Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-11

abolition or corporal punishment are made in great part
by the themselves. The difficulties arising out
Of its shrogaon and the absence Of any substitute for
~ now constitute the most prominent obstacles to the
ready sappyVf cir Htuief9.s with sealnen This De-
partneiii is aiuig wn COMPLAINTS from tbs recruiting
81 tons VI the tliy ~ ,nisting the better c,ss Of
seainen VI that number Of who have hereto
fore constituted theprdc Of navy by their good
manship and highly respectable personal department
comprising rejoice to say the great body Of the mari
ners who have sustained the honor and glory Of flag
In its most perious well in its most useful career
Of these men, is which invites the deepest
OF Congress, daily deprived by their refusal to
enter again into the service until they ask they shall
have some assurance that better system of discipline
may be restored They reasonably complain that whilst
the worst portions of the placed under arrest
and are exempt In consequence from the duties Of
the deck they find their toll increased by the constantly
recurring exgencies which compel Them for weeks and
months during cruise to perform the extra work which
the reduction Of the force Of the ship inevitably throws
upon them SO oppressively is this evil felt that have
reason to believe If the best seamen who have heretofore
been accustomed to man ships could find occasion
TO express their wishes to Congress- majority OF the
whole number would be to prefer restoration Of
that form of punishment which has been forbidden
Their than be subject the seventies imposed upon them by
the present condition Of disorder in the naval discipline
Looking at this state Of things in the navy think the
occasion proptous to the adoption Of system for
the organization and government Of the whole material
constituting the crews Of ships and take advantage
OF the present time submit your consideration the
outline Of plan which trust will engage your atten
ton, and receive the appreciation Of Congress.
The supply Of our navy with seamen has heretofore
been obtained by system Of enlistment, modelled in its
principal elements upon the plan adopted in Great Bri
tain, from which nation have derived, by old habit
and national descent the general features Of marine
Like England we have looked to commercial naviga
ton for the reinforcement Of the Of the navy We
enlist the mercantile for the national cruise dis
charging and paying them off when it is finished and
turning them to the merchant service The navy gen.
era has been sufficiently attractive the sailor to
oY,d hio onf
enlistment being easy and accessible resource but
little consideration has heretofore bestowed upon its
effect either on the navy itself upon the To
the navy it has given large and metorous class Of
riners, not unmxed, however with many of different
character and from that mixture itself requiring prompt
and effective system of punishment adapted to
ready discharge of duty in every emergency The effect
Of the system upon the Of the navy has been
looked if regarded ALL it has attracted the
tenton of the public authorities The sailor is in gene
raj upon shore helpless being Between himself and all
around him there is papabe incongruty He has
come of long cruise and has earned three four
hundred dollars. He has home often friends but
his comrades. He knows no thrift no saving economy
has no adviser. His only outlook is for some pastme
and his idea of that is confined to sensual enjoyment
Every is familiar with his history in his brief soourn
shore He is victim to that class of persons who
pander to his appetes and who plumber him of his
ings Necessity and inclination very drive him back
to the sea- where he finds his natural home and the only
friends who understand his character and sympathze
with it. It is very apparent that organized and
crcumsanced stands very much in need Of better culture
than this course of life affords discreet attention to
his condition by the Government with few salutary
gulatons that may teach him thrift and furnish him
guidance and encouragement viii make him useful
citizen, at least self dependant and respect
able in his individual character and render him at the
time certainly not less useful in his profession.
propose for the consideration of Congress- plan for
the reorganization of this portion of the navy which,
matured by such experience the future practice Of
may afford, WILL confident enhance the respectfully
and alma f apdCa IN fha rann frvo
most efficient corps Of men permanently devoted to the
public service
think it be doubted that the successful appli
cation of the navy the purposes for which il is designed
would be better assured by the services of weldsci
plned and carefully maintained body Of perma-
neny attached to the public naval establishment and in
corporated with it. than it has been is likely
to be by the ucuatng and variable Of frequent
enlistment and discharge The constant changes which
this corps undergoes is unfavorabe the growth Of that
sentiment essential to the service which makes sailor
proud of his flag 1t is still more unfayorabe to the
qurement Of that peculiar adaptation Of habit and train
ing TO the duties belonging the employment OF
ofwar which all officers regard the test and indispen
sable element of efficient seaman in the navy. In
large navy like that of England where all the OF
the mercantile marine, in certain sense belong the
Government the difference between the of wars
man and the of civil employment is not appa-
rent significant it is in service in which the
bear small proportion to the whole body of
rners of the nation Every English sailor has generally
less service in the navy and passes frequently
from the private to the public employment as to give him
TO great degree actual incorporation in the national
marine the service is connected with the other
that the seamen Of both assimate in their training
and education than the correspondent classes in this
try Our navy for obvious reasons connected with these
considerations is much dependant upon body Of
men nurtured by the Government and attached to the
vice than that Of England 1t is therefore, fundamen-
tai purpose in the plan which submit TO Congress pro-
vide for the ultimate establishment Of permanent and
recognised body Of seamen connected with the navy by
the strongest and most durable bonds Of attachment and
interest.
Whilst providing for the gradual and eventual orran-
cation Of such body my attention been directed also
to the procurement Of Of the highest character
personal and professional quality in whose good deport
ent and faithful service win be found the most sntsfao
tory reasons for protecting by legal their whole
class against the form of punishment which has late so
much excited the sensbity Of the nation The success.
ul accomplishment of such object trust will COM
mend the plan to the regard II oil who desire preserve
that exemption and who have hoped find ii practice
not Incompatible with the highest efficiency Of service on
shipboard.
The general outline of the plan may be exhibited in the
following regulations:
With view to the commencement Of this system, and
to organize body of efficient Of the merio-
rous class, propose that every commanding officer of
squadron, or of single ship when NOT with squadron
sha on has return from regular cruise report to the
Navy Department. in the of the under his
command statement of the good bad general deport
ment OF each man. with q special designation of those
whose conduct has mcrted that degree Of appreciation
which shall entite them to be admitted into the navy
That this report be submitted by the Department bk
President who shall thereupon issue general order to
admit into the navy the seamen who have been dstin-
gushed in the report for good conduct And the Pres
dent shall transmit with this order to the commanding