Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-06-28


the indiscrmnaie and frequent application Of the cat til
less frequent Of which would embrace the effect of tha
mode OF punishment, by the increased importance which
consequently be attached to it, Should abuses of hi
discretion proper and wholesome exsmpl
of the offenders would ec.ualy check it. Every inteleep
officer would devise and apply humane and milde
punishment to the generality of offences and by closer OBJ
servaon Of the character and the pecuaes Of those
hitting Offences be will be better enabled to adapt his pun
hments to the Of the offence, and such sensb.es
he may find in accused to work upon with the least effect
And if at any time there should be found amongst his crew
who is equally nsensbe oil modes Of punishment anf
who will render himself amenable order or discipline
and there may be such amongst large Masses let the
commander have the authority to discharge him from the ser
vice any proper time and place. provided his offences have
not been of grave character require the Intervention
of court martial. have frequently, in the course Of my
service gone behind the law, and varied my modes of
shmen with highly beneficial results where the lash
had been used in van have succeeded in producing whole
some reformation by means OF trifing punishment That
cruelty and oppression have occud in the service OF 6y
years standing may readily be conceived but we NAV search
examples have been made Of such offenders at all events
there are none within my recollection.
On shore, under civil Jurisprudence, where much
greater field for number and variety of punshments can be
resoted to, there exists great difficulty in finding them
mensuate and appropriate to the many offences committed
against society and, after the innumeabe penalties for
crimes which have been resor:ed to from time mmemora
the public mind to have settled down upon those Of i'm
men bu, Of these applicable shpboard and even
they, they could be inflicted without injury OF great
disadvantage to the duties and the public service
Should the present Of controlling their commands be
taken from your officers and adequate substitute be found
may be asked how will be possible enforce the obga-
ton Of all placed under their commandl No will exist
by law Resort will finally be had side-arms for personal
protection in their efforts to perform their duty murder will
ensue, muny and death to the saio and halter for the
officers. What then becomes of humany ?" The pecu-
arly isolated condition of ship Of them off from
aid assistance from the authorities shore and
disposition to interfere from that quarter when in port
shown, the compact and irresistible power Of her internal
force would place defiance such interference and where
this Inadequate the locomotive qualities Of their vessel
would enable her to glide from the attempt. Sailors are
aware Of its necessity and volunteer to encounter it.
To your last question, Can the spiraon be dispensed
with, and if so what substitute will answer in its stead J"
As have been Of those who believed that the
spirit part of the ration authorized by law be issued
the of inoxcaiion in ships unaided BIZ other
means, Lcannot conceive that its reduction half
of the former allowance produces that effect neither does
from the record of punishments furnished the Depart
en to have been arrested in any measure under the reduc
ton has undergone while at the time it has given
rise to punishment through the propensity to smugge
board Of vessels the strong desire have
it. II therefore appears to me that the further reduction will
only increase that desire, and augment the efforts procure It
candesnely; hence, it will be struggled in larger quan
ties than issued, drunkenness will be increased To
those who do not comprehend the character Of Sailors this
may appear paradoxca but to those who do know, when
influenced by their strong popenses for and tobacco
it will be "clear and indisputabe"
In the earlier stages Of navy efforts made to abo
h the praon by substituting porter and beer in casks
but was found not to answer and drunkenness still
Cured Some Of the refused the substitute altogether In
the hot ATTITUDES emened and burst the casks go. stale
and sometimes 1t could not be procured all places
resorted to for supplies and found nconvenent take
in the requisite quantity because Of the great space required
and which would sometimes exclude important stores
n.o1I~ L..
Since that period believe substitute has scarcely been
thought Of and perhaps could be found calculated to
satisfy the ships company. as n
AT this late period Of naval history would be difficult 10
discover the origin Of the introduction Of spirits compo-
part of the ration into the navies Of Europe it seems
they always bad and still have such allowance II is
however, varied in kind to suit the habits of those Of
their own seamsn and the policy Of the respective Govern
ments who allow its use, in rendering it subsevient to the
various products Of their country colonies England fur
nhed from its West India colonies Holland furnished
GIN France issues day nc and the brandy alter
natey, Sweden and Denmark from their colonies &C.
All persons who have been much at Of the
mpossibity of keeping up supply Of good pure water
Sometimes is bracksh at others ropy and pud, and Of
enimes from long confinement in close vessels it is found
in state Of decomposition, and any fixed air it originally
contained wholly separated and expelled In the hot attudes
becomes in heated holds ofvesselsso that the stomach
will almost reject it and in the higher laudes cold and
chilling the northers thus the almost daily varying Of
cruising ships positions brings with it like variance in the
water and from those circumstances oentmes deprves the
water Of its refreshing qualities This may have originated
the issue Of the spirit ration in vessels Of war; means Of
ameoang this essential article of life amongst those who 60
down TO the in great ships. know that in addition
om experence) to be sometimes absolutely essential to the
sustaining the energies Of the men, when great efforts
be made under emergencies sustain them from sinking
entirely after great physical e1eon Influenced excessive
excitement. "
If therefore, any form an essential to sailors
comforts, (of which he has few Why then should
the very many be deprived Of IT, because two three per
cent OF the whole number will, when opportunity offers,
abuse themselves and their service through nodnate
oftt This would seem like furnishing the many good
for the faults of the few Besides when reasonable guam
y Is furnished, the dread Of losing that for part the
whole OF cruise aids materially in checking habits Of drum
kenness on shpboard, and long restraint to quantity only
which will comfort and not intoxcate apprehend will do
more for reasonable reformation than the sudden deprivation
and entire Introduction Of the period of cruise for Jack
when again Tree, and return TO former indugencie
more likely plunge headong into greater than
INDUCED in under former habits from the very excess Of
to which he had been reduced during his cruise The
authority to the commanders TO withhold the spiration for
part or the whole OF cruise from those who will by other
become reckesy drunken will be better restraint Of
such offences than punishment with the lash this and con-
nement in irons until twenty four hours after sobeness is
restored, ought to be generally the only punishment for
inebrety. "
The foregoing observations induced in reply to
your several questions from experience Of nearly sixty
years service and in all that time it does not appear to
that the characters Of those who follow the mate
rally varied those Of native seamen of which all the Eastern
composed their habits and character most gene
rally that Of industrious sober, and enterpng men
those OF the Middle and Southern States made up
foreigners especially Scotch, English, and Irish their pro
penses irregular, and require strcter discipline
keep them in any reasonable order and when kept
/ H. -4al,n l.c-1 u. Il