The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-09-13
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE REIN
DEER.


THE DESTRUCTION OF THE REIN
DEER.
Nav we not regard the burning OF the Rem
deer as prompted by spirit of revenge an
plan,ed in the breast Of some one whose feel
fipgs had been greatly wrought upon by the
awful tragedy of which it had been the theatre7
,Te take revenge in such manner is not re-
concilable with laws human or divine; butthe
feeling which might lead to such an act is a
mart of human nature, and can only be govern.
ed and properly controlled by proper educa-
ton and proper laws. What man. for instance,
who had beheld the mangled and blistered bod.
les ofthe dead on the beach, and who had
heard the cries of the agonized living, could
pass by the same place the day after without
having his mind more sadly impressed by be.
holding the disabled steamer, as she lay along
the shore? This sentiment in minds of less
intelligence or not so we'll balanced, would
have risen into loathing and hatred of the
boat itself; and such feeling very probably
nerved the arm that applied the torch which
destroyed it.
1t is impossible that the wholesale destruc-
ton Of human life by the carelessness and reck-
lessness Of steamboat officers and the selfish
ness Of steamboat owners, can continue with
out some retribution. Itseems to be slow in
coming but come il must. II the law-ma-
kers and the executors thereof do not ensure
safety to the travelling public, we shall look
for the dissemination of wide spread spirit OF
mischievons revenge which will endanger alike
property and life of all connected with steam
pearance of negligence and disregard of the
safety of passengers. For long time the
steamboat tragedies were confined to the Wes-
tern waters-very few, and far between, were
steamboat accidents on the Eastern waters,
and comparatively slight were the consequen>
ces. Recently, however, so numerous and so
dreadful have been the steamboat accidents in
the East, that it would seem that there had
been an entire transpositon of steamboat
crews--those fthe Mississippi coming to the
Atlantic rivers, while those who formerly navi.
gated those have gone to the Western waters.
The consequence has been that the public
mind is more generally and deeply excited,
and will not rest, we hope and believe, until
something effective is done TO promote the Sc
curty OF travellers by steam. Take Richmond,
for example. The feelings of the people here
had always been made to sympathse, as eve
~ humane people must, with the sufferers by
the explosions and burnngs Of steamboats, but
never, except in the death Of the lamented
PEGRAM, had Richmond brought home to her
own bosom, as it were, the heart rending real
ity ofthose dreaded casualties, until the de.
structon of five Of her citizens in the ill.fated
Reindeer. When Gen. PEGRAM persisted in
the Lncy Walker, at Louisville, the entire
community incurred his loss. The long inter-
val, how ever, between that catastrophe and
that of the Reindeer had caused JUL in the
public mind. 1t seemed almost that our peo-
. pie wore charmed lives-so free were they
from accident and harm in their travels in all
parts ofthe Union. But from this repose - the
feeling of confidence and safety which our long
immunity from accident nigh well inspire
he tragedy Of the Reindeer, and the sad funeral
procession of five hearses, and the long train
that followed them through our streets Friday
last, have completely aroused us. We may
suppose that similar consequence has result
ed from similar Affections, in other sections of
the Union and if their people make then-
selves felt and heard through their Represen-
tatiyes, as we feel assured we shall through
ours, something will be done by Congress to
promote the public security and 10 supercede
that revengeful propensity to violence and de-
struction, which these steamboat casualties,
unchecked by the laws, will most assuredly
INSPIRE