New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-01-08
First so>ie,.
xxxns CONCBEss-


cans hica wsS referee 10 me CJhinl.!ee Gu PJg
e,gn Relations
Mr. suMSgs presented petitions fr,m Boston pr,,.
irg hat the charges nerctD eS1bt)rsutat
Words Far be pad ~ .Ae Ua.tsi S.a'e,
Mesgs WAbE ana BRoDHsAD pJeSsa.ei TIE M.
uo,ials Of persons whose csins sere rejected By
the lsse Bosrc Of CLAIMS AGAINST Mexico, astiasf,,
TIE es'Aslshmcni OF res Board.
Ny Ft,R piestntec the resolutions o. iae GoVsrs.
nert Of Nc~.l ORR CITY, tenterns 6 Ias uai.ei
states lot u ground IA IlSi li'y ga which 10 eret
a Mint Re eried 70 the Finance Committee
OsLsr petitions. flenloiiais Sc. ~ers presented
Nj GNiN moved tat me peNOn praYiog gr
tie restoration % dcgsns m the Navy Dc taxa
from toe table onc referred.
W SrocKroN SAID the sab &C, OF this mem)nai. IA
ny Judgment. i equal Ia Importance 10 soT shisA
will rAely occupy lh9 attention OF COasress. IL VA
thert fors ssktd when mrs. pTesen,e :, thr nigh
he over The me Moral upon the table, presented
for the cor sheraton OF the sena g, Is nothing es
thin The whole ipundai on of our naTal structure,
ire human material by which your ships are worked
ARD lousht, your guns leyecd, and their thuaisu
pointed n our Toes. Good SHIPS vel BUN, vel
rgeed anc fully equipped, are masnlhrent ana per.
fpct specimens of human science and an Out "a.
less they are manned by good men they Will snl
only 10 become prizes 10 your enemies. IL you %
not cesre To build ships for your enemies, you mtR
eiye them crews worthy to defend them' ne du
ference between sailors IS as great as the dldereas
between other classes OF different nations Ihereu
as much difference between American saliefs Ia GU
whaling and coastng service and sailors OF oshefat
tons a. there Is between the raw European en-
iarant ard the sturdy OF one OF our froaset PIE
neerS. -, .
is building his log house, inclOsiag MS cernaea,
and uaAirg himself an lndepCnceni and use!a
man am ~ opinion thar the nation whose set.
vice is supplied with the best common sailors "ia
excel IN naval warfare, as well as III All malilue
pursuits am further OF opinion that IN senslol.
ity education, courage aud industry, our sailors IA
whaling and cossiing service excel those OF al
ether nations. | am furthermore OF oplnOn ta1
the superiority OF the American sailors has test
ced the battle in our favor IN many bloody GA.
lct, ahen without tina, superiority II might have
been otherwise. | desire 10 secure and preserve
that syperioritv. To tina. end. and for humaniys
sake | am utterly and irrcconciiably opposed 20 the
use of the lash IN the navy OF anywhere else.
The longest ard most artuOus voyages are made
in the merchant service without the use Of the LASH
IN the Polar Seas, among the iceoeres OF the Ate
tlc and Antarctic Oceans, The intrepid New lag
lander puIsuCs bis gigantic game and hurls his har
poCn. and after = thIce years voyage returns VIA
The oily spClis OF his adventurous naVig auon But
he owes more Of his success his patient endurance
his exemplary discipline and indetailgable industry
10 the guardian miniSiraiicn OF the lash To say
that men who can make such VOYAGES and endure
such hard ships chee,iuly ard COntenicdly cannN
nayIsate their own national ships wllhou, the H.
fiction Of the infamous lash, Is a libel Is their ma
tule changed the moment they step on The Geek ola
national vessel Ale they less men less Amen
cans as soon as the custody of the American nag on
the national honor is ini!usted 10 their keeping No
Sir, Is a libel.
