Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-05-12
For the Journal.
No 7.


1s,,H,;eucv ofthe relief afforded to sick Se0men
Scamen that are excluded from Hospital rel'et-AH
forcion Seamen of foreign VeSSetS-A large pro-
horton of foreign Seamen Z" american esSeIS-
Cnrb american Seamen are destitute Of eerta-
fCoto of citizenship, tCh0se diseases spring from
tJs;r pjces. that haze means to proUidc for them
.lrey or are afflicted IUith any incu1 able disease
Wrcsps ED1ToRs We shall endeavor 10
chow the insufciency OF the provision of the Govern
ort for d" sick and disabled Seamen," even where
Hospal is established, and onr need especially OF
aid 10 establish such institutions as are adequate 10
'bc wants of Seamen To do this would call at,
rention to the various classes Of Seamen excluded
from Hospital relief according to the " laws ana reg
Nations " Of the Government the Inadequacy Vi the
relief extended to the seamcn of our Port cspecaHy,
and the objects and claims OF me "eamen Fi'eha
Society of Wilmington. And L. The various class
o.. of Seamen not entitled to Hospital relief. These
are. / All foreign seaTnen Of foreign vessels. There
we're Ia arrivals and cearanceS OF foreign vessels
with 932 men, at the port Of Wilmington for the
war ending 30lh June, 1852. These, however sick
and destitute, cannot be admitted into a Hospital M,
less their expenses paid, and lt.s convenient 1t
has never been convenient in port as there IS no
Hospital nearer than Norfolk or Charleston Many
Of these men are discharged or harbored until their
vessels leave port. Yet if sick and destitute, they
should be provided for. But we have no institution
save the q Home to take care Of these men
Q Foreign Seamen who have not been on board
of American vessels for three COnSPcut1re years II
should be remembered that large portion OF Our
Sailors are foreigners that almost every voyage lndS
them on different vessels and in associations, and
therefore though they may have sailed for years in
American vessels it rarey that they Can estab-
sh the fact or show sufficient service to claim hos
nal relief And the injustice Ct this regulation far
Their appears from the boast Of Americans to the
Guaranty OF cilizenshipilforA ed by the American flag.
and that hospital tax is eXacted OF all foreign sail.
ors under that flag, and yet in order t. the
benefit Of that tax they required to prove what
the Treasury Department must know it is almost i'm
possible for them to prove.
3 American seamen who are without protection
but very few have protection. 1t wears out in
their pockets; they lose it, give it to brother sailor
in distress, sell it when intoxicated robbed Of ii
by liquor selling landlOrLs who traffic III false pro-
tections, by foreigners who use il evidence of
naturalization. He may be an aged American SAL Tor
that has paid hospital money for years, and never
been sick before, and although he has a claim in
equity on the hospital fund yet his title deed gone,
and his claim is therefore repudated. 1t is well
known that sailors are 50 proverbIay careless that
they seldom keep protection, aud that those who
are so careful as to do it, will generally provide for
themselves, and therefore rarely need the aid of the
Government.
T. American Seamen whose diseases are produced
by their vices These are excluded, although they
are exempted from the hospital tax and therefore
are benetCiaries but claimants of their own
fund And this is done though their diseases often
result from associations into which they forced
by the Government that penurousy cOnsults
economy of expenditure in regard to sick and des
titute seamen as frequently to afford them only such
accommodations are in the "hOuse that is the way
10 hell, going down to the chambers of death" The
Sailor Prodgal, however, who has ''wasted his sub
stance with harlOts need never look for the out
stretched of parental Government that had
such compassion on him" to consgn him 10 their
tender mercies and though hel pess, penniess and
heart broken he may continue to feed on husks that
lo IN HIM
until the closes with despair, starvation and
death
). American Seamen afflicted with mania any
incurable disease. These cannot enter the Hospital
" for any period, however short" He may have paid
a large amount into the Treasury and never had one
cent appropriated for his benefit, and yet nothing
will be done for him. His misfortune cancels his en-
ire claim on the Government Strangers must take
of him. defray the expenses to his home, II he
has in the world and if not, let the Sailor Laza
rous wander and die and his bones bleach on our
sand hills, for not - crumbs" can tall to HIM
from the table of the Government, though honorable
Secretaries "are clothed in fine linen and iarlng
sumptuousy every day"
t. Every American Sailor who is not virtually 4
pauper. For, sin all cases say the Regulations Of
the Treasury Department 'he relief afforded shall be
confined to seamen in destitute circumstances" AnC
this too, when the fund was accumulated, not to be
distributed to paupers, but for the maintenance anC
relief of sick and disabled" not destitute seamen
Such is the inadequate provision for seamen GEL
aral v even where there is a u. S. Marine Hospital
but a much more limited relief has been extended tt
the seamen of our Port. And this will be shown
from the pittance heretofore received from the Gov
eminent, the unjust discrimination made where Their
is Hospital, and the continued restrictions of Sec
rearies of the Treasury on disbursements for the re
lief Of the seamen of the Port of Wilmington.
w. |. LANGDON, Agent S. +. ).
The Insane IdIOtfc.