The republic., 1852-01-08


with no shoes on but those of canvas made by his
own hande, and with provision but what he took
| from the enemy; have seen him plunge into the
| Rio san Gabriel and drag his guns after hn in
| the face of "A CALLING fire from desperate foe;
and, finally, have laid beside him on the cold
| ground, when the ice has formed ON his beard.
Sir, his heart has beat close to mine. ought to
| know him; do know him. And this day, now,
before the assembled Senate of the Republic,
stand up TO speak IN his behalf
Mr.. s., passing by the antecedent glorious
achievements of the American sailor, he reminded
the Serato that the sailor had recently gained for
| his country an empire, added to her renown and
greatness, and perhaps saved her citizens rom
universal bankruptcy and ruin. lie asked what
had the country>done for the sailor! When the
fighting was over, the battle won, the conquest
achieved a band of Mormons was sent 10 drive him
| from California and robbed him of his glory. lie
was refused bounty land; and II bad been neglect
ed to give him thanks And now, TO cap the cii-
of his country lngratltude, II is asked that
| he be scourgod. They would scourge him Tor
drunkenness when they put the bottle to his mouth
they would scourge him for inattention 10 duty
when pjustice and wrong have made him ior the
instant Disconnected and sullen. Not only was the
sailor scourged while living, but he was doomed TO
| a lelons grave when dead. Mr.. S. caused some
documents to be read, showing the large number
of sailors who were buried through want &c, In
burial grounds attached TO prisons, &c.
He pointed out the great services which the
navy, composed OF American sailors, was 10 the
country, lis commerce, &c, and the hardshps oi
home, of wife and children. He lays up no rich
sores and dies poor. He is treated as an outcast
The brightest pages in the history OF the nation
adorned with the achievements OF the Amerl-
can sailor Whatever his country has done to dis
grace him, ne has done nothing to disgrace her;
the only fault found with him Is that he some
times fights ahead of his orders lie alluded 10
the achieves under John Paul Jones, and to
the blow which fret humbled the Barbary flag,
and drove il from the Mediterranean, as glorious
instances of the conduct of the American sailor.
The victories of the of 1912 and of the Mexican
war were also cited with the same view.
lie asked whether the Senate or the American
people would stand by and see an American sailor
who had served his apprenticeship with Hull, and
who had helped to drag the guns across the san
Gabriel, should be stripped and scourged like
dog?
Cicero's cnacteric, in his speech against Yer
res, was, that though Roman citizen, his client
had been scourged.
Had he the power to impress his own feelings
upon the hearts OF others, he would rouse IN the
minds OF Senators such sense OF national pride
that they would with one voice demand that the
memorial which seeks to rob the American sailor OF
his rights citizen, should be thrown under the
table and tramped beneath the foot. Legislation
should be for the purpose of elevating sailors
cass, and not to degrade them. Do this, and teach
the sailor to respect himself, and you will bring
him to the performance of his duty with cheerful
ness and alacrity. You 90 infinitely more
with him by rewarding him for his iaithfu!ness
than by hogging him Tor bis dehnquencles Grat-
itude was great peculiarly OF the sailor.
lie thought officers Of the navy had fallen into a
great error If til y would appeal more 10 the at-
lcctons than the fears OF the sailor, they would be
more successful. Keep the sailor out OF tcmpta'
tion attend his wants, that he is dealt Justly
with, &c, and IT would be found much less dlfh'
cult TO enforce discipline.
In the training and governing ol men who are TO
fight the battles Of the country, their fear should
seldom be appealed to- Degrade man by in
famous punishment, which destroys his personal
respect, and you do all that human ingenuity can
device TO make him cowardiy.
He utterly dissented from the doctrine that the
lash was necessary. Other punishments could be
adopted, had been done in the army; II these did
not answer, turn the offender out OF the navy.
The principal offence Tor which the lash was used
was drunkenness. Flogging would never suppress
drunkenness as long as the Government furnished
the liquor lie admitted that be had executed the
law of the lash, he had every other law Of the
service, which he had sworn to obey and execute.
