The daily union., 1852-01-16

usage.
II has been urged by the honorable senator from New
Jersey that the matei OF the navy al The present Time
is infinitely than II has been do not dliier
from that opinion believe that the reports OF the OIL
hces OF the different rendezvous corroborale this opinion
have doubt OF IL and will endeavor 10 show why
il is To take common sense view oil this subject
would ask that II our navy is at this moment 10 fac
furnished with nater more debased aud worse 10 every
respect than the naterei of which has heretofore been
composed, is this the time TO abolish one OF the arms IN
its discipline! would ask if this is the time TO dlscon
unue usage consistent with much naval glory when
we had gallant men in the service when now we have
worse maieriet2
have said that this usageis consistent with the expe-
nss o. 81 This must be WSsn Gy al asS
swept the British channel with broom vaunngy placed
at the mast head Of their admiral when the Spanards
covered the with their countless Armada when the
British the great battles Of the Nile and Traal
gar and gained her thousand victories, which made her
in times gone by the mistress OF the seasevery navy OF
the world was regulated and controlled by this identical
usage and by no other II be admitted that every
American commander and captain who has written his
name on bis connrys page whehe! in the me5Gnan. ma
rine the navy has controlled his ship al all times by
this identical discipline Yet we are told that il it be
continued the navy is to be dsorganized.
Why, look at our merchant marine under the opera
lion of this system OF discipline The merchant marine
the nursery OF the navy Every lawyer knows that to
have good judges you must keep the bar pure and IN
tact and every naval officer knows where to look ior
nursery Of the navy state positively, and without fear
of contradiction. that this discipline has existed IN the
merchant marine sIRce we had Keel on the ocean
The merchant marine has increased with Iapidy here
tofOre unknown to the world. We are now the second
maritime power OF the earth and, appealing TO statistics
OF which we are now possessed we are Iushed In say
ing that in the year 1862 shall have more tonnage
aoat than any other nation earth And at every stage
of the progress OF the merchant marine this discipline
has been pursued
You cannot talk OF mprisoning seaman in the mer-
chant marne or talk OF putting man IN irons, or OF
stopping his grog any other OF the scky sentimental
es which are mentioned in the petitions that are sent
hara chapt kuputs hptfa hey
barely employ enough 10 navigate their ships, and
they demand the efficiency of every man on board The
discipline must be promptit must be energetic. Any
other discipline is unknown TO the merchant service.
And show the time when during the existence OF the
merchant service the orders OF superior officers have
been dsobeyed when discipline has been relaxed, when
the captain Of merchantmen hesaled single momentas
to his power 10 maintain discipline on board OF his ship
show me the time when there existed such disor.
ganizaton now prevails in the merchant and naval
services say it has existed il never did exist,
until, under the guidance OF false philanthropy will
not call il by worse name, because believe II was
conceived in spirit oil phanthropy-an act was passed
aboshng this usage, both in the merchant marine and
n the navy of our country If have not msappehend
cd the honorable senator from New jersey he takes the
ground that the existence of this usage in the navy is
Inconsistent with those feelings OF respect and regard
which should exist between officers and nen-is incon-
sis,en in fact with all the dnes which seaman owes TO
his flag and 10 his country. II do not mistake him, he
also pesupposes that an officer who cannot command his
ship without this discipline is not fit TO command one al
all.
Upon this subject ask for facts. ask for something
more than mere opinions ask the senator 10 point me
to the time when, during the existence OF this punish
ment, there anything like the condition which now
exists in the navy merchant marine OF the couniry
ask to be pointed TO the time when naval officer hes
ated TO enforce discipline board his ship ask to be
pointed TO the time when naval officer hestaed TO take
charge OF ship because he doubted his ability to meet
the emergency TO which his country called him. ! ask
for proofs, not opinions Our naval history open and
it is page which may soon be read ask the gentle
man to place his hands the figures. ! ask for any
figures the subject but figures OF speech. deny that
this usage ever produced any such results and deny
that under this usage there ever existed want OF recip
roca regard and aectonae kindness between the Amer
lean officer and his seamen, either IN the navy or the
merchant marine assert that The usage had decidedly
contrary effect and assert here, from acknowledged
facts, that the abolition OF this usage has produced the
most dsasr results. assert that when the act OF
the 2sth OF September $780, was passed our navy ocea
pied the very FIRST rank among the navies OF the world
and that the moment that act reached our SHIPS from the
very first hour it promulged on their decks, dsor
ganizaon commenced at once. The seamen commenced
at 10 exhibit spirit inconsistent with proper dlsci
pne, and that spirit has been gradually progressing up
10 the verge OF disorganization assert that up to
that very hour so long as this discipline was maintained
our navy was equal 10 any emergency But say now,
after careful examination oil the subject II my Judgment
has erred that unless check shall be put TO this
downward pregIessIniess some sns y, pe sup
their crews-n the very hst contest In which we shall
ever be engaged, you will find that the proud exclamation
OF your own naval hero DOM give up ne snip. VIII
and that that proud banner to which every seamen APP
peals in all parts of the earth and which carries its pro-
ecng folds wherever the are whened by our COM
merce, will be disgraced-wll be hauled down in an
equal combat with any maritime foe express tals
opinion deliberately, and expect to produce iac's TO
sustain II. -
think that my honorable friend from New Jersey Mr..
SrocKTosl has Inadvertently erred IN tracing the origin
OF this usage in the British navy to the statute o Charles
H. Having asserted here, and shown by facts, that II Is
with the highest organization OF the navy here
toforehat il the usage OF thousand years, or, IN
other words that il has existed since navics have
because antiquity does not sancty an abuse. But as
some persons are disposed 10 attach particular importance
to ancient usages and hesitate about aboishng them,
IL nav be necessary TO say few words that point
This usage dates before any statute OF Charles H. II that
statute did anything al ALL regulated u did not originate
it, appeal to the Oldest records OF naval or maritime
history for the facts. | point gentlemen TO the very
ected hundreds and hundreds Of years after these usages
were in force Il will be recollected that the earth was
occupied before the navgaed and that this Gus
tom was derived from the land. IL was not custom pc
euiar 10 the sea-
careful historical research will convince the honora
BILE seuaor from New Jersey that this punishment has
existed ever since we had navy, ever since Britain
had navy, since ship first seen on the waters
of the Mediterranean, as far back carry any
historical record and as far back the earliest
could carry tradition. will allude now to the laws OF
Hanseauc League, or what are commonly called by ad'
miraty lawyers the laws OF the Hanse Towns. have
not refreshed my recollection bya reference 10 those
laws but il strikes that they collected and codi-
fed early in the thirteenth century. They simply
collection OF the usages Of the whole maritime world,
incuding the usages OF the sea The ADD rule OF the
Hanseac League prescribes that seaman quitting his
ship should be branded the face with the first letter Of
The town TO which he belonged Following those laws