The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-02
From the Boston Journal. January2.
American SeAmen.
Bosros December %, 1851.

the grovM Gf l may speak) of this valuable
class Of men
II not taxing your good nature too far, would
| ask you to republish that letter
| IL the subject had been taken up at that time we
should now be rcaping the benefits. for il is fact
more notorious than ever, that the supply of good
American scamen is daily falling Off and that our
fine ships are manned chiefly by foreigners, and
oitentmes by "loafers," undeserving the name of
seamen. That ships more ineiiicicntly manned
and ohcered than ia the result partly of the
drain to the gold diggings and to the want of SUI
bordination, engendercti by the California fever"
one OF the symptoms Of which is to defy law and
order, whether on the sea on the land.
| The evils resulting from want of proper en-
courogement to young men wishing to become
seamen have become OF great magnitude in
moral as well as in "A commercial scale; one of the
| cvils OF the former is that nearly every man who
clears ship practically declares falsehood under
| OATH! And OF the owls OF commercial character
| ! need only 10 repeat that our ships are half man
ned, and are consequently subject to many more
Casualties than they would be if gave due en-
courageInent to young men to try the sea; indeed,
The evils resulting from want Of good mates and
| good scamen are 80 universally acknow lodged,
| that VIII not waste my time by recaptulating
| them.
have pointed out a remedy in the letter al
| ludod to, and think the time has come when the
State, the city, and the merchants should put their
hands into their pockets and try the experiment.
ny setting an example to other States, Cities and
merchants.
estimate the coat of u suitable ship fitted for the
reception Pupils. at S 10000 and the annual ex-
penses. exclusive of expenses of boardny them, but
including interest and insurance, at S {, 900.
The main question is, whether the State or the
city Will grant suitable appropriation Tor the pur-
pose of fairly trying the experiment, or whether
we must go to Congress, or depend on private aid.
An appeal to Congress involves great loss of time
and some personal interest and we cannot ask for
an appropriation for Massachusetts without asking
for similar for other States and as to calling
on the merchants. it would hardly be reasona bic
to ask for 80 large sum as S.. 900 per annum,
bosides the coat OF the ship.
Suppose we should circulate papar something
like this
"Thc undersigned, feeling the necessity of doing
something 10 promote the increase of scamen,
hereby agree 10 pay the sums set against their
names Tor the purpose of buying and fitting out a
ship TO be called the Boston Naval School, To be
established in Boston harbor, for the purpose of
educating young men in seamanship, avigation,
and the common branches taught in other schools:
''Pr0uided, That We shall not be called upon to !
pay any thing until the whole estimated to be
necessary for the purpose of buying and fitting
ship shall have been subscrbed--say ten thousand
dollars
"And that there shall be subscribed or appro-
priated by the State, or the city. or both, sum
not less than five thousand dollars. to dciray the
hrst years expenses;
"And that the board of officers necessary to |
manage the details of the schools shall be elected
by the subscribers
"And that at the end of one year from the time |
the board Ia organized, the subscribers shall il the
experiment 10 found to be unsatisfactory have fu
rata, according to the sums subscribed" |
am ready to put down some of my "dust" in |
this cause and TO labor to the plan carried
therefore trust you will not believe that write |
merely for the purpose of seeing my in print
Very truly, yours, r. b. FORBES.
We insert below the communication referred to |
above, which was first published in the Journal Of
November 81, 1916:
BosToN, oath November, 1916
n~a St L..
visable to do something towards promoting the re-
spectability OF our large and increasing CONNER
cial marine, would now ask Of you the favor to
insert in your valuable journal some crude sup-
gestions, which think will tend to that desirable
end. 1t is well known fact to most of your read
ers that our foreign traders manned by a very
large proportion of foreign seamen. The law of
the land reuqircs that two thirds of the shall
consist OF Americans; and the law is generally
complied with-that is to say, the necessary pro
portion OF American projections are produced at the
custom house, and the forms of law complied
with. 1t is also we'll known that in every ships
crew there are some who, for the first time, pass
by given name; and, II critical examination
were TO be made of the crew, strange discrepan-
ciss would be found to exist between the men and |
their descriptions laid down in the protec tions
At the fret stars most OF the knotc their names
but 1t not unirequently happens at the termination
OF voyage that when the roll is called several
refuse to respond, for the very good reason that
they have forgotten their Amntcan names!
Projections are regularly bought and sold they
claim to citizenship. that they do not hesitate TO
part with them at an advance on the cost at the
custom house (twcnty- five cents, beieve) when
ever opportunity offers OF thus readily making
an American citizen, for the accommodation Of the
landord who wishes to ship off some lately import
ed fellow who can scarcely make himself under
stood in English
The above facts arc so familiar to every mer-
chant and shipmaster. that it ia not necessary to
dwell on them and ! merely allIde to them by |
way OF showing the absurdity of making laws
without having them properly enforced
In times Of peace with European powers no great
inconvenience will be felt from the laxity alluded
to in the administration of the law. Indeed great
Inconvenience would arise should a new law come
suddenly into operation obliging the officers of the
customs, on clearing tho ship, to examine the
by their projections. They would discover that the
effect OF salt water and hard fare had been TO change
plain John smith, standing Elk feet in his stock
ings, with black hair and a the left cheek
into a raw Dutchman, with an inordinate breadth
of beam, and light hair, speaking at best only
enough English 20 call himself "Yacn Smit -
they would find "obadiah Tomkins, of wiscas-
set, six feet two, with cross eyes, and nose like
n storm stay sail, born in $780," transposod into |
broad shouldered son Of Kilkenny, five feet six.
with snub nose. and grizzly hair still reeking of
peat smoke; in short the ship could not be cleared,
and there would be no end to the vexatious delays
arising from strict Interpretation Of the law.
What, then, IL the remedy! How can we increase |
the number Of true Americana How can we pre- |
pare for the crisis, to come later involving
life and death and the honor Of our marines will |
endeavor to point out remedy, good far as il |
may go, and that is to encourage respectable young
mon to follow the son. by rendering their situations
comfortable on board ship, by making it incum- |
bent on merchants to take n certain number OF |
young nnfirs AmTicans, according TO the size of |
tile ship, or to pay certain bonus penalty for |
the support Of naval schools in case they should |
prefer doing go. Many merchants aud shipmss- |
tiers say 1--WE arc obliged TO limit the number Of |
men. and we want only those which can be useful |
to at once; boys consume as much beef and |
bread as men. and do immediate good " |
Very well; let those who find IL for their interest to
usc such shortsighted arguments pay certain |
sum for each boy or green hand" omitted; 20 be |
funded for purposes which shall allude TO at some
length.
would establish one more floating schools in |
each OF our principal scaports to be supported in |
part by private subscriptions, and partly from the
penalties arising Ms above, and would overcome |
some Of the objections of merchants and shipmas |
tcrs 20 taking green hands," by furnishing them |
with young men who shall have served n certain |
Ime nn hnnrd OF a nnvnl hnnl a VI n shnIl hay.