The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-01-09

actually needed The lashas the honorable senator has
command ship, ask the Senate he has not refuted
his own position.
And he tells as in anticipation Of what he supposes
might De areply-drg uaenium al hOnfnem--that when
he was IN command OF ship he used the lash himself
And why! He said he acted in obedience 10 the law.
What law There was never law OF the United
States requiring commander OF ship 10 use the lash
Undoubtedly the law authorizes him 10 the lash when
II is needful; but makes him ibe Judge OF lhat-he
sole Judge he has IN his tribunal. no jury
TO determine when The lash is 10 be used He is The one
supreme judge upon his own ship He is the and
sovereign upon his quarer-deck The law says TO him
in effect: when you shall deem il necessary for con-
trolling and directing your vessel for governing your
men, fo- restraining misconduct, for giving proper de-
gree OF order TO the ship, and efficiency to the service,
you are al liberty TO the lash. That is ALL The
honorable senator says that when he in command OF
ship he used II. Yet no man who knows him and The
kndlness Of his heart will suppose that he used il
except In his Judgment in OF necessity that he used
II only when il actually needful TO it, and for
bore using 1t when il not There is no one here,
suppose, who doubts for moment that he was eminent
~ htted Tor commander OF vessel, or al least
when he was in The service. Thus think have here
distinct REPUTATION OF the honorable genemans own
proposition II is precisely logical He that is fit to
command ship has no need for the use Of the lash il
is reuted very simply Now, it is known that all the
distinguished commanders in our service the honorable
as an instrument OF authority. They all fit COM
mand ships. Therefore the lash is needful
The honorable senator commenced his remarks by say
ing that that is the best which rules by love.
and not BY fear Now, sir good deal in the habit
Of disirusng these distractions do mol know that we
are exactly able 10 form idea OF what is the best gov
eminent an the abstract III we confne ourselves TO the
AFFAIRS OF this globe upon which live and
tors have lived, will find tina, there never has been
single instant Of time. When that primeval pair from
happy innocence. in Paradise with their affections all
tuned to harmonious disposition TO love- 10 reverence,
and TO serve their great Creator they left without
the day that ye eat thereof ye shall surely die" And
2nrQA nndV ha
imagine state of society in which all men shall do
exactly everything that is right and nothing that is
wrong merely because OF a spontaneous disposition to
90 90, II Is very certain that no such government
has existed or ever can exist until there total
walton OF human character. All governmens-that is,
ence Of hope and FEAR by The application at one time Of
rewards at another OF punishmens Is not that the rule
Mr. President in the domestic crcle' beg pardon for
referring to you, Mr. President, upon such subject
ILaughter We encourage and lead children where
we can; but when encouragement and leading will not
DO, we punish them. We endeavor to have them do
right from love to u.s. and when we succeed in that, it
anords us the highest degree OF qualification But surely
il do not succeed BY means of that high and noble
feeling If we are faithful TO ourselves and 10 them.
do not leave them without the necessary coercve
The end is to be accompished-hat is, obedience and
submission to what is right If can bring that about
by encouragement and the persuasion OF love, then
much the better; but if not we must bring il about by
fear for the end is loo valuable TO be sacrificed.
Now, believe greatly in the tribute the honorable
ator has paid to the character of the American sailor
But permit me 10 say that the honorable does
exactly meet the question presented by this petition He
says that the American senator is noble specimen of
A SENATOR. The American sailor
Mr.. BADGER: ! mean the American sailor. But
nope we can apply il TO both sailor and senator Laugh
ter II is merely slipping from truth into another.
What the senator says true He says, Also that such
man ought not TO be degraded admit i. But is
proposed 10 degrade him Does this petition ask that
Congress shall pass law compelling the officers who
in charge OF the vessels of the country whip all
the men under their command-those who behave well
49, d. ,lo
act like old FRIEND Caleb Quoem the schoomasie
in the farce. who, when he obliged TO leave his
scholars to go TO review, went first to the schoolhouse
and whipped the boys all round because he said he
knew they would deserve il in the course OF the day
ILaugher1 The petition contains proposition OF that
kind II asks us simply TO restore feature in the disc
pine OF our navy by which man who ohends-a man
who by his conduct sullies the character which general
ly belongs TO American sailors-sha be made TO suf-
Ter punishment for it, such as will restrain hun from II
in future, al least serve warning 10 others not TO
fall into like error.
Now the honorable senator says that ii is very clear
thing, upon looking into the report that have here in
regard the number of whppngs and the nature OF the
Offences that this punishment is perfectly useless, be-
cause the offences not diminished Is that sasfac-
OF Examination Suppose man Were 10 come forward
and call upon society TO abolish all punshmeRis and
trust TO the gentle influence of moral suasion prevent
those who have disposition for putting their fingers in.
TO their neighbours pockets from stealing their pocket
books, those who desire TO steal horses from getting
over their neighbours hedges, or those who are blood
seems TO me that the same argument might be used in
that case the honorable senator has offered in this
He could take up your criminal calendar, which shows
the number of those who have been punished for steal
ing, how many have been punished for murder &c. and
say, " Behold all your punishments have been Of no
avail they have done good, and therefore punish
fnent should be inflicted" Why, sir, sup
posed for that any institution OF society
could prevent the of crime. But
certain before coming 10 the conclusion OF the honorable
senator what would have been the condition OF things
the navy. and what the condition OF things in society in
the have supposed were all legal restraints
moved Why SIR the spirit OF evil would rise refreshed,
like the giant refreshed with Wine and go forth 10 the
ruin and destruction OF society The senator's argument
proves this II proves anythngthat the system of pun
ishment under consideration il was, not
more than adequate 10 the preservation OF olerably
sound and healthy condition in the naval service and in
my opinion, II proves nothing more.
should be extremely glad to such condition of
things that officers could conduct ships the
wide surface OF the and the service be always
ried on always and under all circumstances by free and
willing minds and that under the stars and stripes there
should be any necessity for resorng TO any punish
ment We would all rejoice at that | should be ex-
nemey glad TO believe that the particular punishment
alluded TO could be dispensed with bat IL does help
the matter any say that treating the sailor like
slave. That conveys something 10 the mind that is
shockmg-terribe. Now, the honorable senator would
not object al all TO psttng sailor in irons, even in
double irons, as a punishment for his misbehavior j
more the appearance OF a slave thar when he has his
hands and legs manaced with double IRONS and he him
sell locked up in the prison-room board ship Yet
will gentlemen say that whenever put man irons
treat him like slavel Why, in one sense OF the
word whenever we seize offender and deprive him of