The New York herald., 1850-04-29
Punishm In the Navy.

Of our country, that the man who wishes to get his
name into the public prints, has only to stand on
the corner of st. PauPs, and shout, "Wo wo
TO man." He will soon gather around him
crowd of idle persons, who, without asking,
without caring, what may be his character, or
what his object, will cape upon him with
of the crowd will indulge in vague surmises as TO
the clamor, and attribute it 10 causes as varied as
the dispositions and characters of those assembled.
Scme will suppose the shouter religious enthu-
siast, others will call him madman, while others
again will suspect him of being the stool-pigeOn of
pickpockets. So easy then, is it to collect crowd,
and attract some attention, that 1t Is hardly neces-
sary for the man who is thus emuous OF being
gazed upon, TO advance subject Of any importance,
and, from the little attention given to truth by some
of the seekers of notoriety one woAd suppose that
an entirely unnecessary ingredient in the subject
matter they choose to discuss.
have been led into the above train OF thought
by notice of the proceedings of one or two meet
ings, recently held in New York. for the avowed
purpose Of discussing the propriey OF naval punish
ment but where not one solitary argument was ad-
duced in support of the principles osensby advo-
Gated by the persons calling the meeting say
ostensibly, for the sole object of the persons who
addressed 'he meeting seems to have been Tree
indulgence in vituperating the navy-as naval
"cruelty," naval "aristocracy,' naval "despot-
ism," naval secrecy" and all sorts Of absurdies
Were proclaimed. The use OF blllingsgate slang
comes naturally TO some persons, and we must
not complain, nor be surprised at their enjoying
such pleasures, nor must We wonder that their
tongues run so fast as to outsrip truth as well
decency. Erroneous assertions thus publicly
made, may, if uncontradicted, mislead those to
when the navy il Z" sealed book" and convey to
thsr minds the idea that ships of war are float
ing hes, and our naval officers savages OF the most
baIbarous character.
Ii must be obvious TO the most careless reader of
the proceedings of the meeting, that some of its
speakers were influenced by hostility 10 the navy,
rather than by any care for the comfort or
respectability of the sailor; for il abolishing
coIporeal punishment were the object in view,
why is il necessary TO slander the navy by
Wholesale, or make atrocous charges, which can,
in no case, be sustained There is no such thing
as secrecy" in the routine OF a man-ofwar Those
who know that the crews Of our national ships con-
sist OF from one hundred 10 five and eight hundred
men, and know, too, that not only is all punish
mcnt inflicted i'm the presence of the assembled Of
fcers and crew, but record of said punishment is
made in no less than three of the ships books kept
by order, and for the Navy Department, those
who call this ''secrecy" have singuiarly distorted
ideas.
''col" has been exhibited. and exllti,n.--,,;y;
styled AN instrument 0f tyranny, in " direct vio.3.
tion of law" Let tie impartial! searcher Of truth
compare the " cat' and coli" and when inform
ed that the latter had been introduced as subst-
tute for the former, he could not fail 10 commend
the humanity of the officer who, when punishment
has been necessary, has resorted TO the milder in
suument of the "colt."
We are informed that Nelson, Collngwood, and
Drake Il give them in the order arranged by the
spsakeD tried the experiment of governing without
the lash" don't ask for his authorities in making
such an assertion; but our informant might have
continued and shown how utterly unsuccessful the
"expcnment" proved. But as he goes back to the
time of Drake, he has given us piece of valuable
information for that great admiral sailed at "A
time when the English navy had no 'articles of
war;" but all law was vested in the captain. or
general" as Drake was sly led. We learn through
the address made 10 the crew Of the Pelican, by
Thomas Doughty, ON taking command IN lJI1. that
''thc general Dmkc) hath authority from her
highuCss the Queens majesty. to punish at his dts
cIctiun with death or otherwise, offenders; he
hath committed the same authority 10 me where
IN VIII not disappoint hs expectation and credit
hut whosocvcr oficnd,Ih, by Gods body, shall feel
the smart"
Frm the above quotations, literally extracted
from the most authentic sources, Il would secn
that thcrc had been great mistake made with
regpId To brakes experiment" However, We
will suppose h. did make the "cNpcrmcnt;' that
be actually "ucd Ia govern without the hsh."