He placed himself broad ground-that an
American sailor was a American citizen; and as
such, should never, with his consent, be degraded
| by an Infamous punishment
| He examined the lave Of England, and denied
| that fogging, as punishment in the navy, had
been sanctioned by express statute,as mad been
| done in this country.
He examined the prayer Of the memorial in all ts
phases and Aspects and replied 70 every thing
| which lac thought could be urged in support OF
l hogging IN the navy, and maintained that IT was
altogether unnecessary and revolving to humanityi
and In conclusion, he moved that the prayer OF the
| petitioners ought not 90 be granted.
| Mr. BADGER was somewhat surprised at the
| views expressed by The Senator from New jersey.
| Hc was member Of the Committee on Naval Al
fairs, and be entertained very different views from
/ thosc expressed by the Senator. lie thought the
senator's remarks ought not to 60 out 70 the cOun.
| try without some word Of reply. What was the
subject now before the Senate. The Senator had
described sailor AZ stripped and scourged TIL the
! hesh came from his person. and his blood flowed
down 10 HE heels and then assumed that this me-
| rr, Va established
| the navy. The petition asked no such thing. IL
simply asked that the Senate would restore TO the
navy that discipline which was established in the
! days Of Washington, and which has continued
| down till the last sctsiOn Of Congress.
| The Senator would be glad 10 zee this memorial
| out under the bile and trampled under foot lac
| hoped the Senator would not scnd with u those
| who thought differently from him. For II the re-
spcctful memorial Of officers Of tho navy asking
| restoration OF long established discipline, and
| nothing more, is 20 be treated with public indigni
| ty IL would not be going much farther, and apply
the nd gnity to those who def nded the object o.
| the memorial.
The Senator had argued that the lash bad ten
dency 90 make.ibc sailor a coward, and said that D
our ships we're not built for the enemy ought TO b'
abolished And yet The Senator in the same breath
| sgcaks of the brilliant achievements Of the navy
! during the last war. Was not the navy at tha
time under ths very same discipline OF the lash
! aud we're not these very victories gained by sal
noble, daring, courageous saiors-who wcr'
brought Up under that very discipline THIS position
81 the senator, therefore, u rclutcd by himscli
| His next position was that the lash was unneccssa
| ~ and inrEpcdicnt. IL was a punishment IN 'rc
in every naval service in the world, and was IL
force in our own navy till the last session Of Cyn
| grcss. The Senator complains that The only argu
ncnt in ts favor s tho declaration tnat it is neccs
| cary ard cannot be dispensed with, and he meet
that argument by the assertion that it is unncccs
| ssry and inc1pcdicnt.
Ne further says that whoever is ft 10 command
chip does not need The lash; and yet Hull and De
c1tur, and Perry and Warrington, al Of whom th
Senator admits were 6t 10 command, all uscd thi
very discipline they all held the lash as means O
enforcing discipline; and a. thcsc used the lash
| and we're TT ~ command ships, docs The Senate
not, by DE own words, fcfute hib own position,
The Senator admits that while ia -Jfnmand 81
, vessel, he too had used the lash, because it wa
! the law Of the service. IL (Nr. B knew no la'
requiring officers Of tbo navy 20 wbip F1ilors th
, lag only allowed that punishment There va
! nothing in tho memorial which proposed any las
compelling officers 10 whip sailors, that officer
should at once proceed and whip every sailor D
| tie service.
The Senator took the ground that whipping va
mostly resortcd 20 in cases Of drunkenness, and ha
| urged that milder punishment and moral suLsiO
! would have a better effect in suCh cases. Suppo-
Il al punishmcnt lJr offsnces was abolished, an
| m9rai suasiOn alone the remedy relied on, Whi
, | would become Of society when al legal restrain
I | aud fear OF punishment was Withdrawn lhcScr
| sf,~ hovyeycr would have no objection 20 putin