect exam
pie Of merit triumphing over influence and station.
Whenever such reform shall be made, and il be.
comes understood that signal ability will advance
seaman to the quarter deck in the naval as readily
in the packet ship service, when the Is for
wrenched from the hand Of the gentry on ship
board, we shall have naval service of which we
may we'll be proud
IL is notorious that many Of our finest young fel.
lows ON the Connecticut scaboard ship before the
mast In order TO become captains. How would
our American navy be filed, not with Danes and
Dutchmen, ragged Pat and red. headed Sawney.
but with our nobest young men, could ability, IN
tclligcnce, and good conduct merit its proper
ward, in transferring them from the humility Of
wastcrs and swabbers 10 the dignity Of the double
epaulette aud the gentlcmanly associations Of the
ward. room. Until this IL made practicable, our
navy may be called American, but Il IL not Never
yet has the first principle Of genuine democracy
penetrated tho thoroughly aristocratc being OF this
arm of the national defence We hope the day il
not distant when our navy may become American
lied; when will cease TO be treated AZ brutcs,
and when all lie offices of honor and profit shall be
a open to distinguished ability as are the highest
of our official stations ON land. Let the authority
Of law be substituted for the will opinion Of ndf
viduas, and when punishment is deserved let il be
administered in such way shall not utterly dc
stroy the last vestige Of cf.respect and the first
step will be taken IN making navy what il
should be-a true and genuine American navy.