Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-01-17
DEBATE IN THE SENATE.
DISCIPLINE IN THE NA w
In SENATE, JANUARY 7, 1852.

n
The memorial of the subscribers, citizens of the United
States begs leave respectfully represent honorable
body that at the last session of the Congress Of the United
States important change made in the regulations by
which the discipline Of the navy and Of the commercial
of the United States enforced and which, in the opn
ion Of your memorias il it be modified repealed will
lead the disastrous results to that great Of the
tonal defence and welfare
Your meorasts refer to the law by which commanders of
permitted for the commission of petty offences
against the regulation their ship and the laws Of dis
cpn inhic prompt and upon offenders
for the commission OF such offences.
Your memoralists respectfully represent that on the
high seas where ready legal civil tribunals be
obtained for the prompt punishment of offenders against the
laws OF the naval All marine service ana where IL IS neither
possible discharge such offenders from the service OBJ
tain others occupy their places and perform their duties it
is the highest Importance that should be conferred
upon commanders to COM T siee of their by
Irns sad pnnisnents watc, lEer otLsr circumstances
would not be required. s3E
Your meanorasts would state in illustration Of the forego
ing proposition that they have been informed and believe
that considerable numbers of the of ships
proachng the of America in the winter have
tired their duty knowing that the commanders had
legal authority compel their Service by the prompt and
mary nfcon punishment and that such vessels have been
exposed in most nclement weather. to great danger from
abandonment of duty the part of this portion of their
crew.
Your memorasts would also further state that the deser
ton duty before referred in a had been the
part of of the OF those ships and that
it thus imposes upon the better portion of them
duty their strength may the hour Of the utmost need
fail them and that whilst deserers from duty enjoying
themselves in their hammock protected from the fury of the
Storm their exhaustion may lead to the loss of the ship and
destruction of the lives of all board of her. Good
who duty, fear punishment, and it is not inflicted
upon them The good Of the service it is believed de-
sire the repeal Of the late law It imposes them the duty
of bad men, who shelter themselves under it from the perform
of their duty 1t not in the opinion of your memo
raists be Of the LASH the dungeon
or the sword-ha dsgraces 1t is the offence which
merits such punishment that dgraces him. Lafayette
not dsgraced by incarceration in the dungeon of Omuz Al
gernon sydney by the the Charles great
Apostle Gents by the repeated naiction his
of the Mosaic law of forty stripes save one.
If sailor be lost to Of duty feeling and honor
be apprehended of his feeling dgaced by the ineon Of
punishment by the lash, the chain ball. the treadm.
your memorasts would further add that the necessary
power of and prompt punishment for petty offences
committed board ship has been and still is conferred
of American vessels until the last session Of the Congress of
the United States and will only refer in addition to the fore
going statements to the high state of discipline and efficiency
attained by these great maritime Powers as vndcaton OF
that practice and argument in favor of its eenacment
And your memoralsts, in duty bound will ever pray
The memorial having been read
Mr.. STOCKTON said Mr. President, the subject of this
memorial in my judgment is equal in Importance any
which is likely occupy the attention Of Congress. 1t
was therefore sir that asked the Senate its rstpre
sentation permit it to lie the table for few days.
that might have opportunity to examine it. At the
same time promised the Senate, when it next up,
that would express my views in relation to it. 1t is my
purpose now to redeem that promise.
The memorial upon the table presents for the consider
alton of the Senate nothing less than the whole foundation
of our naval sructurehe human material by which your
ships worked and fought guns leyelled and their
rirped and fully equipped. magnificent and perfect
specimens Of human science and But unless they are
manned by good they will sail only TO become prizes
TO your enemies If you do desire TO build ships for
enemies you give them worthy to defend them
Sir the difference between sailors is great as the df
ference between other classes of serent nations There
is as much difference between the American sailor IN our
whaling and coasnr service and the sailors Of other
tons as is between the European emgrant ana
the sturdy son of frontier pioneers The emil
grant will in some cases almost starve while the pioneer
=. his
king himself an independent and useful man.
am of opinion that the nation whose service IS sup
piled with the best common sailors will excel in naval
warfare ms well in all maritime pursuits am further
of opnion that in versatility, education courage and in
dustry our sailors in the whaling and coasting service
excel those of all other nations. Il furthermore OF
oninon that the superiority of the American sailor has
decided the battle in favor in many bloody conflict
when without that superiority it might have been other
wise desire and preserve that superiority
To that end and for humantys sake am utterly and
rreconcnby opposed to the of the lash the
or any where else The longest the most arduous voy
ares are made in the merchant service without the OF
the lash In the Polar seasamong tho ceoergs Of the
Arctic and Antarctic oceans-he intrepid New Engander
pursues his gigantic game and hurls his harpoon, and
after three years voyage, returns with the oily spo
of his adventurous navigation But he owes none OF hi
success his patient endurance, his exemplary discipline
and his ndefagable industry to the guardian mnstra
tions of the lash To say that who make sucl
voyages and endure such hardshps choerfuly and con
tentedy cannot navigate their national ships with
out the iniction of the infamous lash libel Is thei
nature changed the moment they step the deck of
national vessel Arc they less men, less Americans
soon as custody of the American flag the natona
honor intrusted to their keeping No. sir it libel
do not mean to the word in offensive sense
shall to-day use any word in that sense 1t is
those nconsiderate houghtless opinions which mankin
seem to think they have perfect right express in
gard to sail1rs 1t not long since, sir that had
conversation this subject with gentleman who ha
for several years commanded fine ship in the merchan
service but who is honorable active and ecien
man of business in Of large cities, and to who's
integrity, generosity, and humanity would intrust
body bm sailor After he had heard my views on thi
subject he instantly replied "Why you to treat then
like human beings" The theory that the navy cannot
governed that national ships cannot be naygat
ed in that false idea that sailors c-not Ameri
can citzens-have not the common feelings, sympathes
and honorable impulses Of our Anglo American race.
do not wonder, when look back the past histor
of the sailor the prevalence of this idea His life ha
been life Of habtual viii not say of systematic deg
radiation The officers who command him-the Oldest tn
brayest and the beshave been accustomed from thei
boyhood to see the sailor lashed about the ships dec
like brute. lie who by the laws Of the service in whic
he is engaged is treated liable to be treated like
brute soon to be thought Of Mt least but tt
better than brute. Who, in social life, respects
whose back has been Scared at the whppngpos2 Int
what depth OF contempt does such punishment sink it
victim And here is of the evils of the system
It destroys those feelings Of respect and kindness whic
officers ought to entertain for the sailors under their
and But this is only of the worst evils of the sys
tenn 1t destroys those feelings Of regard and respec
which the sailors should entertain for their officers. TIL
truth is there relations Of affection and regard be
Mo ie the