New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-04-28
HOW PIE INDEPENDENCE WAS LOST.

We follow in much too serve sort the laws and
usages of our early English ancestors. They reent-
essy pursued and punished the individual who, through
malice or criminal careessness, inflicted death his
neigbbor, and We do the same Our Courts sit con-
stanty to try such offenders almost daily these COL
umns record the awful sentence of condemnation and
then in due the last confession, the brief
diving prayer ard the noise of the fatal drop as the
miserable culprit who has killed man. expates the Of
tense by being killed in turn
But while our ancestors punished the private muir
derer they gave full liberty to the public and wholesale
one and we initiate them in that also 1t true the tree
bootng baron the chief of bloody feuds and murderous
forays is unknown to civilization; but in his stead
we have more powerful and equally unquestioned agen-
ces of destruction There are great railroad compa'
MES great steamboat spectators and under their
pces hundreds of persons may be suddenly crushed to
death or burned or drowned with no more thought
possibility of holding any responsible for the saugh-
ter than if were the result of lightning earthquake
Life is jealousy and vgilanty protected against ordinary
individual outrage; but against corporations and ship
owners dealing death by steam, water and fire. there is
hardly the shadow of protection.
On the causes which resulted in the loss of the
steamer Independence with some hundred and fifty of
her passengers startling light is thrown by inte
gent and trustworthy correspondent in another column
The writer speaks from his knowledge of the per-
ished vessel He shows that she not only designed
for river navigation but VIGOROUSLY unseaworthy
and unfit carry passengers on that coast that her
captain did not dare her out of reach OF the land
for fear some accident might sink her. with all on board
and that it the necessity of keeping near enough to
the shore to be able beach her that her upon the
reef which resulted in her destruction. Had she been
craft fit to put to sea in, Capt Sampson would have
followed the ordinary track with safety; but knowing
that every arrival in port was miracle on whose rep
etition he could not rely he took the course which, in
case of disaster would be likely to kill the smallest
number of people The result the death Of third
| of those on board.
The inference from these facts is irresistible and
make it without circumocutOn 1t is that the parties
who employed the Independence for route they knew
her to be totally and papaby unfit for and who crowded
her. frail and menacing she was with five hundred
souls are morally responsible for the deaths which have
occurred. We do not know who those parties are
whether the propretOrs of the Vanderbilt line, in con-
nection with which she running persons of less
prominence and power; but whoever they we say
and public opinion will concur in the verdict-that ii
would be difficult for reckless cupidity to cover tse
with blacker guilt than theirs.
Our correspondent casts no blame on Capt. Sampson
but so cannot We. When his employers are condemned
he can by no means be acquitted. He is no doubt q
brave seaman, but what business had he to be in com
mand of such vessel! There can be no excuse Il
Justify honest and humane man for allowing himself
to become accessory TO enterprise so cupabe. AnC
we're it possible to have the case legally investigated
and to mete the deserved punishment to ALL Capt
Sampson could not hope to escape scot-free
1t is thankless task to public opinion Will
regard to such casualties when they the mos
shocking aspect. 1t is difficult to bring an American
community severely to condemn and prevent the reck
less, wholesale gambling with life on steamboats, ant
railroads But it is duty which the Press must IN
! dertake and which We have confidence enough in tn
public good sense believe not altogether hopeless.