The Washington union., 1858-03-06
THE I.ArE epasaAousEE n. a. fKssY.


ch2rncter wvEr combined many II the elements which
sesrn the accomplished and surcusul oiccr he
good ssiior and understood liz dufi1s well either cap
tsia commodore. He brave ~nhitioas, zesioas,
snd enerpri.ing, Jelors cf hk honor and the hon
d hs country psssxssd Il ualsag industry and in
donaitalie perseverance,, when work 10 be sss he
spared himself those around him His mind
constantly t~-mag ~isA sa.emes professional sub
octs having Son their sJrt the homer and ensncy OF
the service The pomineat positions he hss held before
The oOunty and the impcrt2at trusts which have been
committed to h ncs the results Of lsck or coed
fortune, but due to his and has constant sax
iety fOr active service. His faults mperfecos an
officer those of temper a1s not ef the
heart and aight fairly t attributed tc the rough school
ia which lac educated Let the memory Of them
sheep with him ia the grave
Commodore Perry entered the navy az a nidslpnaan
in the wear 1893. promoted the rank Of lieutenant
in lsl5 and made commander ia Isz6 While pass
ing through the grades Of rnlshirman and HeuteIant
he served board various sh- and was always aissil-
guishel for hs zeal intelligence and activity During
the period Of ls service as commander on master com
mandant, he commanded the soor of-war Concord when
the celebrated John Randolph in her minister
to luSia Early in 1857 he promoted 70 the rank
Of captain bis first command aloat in this grade
Of the Fulton In Is4o he was appointed 10 the
of the steam gaie Missouri special gn-
pr7stice Ia le43 be ordered commodore OF the
squadron stationed ON the coast OF Africa Here his char
seri.fic and activity displayed ia the exercise
OF the ships the rerHtion he inflicted some Of the ma
tive tribes f outracs American citizens and the e
tablishmen Of sanitary regulations in the squadron the
Of which still in force and have proved Of the
Importance in preserving the health Of officers
and that sioks coast On one occasion while
leading his TO the attack body OF Africans be
seizsl 10y powerful negro chief and violent per-
sona struggle ersue in which both came TO the ground
The Conrrnoore nnabie to use his weapons but dung
t, his naked swarhs foe tin assistance arrived and he
either killed or made prisoner
In lsi6 he ordered TO the command Of the steam
fgate Mississippi then stationed in the Gulf Of Mexico
and in ls4I he relieved Commodore Connor in command
of the home squadron, which then assembled al Sac
crifcios Vera Cruz There the vigor Of his charac
ter fully displayed He hoist@ bis flag on the aIst
Of March. Az and commenced Immediately the landing
" heavy 32poylDers and sinch she'll guns from the
ships for the formation Of naval battery on shore The
guns dragged through the heavy surf and the dieep
sand fY nearly two miles by the men and then used win
tremendous effect upon the walls and ortifcaos m the
city contributing very essentially fs early surrender
1t capitulated the 26h and the walls and houses o
posite this battery found to bc drilled like crIier
der Iasing Vera Cruz with the sqnair,n Immediately
after the surrender, the Commodore before the end ef
June, had captured and ociea every Mexican -eapor,
the Guf that not previously in oar hands yns
PAN Iagua, Toasco and other places were seizs and
all supplies Of the enemy by entirely cut off He re-
mained in command Of the squadron until peace was con
ciu.ied and then returned to the United States
IN the intervals OF s-seryce. Commodore Perry was
never idle HIS empoyments were various and imror
tant, experimenting experiments In ofsinarce and naval
gunncry the command OF different navy-yarls receiving
ships and rendezvous attending to the building Of the
unitei States naval STEAMERS and other duties requiring
high professional atsainments In 1888 he wa, sent to
Europe 10 visit the navyyarss and docks and to collect
infTmxsim with regard this Improvements in naval
arnlnents and other matters His important comrnu
nicaions these subjects file at the Navy Depart
ment, win show the intelligence and fidelity with which
he discharged this duty.
In the OF 1852 the complaints Of sur fisher
men in the Gull Ct St Lawrence OF British injustice
attracted the serious notice of the government and the
country. II thought necessary immeliaaeir de-
saieh officer possessing discretion and determination
to the of difficulty Commodore Perry was se-
lcced for the OCCASION and sailed in in the steamer
Msssssippi for Halifax Johns and the waters Of the
Gulf He made all the necessary Investigations received
xplanasions from the British authorities quictei the
whole matter, and returned to New York after only
months absence
His last command the expedition 10 yars.n So,
uapromsng at the commencement hut which lyy his
rmness and sasaciiy brought successful issue
To Judge OF what he accomplished there would require
acquaintance with the history, laws and customs Of
the singular people inhatiting this country So unary
failures had been made by either nations to pcn inter
with them tha the London Times saii IN an art
Gle which appeared assIt the date Of his sailing M was
he doubted whether the Emperor Of Japan wo,rId re-
ceve Commodore Perry with most indignation OF most
contempt The management of this delicate affair WAS
trusted l the government entirely his discretion and
hc vnIicatei the confidence placed in him by oltanis
ALL ami than all he Instructed To ask for and
that stsut lessenng the dignity fac nv nav hu
initiating concessions, giving any wound the pride
and sclf-esteenl OF the japanese.
After the conclusion of the treaty with Jarssn the
Commodore health became Impaired in the sicky eli
the south OF China and he obtained pernissic
TO return home by tle overland route leaving Capt Alb
loti in command Of the squadron After his arrival At
home he employed, ly direction of Congress in
preparing history Of the expedition Japan Tfa.
history is published but the narrative conveys no
idea of the and Judgment with which he conducted
the negotiations The Japanese say that in their annals
his nsne viii live forever and the future historian Of
country viii not forget that Commodore Perry
the first break through the harr Of exclusion
which that haghty nation had thrown around itself for
hundred and hfty wears, and opened il TO the inter
course and commerce with all the world
Commodore Perry was bern in South Kingston on
NaTraran~tt Bay, Rhode Island Ilrs mother Sarah
Alexander. His father Christopher Raymond Perry
who became officer OF the nfnt marine Of the Uni