The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-07-02

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the wants consistent with the honor and character Of
the country But in rising upon this occasion to speak
for the navy designed not to refer at any length to its
ships its ordnance any Of its material for legislation
upon these points is contemplated by the bill but
came here to speak of its SOUL its spirit by which the
service moves and has its being and for theseor the
men who sustain your flag and represent spirit upon
the who hold their lives in their hands whenever her
interests the honor Of their country demand their sacr
fce who from Decatur Somers, Wadsworh, and Israeli
to Stewart Stockton, Morris and lngrahan have iden
fled themselves with your growth your glory and your
greatnessfor these sir in behalf of the committee, do
invoke your action.
to be generous know that have but to direct your at
tenton TO the navy for il your cheering and
aiming hand In doing SO, then sir let me briefly remind
you that though ineparaby connected, as it s with
tonal character national rights and national great
ness disclosing, 1t does many heroic deeds and men,
orabe examples of devotion country has received less
from the fostering legislation of Congress than
any other branch of the public service.
Let remind you sir that the gallant spirits who
posed navy at the beginning of the present century
curbed the barbarous princes of Northern Africa compel
led them TO respect flag and its commerce. abolished
the tribute planted the and stripes for the first time
upon fortress of the Old World, and drew from the then
existing Pope the declaration that infant America had done
for Christianity in year than Europe had done in
century And let remind you, too sir that navy,
feeble in ships and feeble il in every
thing but character courage discipline and DEVOTION
the first that dspeed the charm of British nyinci
bity upon the and taught their country the faca
fact whose moral power transcends all armies and naves
that in equal contest with any people upon earth the
honor of our flag might safely be ntrused the navy
Sir in one hour after h official notice of the declaration
of the OF the 18th of June 1872 Commodore Rogers
with his squadron at New York. was under way. With
his hand he fired the first gun fthe war; which, omi-
nous OF success struck the enemy and the umphs which
followed in quick succession not only cheered and ami
mated our own people, and awakened public spirit Of
confidence and enthusiasm hitherto unknown but did
more to elevate character abroad and enforce
our Just pretensons than readily understand
No single combat on land produced happier
suits to Just canse than did the action between the Con-
stitution and the Guerrier
Our inability cope with Britain upon the sen had been
regarded axiom that it folly question was
commonly said that France built and equipped ships aud
them only fall into the hands of England
and that we should profit by her example, and hence
see that from the reduction OF the navy in 1901 the
OF 1872, during which period scarcely day passed without
nsolent violation of neutral rights, a single
frigate was added to navy and it is questionable
whether it was efficient had been in the Tripoitan
1t seems that the administration relied but little upon il
in the contemplated struggle with Great Britain for when
declared not only were few ships tered
to be unable to promptly and vigorously against the
enemy's commerce before it should have had knowledge
of hostes but there be little doubt that it had
determined to dismane ships and retain them in port
and that this policy only ayertcd by the nterpositon
and arguments and representations of two naval
officers Happy it for the country sir that this pol
icy averted for had shipsinsiead of that bold
and dashing career upon the sea which the admr
ton OF their gallant toeSbeen ignomniously dis
mantled and moored under the guns of forts and
suffered to rots sin cowardly naciion the moral power
awakened by its achievements and the resources Of
our country as naval power might still have remained
undeveloped.
Sir, of the naval men who figured in your Trpo-
itn war; and in the Of 1872 still adon the service
linking 1t with its past gories and their deeds and
nown; men who to all that forms the skiiful bold and
finished seamen unite capacity and Judgment rpened
but unimpared by years upon whose acknowledged
ability and courage the country would instantly call in
any naval emergency.
Sir, such make themselves the property of the ma
ton and feel that in my place here speak justly
irppart rtioI1y yofSf of
never the one, and having but slight personal
quanance with the other and looking at public rec
ords alone To Stewards personal and earnest nercesson
with the American cabinet in 1912, less than his
brilliant courage and matchless GOODNESS during the
more than to any living man--do we, in my Judgment
the character with the service won; and whether we
regard Morris in hand-tohand struggle with the Trpo
itan gun-boats of the forlor hope gaanty
led by Decatur and the first reach the deck of the Phil
adepha, the executive officer of the Constitution
who in her memorable action with the Guerrer, lashcd
the enemys ship TO his own, but regard him as
man whose merit has enabled him TO carve out of
every responsibility devolved upon him an honor for his
country and her records for his fame And
who does not with pleasure these still maintaining
their places at the head of their profession performing its
active duties with hearts, Jealous industry and u
clouded intellects?
In this brief mention of these gentlemen trust is un
necessary for discaim any nvdious discrimination
against others cite not as executions to- but rather s
types of those gallant spirits who freely shed their blood
to sustain the honor OF the country in the of 1872
while thousands Of their counrymen security at home
were ucHouHClnR IT,
Sir, cannot at this day, review the declaration of
OF 1872 without regarding it of the most heroic
acts of any age. We made it against greater oddsinf
ntely greater oddsthan opposed Napoleon when Europe
arrayed in against him; when foe had ami
hated his gigantic naves when Duncan at Camper
down Howe the lst of June 1894 Nelson, at the Nile
Cochran at Basque Roads; Parker Copenhagen; and
Neson again Mt Trafalgar had filled the world with Brit
aims fame and united its belief in her invncbility The
naval flags Of Europe at her feet she emphaticay
ruled the and her postcaptains were the high
consables of the deep Against such foe and in the cy
utant hour of her unexampled triumph naval men
sailed ont upon the to strike for its freedom They
went out Mr. Rush has expressed it, with but sling
their hands And well did they demean themselves in the
unequal struggle In all laudcs all times and places
they sought the enemy Travesng the East and West In
dies the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and even the British
channel they not only captured destroyed thousands of
her merchant tonnage but of her blest captains in
her finest ships in equal combat lowered the stars and
stripes of the unried republic that banner which Britain
proudly boased had braved unconGucred for thousand
years, "the battle and the breeze ra .a q
IL is difcu as have said at this distant day to COM
prehend fully the bearing of such naval career upon our
national character. While own people, with ono uni
vcrsal acclamaon, hailed il with surprised and exultant
gratitude, Europe-Ma Europe whose were also
sustaining, and which had gazed with folded arms upon
the unequal contest anticipating
its asonishment and admiration. Even Great Britain
when she found her merchants complaining OF the count
less tons of shipping destroyed captured her insurance
policies commanding cxorbtant premiums her West India
trade cut up, her whaemen nearly annhlated and her
shpsowar sunk in equal contest longer spoke through
her public prints of boards nailed oqaer for shin.
sailing under bit Of striped bunting p but with tla noble
instinct which impels the Bons heart to do Justice