The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-05-13

sat down to most sumptuOus entertainment, at
which the MAYOR, CoUNens, and other public
authorities were present, and every thing passed
off with the best spirit possible.
sailor named DOUGLAS, who is described
in the papers as "good- looking young man."
was found guilty of mutiny and murder last
week in the United States district court in the
city of New York; two other sailors were in
dicted for the same crime at the same time.
The mutiny occurred on board the American
ship Glenn, last September, on her passage
home to New York from Valparaiso. The OBJ
ject of the mutineers. appears to have been plum
der, and the murder was committed on the per-
son Of the second mate of the ship, who re-
sisted their attempts. BY the activity and
courage Of the captain and mate, the ship was
saved, and the mutineers secured. There were
no unusual circumstances attending the mu-
tiny excepting that the mutineers were all three
young amen; DOUGLAS, the leader, being but
twenty-three, and apparently an inoffensive
sort of person. The ship was known to have
thirty thousand dollars in specie, on freight,
and the motives of the mutineers was, doubt
less, to get possession of this money. II is not
SO much matter of establishment that mu-
tiny like this should occur, as that such at
tempts should not be frequent, when the temp
tations to the cupidity of ignorant and vicious
men, and the circumstances attending the en-
plOyment of seamen, are considered. The
manner of shipping crews in all our large sea
ports is in strong contrast to that Of employing
operatives in all other kinds of business. No
body ever thinks Of hiring journeyman, or
servant of any kind, without requiring some
kind of certificate or testimonial Of character
and capacity; but in shipping seamen nothing
Of the kind is required;- and it often happens
that the captain of a vessel and his officers
never see the men who are to work the
ship, and to whose faithfulness and ability
they must look for the prosperous termina-
ton of the voyage, until the sails are set. the
pilot discharged, and the vessel fairly out to
sea. Then the crew are all summoned on deck;
they are asked their names; the two mates al
ternately choose the likeliest looking for their
watches; and not until the next day do the Off
GERS have an opportunity of knowing what sort
of raw materials they have got to depend upon.
The law requires that majority of the crew
shall be citizens, but it very rarely happens
that. the law is obeyed in this particular; in
deed, we have been told by old sea captains Of
the merchant service that it not unfrequently
happens that, out of crew of twenty sailors,
there is not one American, either native or nat
uralized. But they generally have ''protec-
tions," or certificates of citizenship, which are
strangely at variance with the apparent nativ-
ity of the bearer. For instance, an unmistak-
able Swede, with high cheek bones, red hair,
and broken speech, will pass by the name of
Smith, and claim to have been born in Boston;
will have protection certifying to his being
native Of Virginia. These little discrepancies
are easily accounted for; as projections" must
be shown where there is any doubt Of citizen
ship, they are bought and sold among sailors
with as little hesitation as though they were
jackknives or plugs Of tobacco; and, when the
personal descriptions are tolerably exact, the
name never stands in the way, for it is very
easy thing for Pat. O'Bren to call himself Jack
Smith, when necessary. In the naval service
great caution is used in enlisting men to
ascertain their qualifications in regard to
health and seamanship; but, in the mer-
chant service, the shipping officer and
the "crimp" are the only examiners of the
men employed to do the work on board Of our
freighting and passenger ships. They may be
capable and honest, or they may not; and the
very rare occurrence Of mutiny at sea, and
the still more unfrequent instances of disaster
from the inefficiency of crews, are certainly
strong evidences of the general good character
| of our merchant seamen. But as mutinies do
sometimes occur, and as valuable ships have
been wrecked, and lives lost from the ineffi-
cheney of sailors, it is incumbent upon our law
makers to protect by wholesome restrictions the
property and lives Of our citizens from accidents
arising from the carelessness Of ship masters
and owners in shipping the crews Of their yes
sels II is fortunate for our mercantile navy
that their crews are mainly composed Of men
who have been Injured to hard fare, harsh treat
ment, low pay, and a strict discipline. The ma
jority of our merchant seamen are natives Of
the north Of Europe; men who have been ac-
customed to Norwegian storm, small pay, and
low fare, find themselves in too comfortable
quarters on board Of our fine ships to dream Of
mutiny. When mutinies have occurred on
board our ships, the ringleaders have either
been natives Of the south Of Europe, or native