New-York tribune., 1868-01-20
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.

qsIE HoNbCIDAL VOYAGE or TIE EmiGEANr SHIP
LEIBNITZ.
To IL. Editor Of T1 Tribrne
SIR: Scarcely has the public mind recovered
from the shock occasioned by the recent appalling NOR
talty ON board the Lord Brougham, when stil more
shocking scene presented in the case OF the Lebntz
Last Saturday arrived at this port, this elngrant ship,
WHICH sailed GO days previously from llahpms' WIN 900
who left their own country to see III ours
days after sailing sickness appeaieu aIng tne
passengers and spread so ghtfuy that Deloe andlng
below los persons had died, and their bodies Deeh hrON
into the deep Thrtyiv more In dying cond-
ti0n while than 100 OF those remaining are Drokeh
down health and constitution by their during
the voyage on board this plague ship OF estenee ana
death. No cholera existed at the port Oh departure
appeared on board until nne days ou, anu ycs
the disease called 10y the officers OF the snip chWFd
These cmigTants from Europe are invited 10 onr con
fry hy the promise security. under the fostering care
of free Institutions. IN heir lives, property ana p
become ci,zcns Of ON Republic. And yet ROW DO we re-
deem this promisei ON the same day The IehnlI
arrived there heard in the United States Dhtrlrt
Court in this city of several Steamship seized
by The United States Marshal OF these yessel-' some
passenger laws, under forfeiture Of om $4,000 10 S0J
The counsel for the vessels argued that EonEess @ l'o
power of control them aud demanded The disnssOh
Of the suits want OF jurisdiction.
judge Bachford We are told did not admit this plea
ton Of he act Congress entitled An act ,or regulating
Tie carriage OF passengers III seaioo't ana vessels ca
The District Attorney, believing the position taEeh Dy
The Government correct. intends, We are nioineu 10
Ia be- an appeal the United States Circuit Cour in
these Has Congress no power over TINS sugoc a.
tU the manner IN which eigI"is Shail De brought ana
10 determine who shall be permitted to laId On our
shOresi
for the sake ~ humanity and religion, appy win que
Difference to foreign governments 10 stop this wholesale
destruction OF lie on these Immigrant ships by suitable
cnactmcuis OF their Own.
Why. we ask did not the masters OF these vessels.
,eien fhrv knew this ntagous disease board,
and baicd their skill check its rayages, make for the
nearest port m order tO save their passengers rom thc
de~iroyiug pcsence Why did they continue Their yoy
age
month nl,er the disease appeared on spb0ald, instead
0f puttng into some port in gland Or France, from
which they were only Few days distant
The Commissioners 90 Emigration have endcaVoreu
In every way ~ their power, protect the immigrant
and our legislature ha, passed repeated at, .Or the same
noble purposc suits have instituted: vessels have
been seized aud ey,ry effort made 10 stop til, wholesale
sIs,ltrr int a,l has been in vain with n,olent
gancc and contempt ~ a this his barbarous work goes
on unrcbukcd and unchecked The remedy Is with Con
crcss alone and VIII d. rOusod speedy and v.gor
o,, actun There can be- NO question Of the power OF
Congress To control the treatment Of immigrants while
board foreign ships ana 30 one denies the Hght 10
pass such quarantine laws. - shall protect them ana
ourselves upon landing upon our shores
More than thu Congress organize steamship lines
o uur own governed and controlled by our own Iawr, for
foreign Immigration by aolhg tt enterprise oi our oNI
zcus with payment for oar mail service ana by loan
of Government credit, TO oLabc them to compete Win
foreign steamship lines.
memorial ol an association OF our own citizens. ncor
poratod ~ the Commercial Navigation Company OF the
state ~ NcWlotk has been presented to congress ash
ing ad 10 establish weekly mail and emgrant steam
ship line tctwcen Scw-York and European ports; iht
week memorial. signed hy over LOO oi our lea'llns
business liIu- presented by Senator cohkLg pray
in Conefcss 10 aid tAis company ~ ~ were hcees''ly
every citizen m th, STATE and New Jersey uhess ie"
vino are more en- less mdcr the Influence Of foreign n'
native bUr and natdrihLed would petition Congress I,
The only opposition found among those interested IN
foreign hucs OF AMONG III" soellru AmeIea S,'.1,ls @
with European pnncpl.. one ol TINS lhst class o peh
Who !, atsc stockhollcr IN foreign steamship line,
-ad To- another citizen; 10 you suppose We tuna tnae
the American Government shan ad IN otEal@lhF nhs
of steamships 10 Europe under American ownership ana
oi Amclcan @ y M ~ reSsut eve ~ whv our
stock ID now worth per cent md let II De known that
glltl an
with ~, "ur stock Would ial 20 Per cent ana soon 'one
down To par No Sir. We can AFFORD 70 allow II; aal We
can hire plenty Of Your people FOR money 10 oppose Tor
such % iNal line
Forc-hadowing this foreign policy. attacks have al.
ready been made upon the Commercial Navigation Com
pany" In some Of the public Journnl,-gvmg ont mat
Congress ought not and will not give aid 10 that or any
Ike company. Every true American, every member or
Congress every lover Of human KIND, every friend ~ the
poor the d0wHtrOddcn and the oppressed OF Europe ~
Interested IN tie favorable action ol Congress IN THIS De
half
In these pcstentia steam and sailing vessels. when
suci fearful mortality prevails among me Immigrants.
the cabin passengers always safe Even the crew.
exposed 20 the hardsups 81 seamns duty upon Win
and the officer. wen, are exempt from the
Yagcs of the cholera The fireman, who tolls below the
water line where ventilation IL impossible. and the heat
Il often at 100 10 no Ot Fahrenheit never gets this So
called cholera which sweep, of the poor immigrants ana
their families by hundreds This awful pesencc arising
from poisoned food from want Of care and proper Nenl
laon must be called the cholera shield the master
and OwncrS OF the plague snip rOln merltcc punishment
The fearful story OF the arfcrngs death aboard the
steamships England Virginia Union, Peruvia Guiseppn
Bacaroch Albert. Eugenia Lord Brsugham, and Leib-
nl with the long lists Of their dead Is published in for
eln lands and thousands sti endure this oppression IN
European countries who would otherwise come Ia our
own rather than risk the horrors and dangers Of these
pestlentbIecdiug plague ships.
How long shall this state Of thing contiBuei How long be
fore American steamships shall bring adopted citizens
To country and put end - these inhuman barbara
tes of the foreign immigrant hhpsI The Postmaster
General not only would gladly give the masto American
lines such established but IN hs satesman ke letter
Of the 2Oh January last he urges Congress TO take steps
necessary % establish such lines