The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-02-13
x HERALD. MONDAY, FEBRUARY Is, !

Cruelties In tho Merchant service-Con-
ventton with Great Britain nor Their
Suppression.
We are glad to find that the question
as to the means of preventing unnecessary
harshness to sailors on board American and
British ships is about to receive solution from
the joint action of the two governments. In
the House of Commons, ON the 9th ult, Lord
John Russell stated that, in compliance with
the address of the House on the cruelties prac-
tised on board American ships, he had COM
municated with the American government, that
power had been given to Mr.. Dallas to enter
into negotiations to put an end to these atroci-
ties, and that convention was being drawn up
with this object In view. This communication
| is stated to have been received with cheers by
the House-whsther from conviction of the
existence Of the same abuses In the English
commercial marine, or from the desire to
take fling at this country, we cannot take
upon ourselves to say. It is sufficient for us
that the question is in progress of satisfactory
adjustment, for we believe that preventive
measures are as much called for by the bar
barities practised on board British vessels as
on our own. In another column will be found
q communication from an American shipmaster
on this point, which corroborates the facts that
have come to our knowledge In regard to. 1t.
AS regards the outcry made on the subject on
the other side, we have to remark ~ the
greater frequency of the complaints made
there arises from the circumstance that for one
British ship that puts into our principal ports,
| about twenty American vessels enter Liverpool.
1t not unfrequently happens, too, that the Anne
rican captains against whom charges of cruelty
| are preferred are not native born Americans,
but naturalized Englishmen. The harsh prac-
tees prevailing in their own commercial
marine they have introduced into ours, and
thus it happens that the American name is
made to bear the odium of cruelties which are
! common to the vessels of both countries.
In document recently communicated to the
4 Senate, and which will be found elsewhere, we
have return Of the number Of native born
and naturalized sailors who have been regis
tered during the last twenty years 1t will be
seen that, assuming all these to be living they
would not constitute in the aggregate sufi
Gent force to man our merchant vessels, to say
nothing of our navy. Another curious fact
shown by this return is that, Notwithstanding
the enormous increase of our commerce, there
has been considerable falling off in the sup
| ply Of sailors from both these sources during
| the last two years. Now, as the total number
of men required for our merchant service is
from 100000 to 10000, some idea may be
formed Of the immense number Of foreigners
that annually enter it. This result is mainly
owing to the abandonment of the apprentice
ship system and the non substitution of any
other which could operate as feeder for our
commercial marine.
We believe that, as regards both the British
and American services, the origin of these
complaints of cruel treatment is to be
found in the fact that crimps are in the
! habit Of shipping landsmen who have Lad no
experience of the sea, and who consequently,
in nine cases out of ten, turn out idle and re-.
fractory. Responsible as they are for the
safety Of their vessels and cargoes it is scarcely
to be expected that sea captains should at all
! times be able to control their tempers with
these unruly elements. Between insubordina-
ton and open mutiny, there are but slight bar
riers to pass, and in dealing with these cases of
| alleged cruelty, the position Of the officers of
vessel should always be borne in mind and
their conduct judged in reference to their
responsibilities and the crews they have to
! deal with.
We are far from wishing to palliate or excuse
| the harshness to which seamen are often unne-
cessarily subjected. We desire, however, that
full justice shall be done to both services;
and certainly so far as actual barbarity is con-
cerned the balance of evidence is against the
English commercial marine. There are no
sailors in the world, perhaps, worse treated or
worse fed than the British; and there can be no
more conclusive proof of the fact than that
they will always ship on board American yes
sells in preference to their own, when they can
get the chance.
The convention which we are told has been
we'll, and WILL no doubt, tend to mitigate the
evils complained Of 1t will, however, fail to
reach the necessity which exists for the punish
ment of attractions of discipline where the
safety of vessel depends upon its observance.
Some plan by which sailors can be'properly
trained and educated is obviously the only
effectual means of preventing recourse to
harsh measures. The apprenticeship system,
under proper conditions and restrictions, APP
pears to us best calculated to do away with the
revolving practices which are common to both
services Sea captains are not necessarily
tigers or devils incarnate, and if they can only
get crews to work well under their orders, we
have no doubt that they would be found just as
placable and easy to deal with as other people.
In regard to the desire to suppress the atroci-
ties complained of, we can claim the credit for
our government of having been the first to