Idaho semi-weekly world. (Idaho City, Boise County, Idaho Territory) 1867-1868, 1868-10-10
geiti St|teklp HJurld.
..RrAnrrY IN THE NAVY.

A correspondent OF the opringheiu
MASS. Republican,, who signs himself
an "Eye Witness" gives lengthy
sketch of the outrageous and inhunan
p,,nishments and fiendish tortures which
are inflicted on sailors in the American
Navy. From this sketch we take the
following. The correspondent says:
It may be asserted, without fear of
contradiction, that nowhere in the Unit
ed States, not even on the Southern
plantations in those sunny days for
which our misguided brethren still sigh,
were there ever more systematic cruel
ties practiced than on some of our ships
of war during the last five years.
The punishments constantly inflicted,
during the war, in direct violation or
evasion of the "Articles for the Better
Government Of the Navy" were numer-
Gus and severe, and some officers, not
cruel, thought of the days of the eat
at the gangway, and wondered whether
we have improved in abandoning it
The ARTICLES" read every first sun
day or Wednesday in the month, in the
presence of the assembled officers and
crew, forbid the punishment Of any man,
without sentence of court, in other than
the following methods: Reduction from
any Office TO which the offender was APP
pointed by the commander; deprivation
of liberty ON shore; conhnemdnt III
irons, single or double, for a period
not exceeding ten days, nnlcss longer
confinement is necessary in order Ia
bring the defendent to trial; and extra
duty.
The first provision is made actually
universal in its application, by the
practice, everywhere recognized. al IA
commanding officer, among his last
acts before being transferred To anoth
er ship, removing all his petty officers
and reducing them to their original
grade. When the new commander
comes, he generally reinstatcs the per
sons removed, and then they become
subject ~ his caprice, as they before
were 10 that If his predecessor The
obvious intention OF the trainers Of the
law was 10 / nit the power I'll arbitrary
imprisonment IL ten days, except III spc
ciic cases: but il was not uncommon
during the war, To See "A man confined
for ten DAYS, then liberated one day
then confined ten again, and So ON
when there was no intention ut ever
bringing him to trial nor IT doing any
thing except Furnishing the man and
eya1ug the law.
But il was in the privilege Of intict
ing extra duty upon his men tlrat tho
tyranncally disposed commanding oliic
or found his greatest arsenal Of wcap
ons, for no superior authority bound
him tn definitions Of the prccis" nature
OF duty; and by that neglect. the rules
of construction rs ~ extra duty were
as flexible n he could desire: and any.
thing. from a midnight watch upon the
main roval ward or the end of the tlving
iihhpom. IT, the ~lnuldcring If heavy
hanaSpika. ar carrying 32-p1uul shot
for four hours, come within that con
venicut and comprehensive term. II
one will place ladder agains; the side
Of the house. at an angle of ~ degrees
aud then. climbing M on the inside
between the house and the ladder. will
support himself by clincin~ ~ il. he
viii be able to appreciate tho huuo,
Of the order Of the officer who condemn
Cd a man to cling in that position for
two hours, in raw, chilly night, and
t. keep good lookout to windward.
\ surgeon Of ship off Charleston
had his attention called, upon joining
the ship. tn the cas-. Of boy made pcr.
Hiantly i'll. apparently by being kept
for hours at time on deck. with a
thirty-two-pound shot tied to each wrist
and running Moose around his neck
AMI fastened in the rigging above. 80
that any motion tn case himself from
the intJlereblc weight would end il
stranrnlation if PERSISTED in; this pun
ishncut being ordered by his command
ing officer. One year later land what
a year 10 us who were more or less IN
his power!) this officer was dismissed
the service for whipping men with his
own hands
In speaking OF Imprisonment, the ar