The New York herald., 1872-09-14
Tho Protection OF Immigrants.

The investigation held by the Commissioners
of Emigration into the alleged i'll treatment
suffered by passengers on board the Charles
H. Marshall has resulted in establishing the
charges made against the crew. Unfortunately
the state of the law places it out of the power
OF the officials to visit the guilty parties with
the punishment they so richly deserve. 1t
appears monstrous that any body of men
should be able with impunity to exercise such
brutality and tyranny as tho wretched Polish
Jews were made to suffer at the hands of in
human sailors, without being amenable to
justice. Had the same assaults been commit
ted on land the perpetrators would quickly
have been consigned to the Penitentiary; but
on account of the unsettled and unsatisfactory
state of international law such outrages can be
committed without fear of punishment. The
story Of the passengers Of the Charles H.
Marshall will not fail to arouse public
attention to the importance of afEording
Sad as the history is as record of '.man's in
humanity to man." it presents by no means
exceptional picture of the suffering and indig-
mites inflicted by brutal sailors on those seek
ing refuge in the New World. Flying from
misery wretchedness and oppression in Eu-
rope. tho extreme poor, who are compelled to
trust to escape to the sailing vessel, are ex-
posed to the brutal violence Of the lowest class
of seamen, who, for the most part, take refuge
in tho packet service With such characters
the maintenance of discipline is well nigh i'm
possible, even when the officers are themselves
of good character-a condition that does
not exist in all cases. In the opinion
Of some of our leading merchants
the cause of the impossibility of finding o
good class of men for this service is due to
the destruction of the American shipping in
terests and the closing of professional career
to men of intelligence and conduct. Although
such scenes as have been enacted Qn board
the Charles a. Marshall ars not unknown on
foreign vessels, it is much to be regretted that
such outrages are most frequent under the
American fag. The cause is, no doubt, trace
able to the peculiar circumstances in which
our shippers are placed with regard to the Sc
lection of crews. Men of all nations crowd
our ports, and from this motley crowd the
crews have to be gathered. But though this
circumstance no doubt exercises an important
influence on the character of American crews,
we must not hastily conclude that it offers suf-
fcient explanation of the tyranny and disre-
gard Of their rights to which unfortunate
passengers are exposed ON sailing packets.
It would, perhaps be nearer the truth if we
left the blame on the want of stringent laws
for the protection Of emigrants while on the
high seas.
The letter of Commissioner Osborn to Mr..
Casserly, the Superintendent at Castle Garden,
in reference to the complaint of an immigrant
Of ill-treatment while at sea, accounts for the
brutal violence of sailors on shipboard From
this letter we learn that the emigrant who
leaves foreign port under the American flag
has absolutely no protection against personal
outrage until he touches land. He may be
kicked until he is at the point of death, or
'.roped," or hung over the ships side head
down. with the prospect Of q sudden plunge
into tho waves, for the amusement Of brutal
assaults unless they are made with intent TO
commit felony. The rufRans know the laxity
of the law and take advantage of it whenever
the discipline Of the ship is not sufficiently
severe to restrain their brutal instincts. With
the knowledge of this fact before their minds
the authorities ought to be able to adopt such
measures as would effectively put an end to
the disgraceful treatment emigrants are so often
subjected TO while at sea. Before the intro
duction of steamers ill-treatment of unfor-
tunate passengers was rule, until
the subject attracted the attention of
foreign governments. By the enactment and
enforcement of severe laws for the protection
Of passengers the abuses soon disappeared. It
only requires the authorities here to take the
same interest in the suppression of brutality
on board passenger vessels, and the enactment
Of suchlaws as will leave no loophole for escape
to the guilty, to render such scenes as were
enacted ON the Charles H. Marshall impossi-
BILE. Once make it clear to the mind of the
ruf6an that he will be held strictly responsible
for his acts, and We shall be spared the shame
Of such scenes on American vessels as dis
graced civilization on board the Charles H
Marshall. Rufaans must be taught that Jews,
like other men, have rights that the law
will enforce But the same disregard for
humanity that was exhibited toward the Jews
on this occasion will on another inaict suffer-
ing and outrage on others who happen to be
too weak or too cowardly to resent wrong.
It is, therefore, in the interest of the common
good that safeguards should be erected TO shield
the helpless from the attacks of the evil-dis-
posed. We hope Congress will act on the rec
ommendation of the Emigration Commits
sioners and amend the law so as to give the
fullest and most ample protection to emil
grants while on their way to their new home.
Humanity and expediency alike demand it.