lie tIial was no,, unfortunate in its results, for
we read of two mutinies IN fleets commanded by
him, the batter of which, IN 1871, was thus spoken
of by Drake himself, IN the sentence pronouncedby
linn al Cadz. " In my judgment. u was a ioue and
unbelievable a mutayne az ever have knownc."
might 20 on, Mr.. Editor. and with as much ease
point out the sad misreprcsen ~ the OF
the others named-the experiment" has indeed
been tried again and again, IN the English and
own navy, hut without success. OF the three
officers Of our navy whose names are mentioned,
! will merely say that the log books Of the vessels
commanded by them. will show how utterly at
variance nave bton tnflr pfactcc anu preaching.
n u, ~ all events. somewhat curious 20 learn that
making parrot Of boy, OF, IN other words, tar
rng and ieaihcring, Is a more humane punishment
than that of the lash. such n sentiment will be
received with much surprise as the choice selec
tion of patterns exhibited to US for imitation.
Now, Mr. Editor, am myself an advocate for
naval reform; but we must proceed IN the work
with extreme caution. The supremacy of the
sras. which. from the time of Queen Elizabeth,
has iccn in the hands of England. NAV, st no dis
tant day, be borne Nv us. oar flag s now un-
fuflcd on every sea. The ocean j., in iis most r.
mote part. adorned by The proud flag Of Ameuca.
=" lCug may u wave, az the emblem oi our happy
and prosperous Union.
Cur commerce j. successfully carried on with All
maritime nations uf the earth. whether civilized or
savage. and perhaps, nom our frequent intercourse
somewhat of the fcrocty attributed To US by the
sclfsiylcd sailors friends. But jcstng aside, we
cannot have commerce without navy. unless, in-
deed. each merchant chip be well manned and
armed. as IN days of yorc. before the navy had its
existence. when our lndiamen were stout ships OF
twenty guns. We cannot. say, have an extended
commerce without protecting navy; nor can We
have an efficient navy without good discipline "
maintained. Now. II some of our phianihropists
viii point ont n means uf enforcing good order and
discipline, without runishing offenders, then, ~
sooih. will they confer mankind n signal benefit
thea NAV We begin TO believe that happy days
uic 90 hand. end the nature ol man changed.
Anoug the various subsiitulesior the lash. some
soy "Contine the refractory" Well, that ~ fre-
Cucnily done. Indeed u J. the general punishment
tor lrsser Ciienccs but these offenders, through
reccssy are frequently set at large: their services
are REQUIRED in woik inr aud taking care of the
8 sIi,--tycry man has his duty 90 do, and the
timing Of enc throws extra work upon his unohcnd-
iua shipmatcs and IN had weather, particularly, the
want ut those who are confined - severely lclt by
the watch en- deck" We must bear in nind. TINT
TO coniine a man On board IT ship, amounts 20
uo,Lng more Than restricting him rom walking
al cut ihc decks. and giving him naught To do bat
cat Al nd slcep. ard cnluy mote comfort Man hie
p,c,l mates "lut a ball and chain ON his lcg."
SAWS src'hcr. What ihcnl Of what VS. will he
LEI Can he 60 alcpl Can ho Pili and haul Can
he vo,L ~ Lis lrnl Can he do nythng, in short.
lut .iuk. ig he isll= oyctoardl No, noi In mercy,
rcptlsm,n. don't give Je.k an extra chance Tor
drtvning. lie nsks enough already.
py he Articles of War. no man can bc togged
wlkcut the order of he captain. This y. IN gene
tai. fic,ni restriction; for there are iew ~ our
csplins wlo at tic pT,sent day intiict puisl meni
uuiil thc day ontr thc oii,rce was committed, ana