The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-19


ships ios dslinqaents, whose services may BE-
required At any time in defending them against
the weather or the enemy. A sailor in chains u
only an element of weakness, for he requires
sentinel for his guard; but il punished with
stripes, he may b. placed on duty immediately
afterwards. If cOrporeal punishments are 80
common in the navy as is asserted, and imPris.
onment should be substituted in their stead,
there must be at all times no uncomfortable por.
ton OF the crew of every ship-of-war placed
hors de combat, incapa6ltatsd for duty, and inca.
bable OF assisting in storm or in battle. Nor
will it be- rarely, Will they are thus fettered,
that they will BE- worse than useless, but this
imbecility will continue for more or less time in
consequence of close Imprisonment, and q cur
tailment of rations.
And what will be gained by this new system
on the score of humanity! will venture to
say-and have had some experience in these
matters-that in nine cases out of ten, sailor
would rather be logged than chained or i'm
prisoned, or deprived of his grog. tits not for
others to say how they themselves would feel,
but how the sailor feels on these OCCASIONS and if
We attempt to rescue him from any real or lima.
ginary suffering, it should not BIZ by inAicting
what he considers more severe In these cases
men should be permitted to judge for them
selves. As to the proposition for aboIshing
capital punishments in the navy, what will be
substituted in their place? Imprisonment for
life, or an indefinite Imprisonment? Well
where is he to be imprisoned? Ga board ship,
or in the State prison on land? In one case
there must be State prison in every ship of
war; in tn. other, the culprit must be tried by
civic tribunal, ! presume, and the officers and
seamen who are the Witnesses, detained from
duty, perhaps for months, dancing attendance
on the courts. The military and civic codes
will also come in conflict with each other, and
the criminal escape between the two antagonist
jurisdictions. Besides all this, it may be asked
what is to be substituted in place. of capital
punishment, when the ship in which the crime
may be committed, is thousands of miles distant
from home, and it may be two or three years
before she returns? Corporal punishment Of
any kind being prohibited, there is nothing left
but imprisonment and chains. He must be con-
fined on board ship, and, as before stated, our
public vessels be converted into State prisons
could adduce many other practical conse-
quences which must necessarily arise from this
new outburst of philanthropy, but for the ap-
prehenson of being tedious. 1t is sufficient to
express my opinion that the axe has been laid
to the root of our naval supremacy; and that
fthe law now before Congress becomes perma.
nently Incorporated with our naval code, it's
effects will be seen in the whitening Of that
wreath of laurels SO nobly won in the last war
with England. If we cast our eyes abroad we
shall see England, France, and Russia steadily
employed in increasing their navies, and foster
ing by every means their discipline and efficien.
cy, at the moment we are undermining both.
Are We looking forward to the period when
the dreams of the peace societies shall be rea-
lized, and the disputes of the great powers of
the world adjusted by an arcopagus of nations,
that we are thus sedulously occupied in emascu.
lating our best means of defence, by letting
loose our sheet anchor-discipline If this
maukish sensibility continues to operate on
legislation, it needs no prophet to predictthat
the time is rot far distant when all pity for
suffering virtue will be absorbed in sympathy
for triumphant guilt.
would most respectfully ask. what can the
majority of members of Congress know about
the navy? BY what process can they have be-
come better judges of what is essential to its
vigor and discipline, than the old veteran COM
modores who, will venture to say, are almost
unanimous in their disapproval of this interfer-
ence with what properly belongs 10 others?
am aware there is one gallant commodore smit.
ten with tinge of philanthropy, and devout
believer in moral suason." But, alas that
gallant officer is no longer hero--he is only
politician! There is, however, no sufficient
reason why, having struck his own flag, he
should lend hand in putting down that of his
country. have most profound respect for
the wisdom of Congress, though once heard of
an unfortunate gentleman who lost his wits in
looking for it, as some have done in searching
for the phil osopher's stone. But still, doubt
whether men, who never saw salt water or heard
the roaring of the ocean, are eminently qualified
to govern those who scarcely ever saw or heard
anything else.
Carusl's Saloon.