Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-04-22
HAVE AMERICAN sEAMEN ANY
RIGuTHs a NAVY OFFICER II
ROIND TO REsPENI2

HAVE AMERICAN sEAMEN ANY
RIGuTus a NAVY OFFICER IN
BOUND TO RESPECT?
Mr. Robson has made an effort to estab-
lish the possibility Of an affirmative answer
TO this nterrogatory. Whether II will be
successful or not depends upon the vigor
with which he may follow II up. We con-
gratulatc him upon the beginning he has
made In disappearing and setting aside the
atrocious sentence Of Joseph King, seaman,
by his general order No. 1j2 Of Goth ultlmo,
but warn him that bis future fame as a
statesman will be Judged by the one criterion
of success In ovcrthrowlng the official dcspot-
ism which paralyzes the naval service. As
yet his strength, like that Of the infant
Hercules In his cradle, Is undeyclopcd, and
more that one serpent will have to be stran-
gled before he establishes his claim to the
verdict Of public approval. His opportunity
is at hand. VIII he throw OF the shacklcs
by which the Establishments Of the line and
the weight Of great names has bound him,
and make a bold effort to reinVigorate the
United States navy by introducing healthy
reforms Nous rcrroHS.
The story Of Joseph Kings trial and pun
ishment makes us wonder whether We arc
not yet In the middle Of the sixteenth CEN
tury. He was tried by a court-martlal in
the bay Of Rio Janeiro on the 18th Of jan
uary, 1870, the 1st specification Of the lst
charge being the use Of the following Lam
gunge, to wits "I'm not going to take seven
days on the black list from dirty, drunken
son-of-b-- like Mr.. Ro5ertson"-tho ex-
ecutive officer Of the vessel. To this the ac-
cused pleaded In bar Of trial as follows
1.-THE accused pleads 10 bar OF trial to the
dIately sfter the date of said specification,
viz, 5th May, 1869, he was tried BY summary
eouttmArtial, aGd sentenced 10 coRhhsmenI IN
double irOR5 on brc1d and trairr, for MiItg days,
loss ofthrrc mOHihF pay and rtiru police dWies
for Tire B.5HthS5 aud that tuis sentence hay
ing been carried intn eject, be was fully re-
stored TO duty nor was he Informed that
charges were pending against himl and he
therefore prays the court 10 dismiss this speci.
hsation 70 the charge a1 AGAINST ne spIrit ana
This plea was sustained. but upon evidence
produced In secret session and during he ab-
ssnes Of The accused, he having the right to
hear and face the evidence in support Of his
plea in open court. This star chamber prac-
lice is properly disapproved by the Secretary
OF the Navy, who, while he admits the cor
rectness Of the conclusion grriyed at as to
this plea, objects TO the mode Of Introducing
the proof
The second specification Of the first charge
was that said Joseph King, ordinary sea-
man, did say "there is not an officer on the
ship who is not id bcach-comber," or
words to that effect. There Is nothing In
the record to show how far the facts of the
case may have justified these indignant dec
larations Of the seaman, but there is no de-
nylng tho fact that there are some officers
Of the navy who merit the epithcts Of
"drunkard" and "beach. comber," though
1t is undoubtedly against discipline to permit
a sailor to say so. Sailor human nature,
however, like human nature on land, some
times breaks the bounds Of endurance, and
risks punishment by an outburst Of temper.
The result is always very hard on the speaker,
though he may have spoken truth, as wit
ness the prisoners plea In bar of the second
specification Of first charge;
"AG to the I'd specification OF the llt charge,
the accused pleads that he was tried by a sum.
mary couTt-mATtial on the eth May, 1860, aud
received seT.sIa SsaiGa's s r iof hs shdf
after the nnding and sentence Of the Court
were published, he was punished, 10 addition
to the sentence Of the Court, as follows: Ga
the morning Of the sth Of May he trds confined in
The iauRch Of The Portsmouth,, his feet iroasd 10
FHq-boh ht1 hdnds IN irons, crpO1ed 10 me burntHg
rays Of The sun, and irIG forced 10 remain IN hts
petition tDiih0h food or drink, until t0ipdrdS cue
ming, when he was taken from the launch to
a 1aaNH 81 hn HhN HH HTfUFI
and combined In SWcdt-bOF Of such dimsH.
