Their Way Of Life In General, Prevents Their Enjoying
Domestic Comforts; And Gross Animal Appetites Fill The Place Of Purer
Affections.
At last, extinct each social feeling, fell
And joyless inhumanity pervades
And petrifies the heart.
-
THOMSON.
Though they are members of a civilized society, they may, in some
measure, be looked on as a body of uncivilized men, rough, passionate,
revengeful, but likewise brave, sincere, and true to each other."
In place of inveighing against the illiberality of this statement, or
attempting to dispute its truth, as many persons, from an affectation
of enthusiastic regard for the honour of our tars, or positive
ignorance or contempt of the most incontrovertible obligations of
morality and religion, would incline, it will be vastly more
philosophical to investigate what are the principles of human nature
and the circumstances in their situation, which give rise to such a
character, that if possible some adequate remedy, or check at least,
may be discovered. This is certainly not the place for such a
discussion, as the importance of the subject demands; and the writer
can by no means imagine himself called on to enter upon it. But he
hazards a remark. He would consider British sailors as made up of
precisely the same elements as the rest of men, and that the obvious
peculiarities in which they differ from others, are the result of the
circumstances of their professional situation. It follows, that his
censure falls on the profession itself, rather than on those who are
members of it.
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