The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-01-15
FLOGGING IN THE NAVY.
DEBATE IN THE SENATE, JANUARY 7,

DEBATE IN THE SENATE, JANUARY 7, 1882.
Senator Stockton, of New Jersey, made an
effective speech on Wednesday against the
memorial asking that the use of the lash be re-
stored to the Navy He said that he was ut
terly and irreconcilably opposed to the use of
the lash in the navy. He said that the preva-
lence of the idea that our national ships can
not be navigated without resort to the lash
the sailor has been one of habitual, he would
not say of systematic degradation He who is
liable to be treated like brute soon becomes
to be thought of as but little better than a
brute One Of the worst evils of tho system is
that it destroys those feelings of respect and
kindness which officers ought to entertain for
the sailors under their command
"The truth isl said he, there are no rela-
tons of affection and regard between them
The one is the Oppressor, the other the oppress-
ed Sir, man may fear or hate, but he nei-
ther loves nor respects his tyrant The worst
government upon earth is that of fear; the best,
that of love and affection. These sentiments,
NY u law vi Jul udtuTt, Iuubt Dt Ulubudl SBnJ-
ments. Bonaparte was the idol of the soldier.
because the soldier was his idol They loved
him because they supposed he loved them.
There is nothing that gallant and brave men
will not do and suffer for commander whom
they love Difficulties and dangers and death
have no terrors for such men. In great battles
where the contest has been doubtful, those SOL
diers have always fought most desperately
lx.yhn 10 kn.~ \
greatest. 1t has always been considered as an
essential element in the character of success
ful commander, that he should be able to excite
and encourage the confidence and affection of
the men under his command But what con-
fidence or regard can be expected under the
government of the lash! But more than this !:
this punishment destroys the sailors own self
respect. What has honor, what has pride,
what has patriotism, TO do with a man who
may be, at the caprice of another subjected to
an Infamous punishment, worse-aye, sir, in
some cases worse thousand times than death
Can nobleness of sentiment or an honorable
pride Of character, dwell with one whose every
muscle has been made to culver under the lash /,
Can he long continue to love his country, whose
laws degrade him to the level of brute, The
Infamous question Of torture now only re-
mains as blot on the page of Anglo-Saxon
history. The whpping-post where the worst
Migrants used to expate their offences, has been
discarded from society. The worst offences in
our State prisons are no longer punished by the
lash Why is all thisl Why are those pun
ics of barbarous age! It because the light
of better day has dawned II is because the
precepts of the Gospel Of Christianity have anne.
lioratcd our laws. IL is because society has
made the discovery, that if man is fit to live
at all, he ought not to be Invested Of all the
qualities which make a man, by the infamous
mutilation of his body. What is the answer
which is given to all this by those who seek to
restore this relic of barbarism to the Navy
Why, they tell us we intend only to apply this
system of punishment TO seamen--we intend
only to fog sailors That is quito true. II il
only sailors who arc to be treated like brute.--
ave, sir. worse than brutes There is no man
who hears me, who would permit his dog to be
thus treated There is no spot on the habita-
BILE globe, known to me, where man would be
permitted to seize upon dog, and lash him
until he cut the flesh from off his ribs and the
blood should BIO made to run down from his
backbone to bis heels. But sir, il il emily the
sailor, for whom this punishment is to be re.
served
He stated that he had been the companion
Of sailors for more than quarter Of a century
through calm and storm, privstions, sufferiDgs
and danger. He stood up as the sailors advo-
cate. lie referred to the offences for which the
lash has been inflicted, and gave IL a. his opin'
ion that stopping the offenders allowance n
tobacco or rum tea sugar. and coffee would
be in every case much more reasonable ant
a more efficient punishment He said that
"The difficulty in regard to this matter ha'
been, that in framing articles for the govern
ment of the Navy, three things have been over
looked which ought never TO be lost sight Of
First that an American sailor ID IN American
citizen and . freeman, though in the service o
his country. Second, that he has yielded M
legal right not inconsistent with his obligation
Of duty. Third, that naval officers are not in
fsllible, and require - stringent regulation