The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-11-13
The Em,rronss on the Atlantic.

Britain and Ireland naturally provoke inquiry
as to the internal working Of the system Of emf
grafton practised by the British government;
and startling indeed, to every mind of the least
pretensons to philanthropy, or even common
humanity, are some Of the scenes that the holds
Of those white slave ships" can reveal. A
few instances, all Of which could be sworn to by
credible witnesses az facts, will perhaps give
our readers some idea of the paternal care O
that government to her own children who
would extend her protection to the slaves O
America and Cuba,-who would remove the mote
from her brothers. eye and yet leave the beam
unnotieed in her own. Oh we fair danes Of
Stafford House! We pbilanthropic peers and
members of the British Senate hear the cry OF
your own children, and don't, because their
skins are of the same color as your own, ina.
CINE that they cannot feel as well as the Afri-
can Paradise indeed need this free country
be to tempt any one to undergo the five or seven
weeks purgatory they have to endure ere they
can reach their promised land. But facts speak
plainly, cry loudly for reform; and such facts
are now presented, in all their naked and ap-
pallpg truths, to your eyes.
In the first place, on the score of morality,
concerning which your Exeter Hall rhctori-
clans make such tremendous cutlery.
no religious instructor is ever provided for six
or seven hundred souls during their long and
tedious voyage. Sabbath after Sabbath rolls
by unheeded children are born and die
too often unbaptized. and buried without one
single Christian rite or prayer. Night comes
on and deeds that sbun the light Of day are
perpetrated hundreds who left their native
the life they too often adopt in this country, and
a fresh importation is brought to the haunts of
infamy in New York.
The ship Western World at this moment lies
a wreck on Squan Beach. How came she
there? 1t appears from the statements of pas
sengers that during the whole voyage many Of
the crew of the ship were in the habit of
spending at least half their night watches be-
low, amongst the Storage passengers instead
of attending to their duties on deck Shortly
before the ship struck some of the watch were
amongst the female emigrants; and this at
time when the ship was nearing lsnd-when,
above all other times, the necessity of good
lookout was greatest. This was about halfpast
four A. M. No sooner was the captain out
Of sight than they went below, leaving the
slip to the care of Providence or any
one who might chance TO be On deck. The
morning was fine and clear--not foggy. as has
been erroneously stated. Many passengers, un-
oh IL 20 10 bo ~
Of the morrow, remained on deck oil light, and
were now anxiously looking for the land At
the bows of the shipwere four or five sailors and
one passenger. The land was plainly seen for
some little time before the ship struck by this
passenger. He called the attention Of the
sailors to the fact that the ship was running
straight on shore-the land appearing to him
to be emily about two hundred yards distant
His remarks merely met with ridicule. and he
was told there was no land there. Yet so
firmly Convinced was he OF the danger that he
Immediately went aft to give the alarm Be
fore, however, he had got a. far as the main
mast, the ship struck.
Now we ask, had a proper look out been
kent could this have happened? The thing
seems impossible Nay, in the opinion OF al
most every passenger on board that ship the
accident was caused by the most gross careless
ness. That landsman should first see the
danger. when every seaman knows how Diff
cult it is for the unpractised eye to detect land,
seems incredible. And yet this is fact; and
there are credible witnesses who would swear
to it, Yet this is only one instance. Not an
emigrsnt ship arrives from which there are
not the same complaints OF the unbushiug
aud barefaced immortality carried on during the
whole voyage. And where lies the fault?
Here 10 question worthy the attention of
British statesmen aud philanthropst. a qucs-
ton nearer home than American slavery.
Tie English papers are full Of the benefits OF
emigration. Why do we hear nothing concern
ing the miseries Of the cmgrant? The slave.
well Ted, well clothed, in a state Of Ear greater
domestic happiness than the halfstsrved labor
er Of Great Britain, is an object Of compassion
to all: large meetings must be called. large
sums Of money collected, armed vessels must
cruise along that deadly African coast, their
crews must droop and die to stop the slave
trade; and yet they allow six or seven hundred
OF their own countrymcn to be crammed into
place not many degrees better than the hold of
slave ship, where every species of sin and i'm
morality can be practised with perfect mpunity.
in the second place, this admirable system of go
yernment emigration provides the following
allowance Of food, viz. TO each statute adult
three quarts Of water daily, and weekly al
lowance o. provisions according to the follow
ing scale-2{ lbs. Of bread or biscuit ! ID. OF
-four, 0 lbs. Of oatmeal, 2 lbs. OF rice, / ID. Of
sugar, ounces Ct tea or cocoa or roasted
coffee, and two ounces Of salt This seems
lair allowance and 20 il would be il fairly
giyer; but here again. from every ship there
arc the same complaints Of iDsuficiency Of
food. Three biscuits only given for a weeks
provision and often not more than half the