| do not mean 10 use the word IN olensU
10 is one OF tnNtt lHCoItdcfics thfuhnticcf
opinions which mankind seem 10 think they ha,et
perfect night TO express IN regard 10 sailors th
rot long since had a conversation on TINS NuoJeci
with gentleman who had for several years con
nlaudeC fine ships In the merchant service, but who
Is cow an honorable and active man OF business u
one Of our large cities and to whose integrity gen
erosity and HUMANITY would entrust anybody baI q
sailor after ne had heard my views, he instantly
repliCd, "Why YOU seem 10 treat them like human
teings' The theory that the Navy cannot be gov
oned aud that our National ships cannot be nayigs
ted without the OF the lash seems to be founded
that false idea that sailors are not men, not Amer
lean citizens, have not the common feelings sympa'
thies and honorable impulses OF our Anglo Amen'
can race
history Of The sailor at the prevalence OF this ifsa
His life has been life Of national, will not SAP o
systematic degradation, the officers who and
him, the Oldest, braves, and best have been sc
custOned from their boy to see the sailor dashed
about the ships deck like brute no who by shs
laws Of the service in which he is engaged treated
liable 10 be treated. like brute soon comes 70
be thought Of at least but little better than brute
WHO IN SOCIAL life respects man whose back has been
scored as whlppng post, and into what depth OF con
tempt Goes such punishment sink ITS victim And
here a. cue Of the worst evils Of the system It de-
stroys those feelings Of respect and kindness which
officers ought to entertain for the sailors under hs
command bUi this Is only one OF the worst evils OF
lie SYSTEM Il defioys the feelings OF regard asd TO
spect which sailors should entertain for their officers
The truth 49, there are no relations OF affection
and regard between tbem-the one Is the 0ppressor.
the other Is the oppressed, who may fear q
hate but lie neither loves respects his tyTani-
The worst government upon earth is that OF fear
the best that Of love and affection. These sent nent,
by The law OF our nature, must be mutual sentiments
BonapaIte was the IDOL Of the soldier because the
soldier was his IDOL they loved him because they
supposed he l0god them. There Is nothing that gal
lait men viii rot do or suffer for commander
whom they love difficulties, and dangers, and
death have no teUOEs fortuch men. In great battles
where the contest has been Doubtful those soldiers
have always fought mort desperately whose deve
tlon 20 their commander was the greatest. IL has
Away been considered as an extensive element 10
the character OF such successful commanders. that
they possess the confidence and affection of the
BlCu under then command.
But what confidence regard can be expected
urcer the Government OF the LASH But more than
uis the punishment destroys the sailors Own SELF
r6tpCct What has honor, pride, satisfaction TO DO
win man who may be, at tho caprice Of another,
subjected 10 Infamous punishment worse In some
Gases thousand tines than death. Can noblenessd
sentiment, or honorable pride Of character, dwell
with onewhose every muscle has been made to quiz
or under the iash Can he long continue 20 love bio
country, whose laws degrade him 10 the level OF the
brute This Infamous torture now only remains ~
Leaf on the page OF Anglo-Saxon history. T1
whipping pest where the worst Migrants used to eI
plate their ofenses has been discarded from society
Tie worst ofeLses in our State Prisons are no long
er punished by the lash.
Why all this Why are those punishInents nos
concerned st shameful relics Of A barbarous age
II IL htcause Tie light Of better DAY has Gawaed
II 10 because the pTecepts Of the Gospel OF Carr
tahil have htliOraied our laWs-tt Is because so
c!ety has made the dfcoyeIy that Il man Is TT 70
hive at ai he ought not 70 be Invested OF all qual,
niof, ard made TO die Infamous with mutlallonso OF
hIs body. What is the answer, given by all those
Who seek 10 restore this relic Of barbarsm TO thf
Navy Why, they tell us wo intend only to apply
tbs system OF puhHhmont 20 soamen. We intend
only 70 fog sailors That is quite true n is only SAL
loIs who are 70 BE- treated as brutes No man whs
hears ns would permit his dog TO be thus treated
There Is 10 Epos on the habita5le globe known 70
no where man would Le permitted TO seine eps
cog and btas him until lac Gu. the flesh ribs,
and the blood should DC made To 90 WI from his
back bone 20 bis heels but /. Is only the sailor foI
whom tbs punis hmeBt u reserved
When, Senators is the American sailor that
be ito be treated worse than dog lie has been
ny coHpanloD Tor moro than quarter Of 4 century.
through calGs and storms, priyaions mllerings and
t.rgtr-ih peace and IN war. have lived with hin
tice " sice, by sea and land. | have seen him %
tie Weston Ocean when there was no night 10 vel
rs cotos. | have seen him on the Coast Of Affici,
surrounded BY pesileltlal disease. | have seen hn
|. l.