The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1846-06-18
VOL. XII.
PAUI. ZONES.


The Charleston Mercury, of late date,
contains the following vindicaton of the
character of Paul Jones, which has suffered
as much from prejudices which foreign par
agraphists implanted in the minds.of his own
and succeeding generations, at his private
fortunes did from the dsinterested quality of
his patriotism. In our own country, the land,
for which that gallant spirit devoted its sleep
less energies-there are many who associate
the memory of Paul Jones with reckless dar-
ing, sometimes displayed in questionable en-
terprises.
eThe fate of Paul Jones, living and dead
has been strange and hard one, and con-
tains as many items of injustice as ever fell
most devoted, he plunged into the struggle
of our Revolution, and threw into the COM
mon treasury a soul as heroic, as adventurous
as exhausiless ofIesourses as ever lived, end
less labor and money to the last dollar of his
fortune. The naval officer in the service
who showed the intuiive genius Of great
chief. he not only was not placed where he
belonged, at the head of the navy, but was
postponed in 10 rank long string of men
who had no reputation and never acquired
/ any. Engaged in the most active and sue
cessful service, for several years he not only
received no dollar Of pay and no rations,
but he was almost the whole time in advance
TO Congress for money paid Out in repairing
his ships and feeding his crews. Fromtime
to time he occupied himself in giving TO the
Navy Department his views, full of sound
sense and comprehensive system, of the or
ganizaiion OF the navy. But while time has
confirmed his views and led TO their adoption
it was not ill the world had forgotten who
was their author.
"But the most heinous wrong done &c
Paul Jones is found in the popular notion o.
his character, which seems 10 have been Dor
rowed from the coarse ISLANDERS of the British
press, at the time ne frightened The Isles from
their property, and put Mistress Britannia il
paroxysm of terror and rage. For hall a
century he existed in the popular minds a:
little better than q successful ruffian-a big
ferocious savage, with diabolcal eye, whose
voice in battle was that of an enraged tiger
whose soul exulted in killing men, sinking
ships, and burning towns. The friend, cores
pendent, and companion of Franklin ruffian
The doIized hero ofthe court of Versailles
savage! Never was there a more rascal
caricatuFe. Paul Jones was a slender man
delicately moulded and organised, handsome
County in manners, with great love of re
fined society, aud with qualities to adorn it
given 10 writing poetry, and as distinguished
through life for his humanity as heroistn zane
five consider that, excepting the lion cour
age aud intuiiive genius that God gave him
he was in all respects absolutely a self mad
man, the refinement ofhis manners, the cult
walton of his mind, his comprehensive an
profound knowledge Of his profession, an
his power Of developing his ideas in logica
order and with rare clearness OF expression
will seem scarcely less marvellous than tn
successful daring of his action. We canno
find, in all naval history hero with highe
and more various claims 10 admiration tha
John Paul Jones.
But TO the people of the United State
he is something more. He is their naval HI
robe, more than any other, deserved 10
honoured as the founder ofour navy, and III
founl of its inspiration-the tutelar genius
our wooden walls. He first showed that SUI
cess was possible, and so unexpected and a
founding was the proof; that all Europe ran
with the capture of the Scraps, as if it hi
been the downfall of an empire. 1t was,
fact, the birth ola rival 10 the proud Msire
of the Ocean."-Sdturday EUening Post