The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-05-09
IHE6DIsP ATCH
MaNsAY MORNING. ,........m~, :.
cerr1!rv To sraMEN.

r, the midst Of the boasted civinAA" 'os,i,r-
ch;,authropy. tho liberal ideas and nee I.
tions az modern times, degree y, hn.rt of
. rActssed upon large class IN . ne ,he mid.
cs.,.,.ranr. ~h,ch would have dtsgrsosa W..
80. 49,. - N. dark ages. There Nos D''"
us-.ra ~ EXPLORE the horrors "
80 n,v \, vi,it mnatic asyinms' aua
N,.ns,n,.,e 70 cast beam Of love anu pus'ns.s"
,nso hoseIts,s, bat che prsctiea, po'~n."s0pss
v.t A. ,Ise Who will direct the oensso'euVe VI s"e
vor,d to the relief OF body o. men mose VI
"..".s moro abused, more cruelty and inhumaniy
s.s,s.A than slaves In Cuba, the most pa!serabe
.nni.ets Of the worst despotisn 10 Asia. These
msn. thus tortured, maltreated, and regarded as
Of ,ess account than dogs, Ia this civilized 10Th
ceutary are the men to whose labors its eivilisa'
s,on oves debt Il can never repay; the men who
carry on its commerce amidst periis, privations
and tolls which make their lot hard enough In all
conscience, without auperaedipg the most dee
grading and brutal tyranny that 10 10 possible for
the human Imagination to conceive.
rts horrible fact, that, between the LIST oil
Jane. 1857. and the LIST Of June, 1858, there we're
admitted into the Northern hospital at Liverpool,
upvsrds of one hundred and 6fty patients from
merchant vessels (mostly American) whose safiers
inss, in every single case, we're owing to NAL
treatment at the hands Of their officers. The Call
tforpis papers give accounts Of case now before
the Criminal Court 10 San Francisco, which is .
fair specimen Of multitude Of cases Of like dee
scription. The Alta California Of the 9th instant,
says that the American barque Sarah Parker,
Ephraim Peudieton, master, arrived from Cardiff,
Wales, after voyage Of one hundred and sixty.
eight days. II appeared from the evidence, that
while the vessel Was at sea, John Thompson and
William Johnston, being nearly starved, stole
some biscuits. They were ordered by the captain
90 be noexed and ironed. The naked backs and
sides Of the men were not only cut up with lashes,
bat salt brine was thrown upon the wounds and
allowed to dry on; and this operation WAS repeat.
ed number Of times. To add to the horror, the
men were iroped to the floor OF the hold and bare.
~ sufficient food given them to support the almost
extinct spark Of life. The appearance Of the men,
with backs striped black and blue, and In many
places cut through TO the bones, their shrunken
arms and sunken eyes, and general cadaverous
and ghostiy looking faces, was frighsfnl. No per-
son could behold them without feeling the blood
boil In his veins with indignation at the barbara
~ that brought them to such q condition. But
this ID not the worst, for the California journals
inform ne that II WAS further alleged that asea-
man named Williams, was beaten to death and
then thrown overboard7 The accused Captain
was committed for trsl-both for cruel usage Of
his men, and for murder, and such was the feel.
ing excited among the populace, that It was
thought prudent TO keep him ont Of sight, other
wise he would probably have been executed by
Judge Lynch. The upsAot Of it will be. however,
that, after the popular excitement has passed
away, the owners of the vessel will bring their in
uence to bear In behalf of their tyrannical agent
aud their superior wealth will prove too strong for
the poor sailors aud exert the usual controlling
influence of wealth in the halls of justice.
Even the Navy of the United States sometimes
furnishes examples Of inhumanity as terrible -
can be found In the mercantile marine. An officer
of one Of our national vessels has been arraigped
before Court Martial for inhicting unusual and
degrading punishment upon an American sea.
man, that the poor fellow threw himself into the
ssa and was drowned. Thenecessity of discipline On
shipboard IL indisputabe; it is not against disci.
pline that We protest, but against the arbitrary
and upIimited power over life and limb, which Il
exercised by shipmasters; against unusual, crue
and lawless punishments; against asy stem which
exslts masters of vessels above all law, and which
whilst 1t requi,es seamen to be obedient both &c
the law of the land and the lawless wills of their
masters, denies them the benefit and protection o,
law, whether on or land. The hypocritical cant
about discipline ought not to impose upon the un-
Outstanding Of q child. Does discipline req uire
manning and murder, as the punishment of petty
acts Of dsobedience Discipline is not moren eces
ssry board ships than it Is on plantations, nor
Is the white sailor more degraded than the Afri.
slave, yet, it 1t is found quite practicable to
ensure subsection among the negroes of the South
without cruelty or iuhumanity.