The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-10-10
REFORM In THE NAVY.
State, Is

After years Of agitation, and repeated deci-
practice of fogging in the navy, rendered of no
avail however, by the opposing will of the Sen
ate, the popular branch of the Legislature has at
list triumphed. the Senate has yielded and it is
now no longer lawful to use the scourge in either
our naval or mercantile marine. The cato nine
tails is forbidden, and masters or captains of YES
sells must find some better mode Of enforcing dis
cipline than by the terrors Of the lash.
We are told that this act of Congress has
awakened profound apprehension in the minds of
many officers. They predict, as its consequences,
insubordination, mutiny anarchy. This is all
natural if not reasonable. They have been
trained from the time they put foot on shipboard
to regard the infiction of corporal punishment,
or the dread of it, as the most powerful incentive
to obedience, absolutely necessary to the mainte-
nance of authority in circumstances where neglect
or delay Of obedience to its mandates may cost
thousands of lives. Some commanders, they adj
nit, possess the art of governing to such an ex-
tent, that recourse to the lash may not be re-
auired There is an irresistible power in their
word and look that EFFORTS instant and complete
obedience. But there are others, they say, who
can govern only by palpable exhibition of brute
force their mandate becomes potential only
through the terrors of their crew To forbid
them to use the lash, is to place them at the mer
cy of their hands, and to invite violence and mu-
tiny.
But, it is too late now to speculate about it.
The Congress of the United States acting in
obedience to a strong Popular Sentiment, has re-
solved that the experiment shall be made, wheth-
er it be not possible to sail our vessels and main
tain discipline on board, without treating men as
brutes-whcther it be not possible to maintain
navy without resort to the barbarous usage of
the cato nine-tails.
We can easily understand how the experiment
may be made to work badly. If the Secretary of
the Navy should withhold his sympathy from
this reform, and do nothing to promote its sue.
cessful working, to remedy incidental evils at
tending it, to suggest regulations calculated to
supply the suppression of what has so long been
relied upon as the most potent of disciplinary in
strumentalities if commanders of vessels should
evince distrust of their authority, or timidity,
or, in despair of maintaining discipline neglect its
enforcement by all the appliances still left within
their power-we may expect to hear deplorable
accounts of the consequences resulting from the
"iI,judged philanthropy" of Congress, and strong
memorials in fivor o. resGTG "a .SsS r4a mode of
punishment.
But, we hope the Secretary of the Navy will
exert his energies to the utmost for the purpose
of giving the experiment fair chance. Let him
revise the present regulations for the government
of the navy, so as to conform them to the new or
der Of things and apprize the officers of his in
tention to enforce the will of Congress.
Mr. Davis of Mississippi, when the subject
was before the Senate, admitted that the reform
was one demanded by Popular Scntiment-he
apprehended evil consequences, but was disposed
to yield gracefully to the demands Of the People
and he added, sensibly enough, that, so far, the
system of punishments had been relied upon for
maintaining discipline, but, now, he knew not
what substitute to suggest, except system of re-
wards.
We rereat. this was a sensible remark Sail
ors are men They have conscience, sef-respect,
patriotism, professional pride, the instinct of
self.preservation, desire to better their cOndi-
ton. In governing them by terror, all these feel
ings are liable to be disregarded, trampled upon,
extinguished; what wonder that they should
sometimes become 80 degraded and insensibe as
to respond to no stimulus but that Of the lash y
Now, II this reign Of terror is to be abolished,
the reign Of common sense must be substituted
At present, marines receive 81 month, and sea-
men from ten to twelve. Raise their wages, SO as
to make the service an object Of desire to respect
able American citizens, and dismissal from it a
penalty to be guarded against. The result would
be, that we'll behaved, steady citizens would take