SioHG that Il tCIs imp0tSibIe 10 81 dOrA IN II.
In addition TO the III ventilation OF the place,
which he was not allowed to leave, bucket
was allowed to be placed in the swoat-bON for
purposes Of nature that was emptied but once
In the twenty.iour hours. His health was
affected to such an extent that II was thought
eNpedlent he should be put under medical
treatment, and he was so treated, btill remain
Ing 10 confinement, and, the sentence having
been carried out, he WAS fully restored to duty
nor was he informed that charges were pend
iuE against him; and he therefore pFays the
Court to dismiss the 81 specification to the LIST
charge as against the spirit aud letter OF Naval
Regulations, article 81 sec. H.
The court OVeriuled this plea; aud, there.
upon, the accused pleaded not guilty TO said
specification, and not guilty TO charge nfst.
To the specification OF the second charge the
accused pleaded In bar AS follows;
"On the 7ih OF December he was ronhhsd IN
double irons on the berth deck Of the POrttmOuth,
and, on the same evening" lgas made 10 stand BY
ITCi on the deck, and his hGHds, being trOHed
behind him irere attached 10 an eys-Doh dbops,ahd
kent up for sitiy houvs or hertdbouiS, during
about tnslps hours Of trhich he tpds gagged. lie
so eoildHSd for len day., with the exception
OF two periods OF tWcnty.ouF hours each,
and claims, therefore, to have fully eXpiAted
any offence he may have been chaTGeable with
at that time
The court-martal found King guilty of
the charges In part, and showed Its Ideas Of
the kind of punishment which should be
meted out to American citizens In the naval
service without rank OF friends by the fol-
lowing mnenanimous sentence, this being
IN ADDITION 10 whdt he poor Tretch had
already suffered!
Sentence -"An nd the Court do therefore sen.
tenee the said Joseph King, Ordinary seaman,
u. 5. n, 10 be confined in double irons tM an op
pOTtUHHV offers Of sending hin 10 he lHHrd Haiss
In a United States Uctsri, t0hrH ne 1hdH BE- tsHij
and, during ne pds5dgc home, ne SaaH BE- e08hnSi
in double irons and, on hi8 dFFiUdi In he United
States, he shall be COHdHsi in such prison or PEN
HsRiiary as me honorable Secretary Of the Nary
thdH ds'igHais for ,GUe years al hard labor, he
time Of cen HHcBlem Ia tic prit0H or penitentiAfy
TO count from the date Of the sentence, 10 for
JSn all the pay Which may become dHe him, amount
ing 10 nine hundred and irrHy frc dollars and niHc
cents (tg25 .09) he being now IN debt to the Gov.
eminent to the amount Of thiTtyf four dollars
and ninety-One cents 1884 Oh, with the eNoep-
tiOn Of twenty-five dollars tS25l, to be paid TO
him on his discharge from confinement, and,
at the expiration Of his term OF sentence, to be
dishonorably discharged the naval service Of
the United States"
Let our readers imagine II they can the
exquisite torment Of being iroHcd 10 d ring
bolt with hands IN irons opposed 10 ne burning
rays Of a tropical sun IN The boy Of Rio all day
long rithom food or driHk-of being gagged
and confined IN arsat Dor where u Is iplpoS.
SiJls 10 III dom tslth dirty bucket for com
pdHy-of being gagged and strung up Jy he
hands 10 an eye bolt, and after this punish.
ment has been endured to be tried and re-
punished cruelty for the same offences.
The Secretary Of the Navy has performed
no less a manifest duty than an act Of hu-
mainly In this case by settling aside the SEN
tence Of the court martial, and we arc glad
10 perceive that he Intends to investigate
the matter further, having no doubt that 1t
will disclose another Of the abuses that
grows out Of the executive office" busl-