New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-10-14

Jby .oi> becomes li, TACT that it takes all sorts oil
people to make "a. ad that Little PcddHns''h'
with his Little IliuctOnans, Is SIN eXlahl III
moro communities diam one. The metropolitan mlhd
can conceive of uuilmg much more agreeaoie OF
benefit ial to public t;>'c than the erection IN pubhc
parks of good statue. 10 good men. especially when
all the expenses arc Incurred 10y private individuals;
but the metropo ar miud forres that there are two
ways of looking 80 inc sGhtct-a NehI way ana
wrong way-and tta; 10 Is quite possible for human
nature 10 make worse appear the better cause.
Perhaps had Mr.. Belmont realized how very wicked
IL was ia order of his father-in-law the late
Commodore Mathew CalbTaith Perry, he might
have ShTunk frc1 committing henOus an
ofeuse to the m'noIy OF other peoples deceased
relatives: but, to n n at the beginning.
Two wears age. =. q, A. Ward began statue OF
Matthew Z. PER- which. when COmpleicd was III
tended to be placed over the CommOdOres grave
Fifteen months since site was secured IN the New
port Cemetery. where the COmmodOres remains
were brought 10 order to rest IN the place OF Ills
birth Learning that the statue promised 10 Pea
fine work of art, c'lzen OF Newport DeihOughJ nni
that more cou,p. -rouS position than the cemeteIy
would he morc ao ST utageOus To the city supports
by others IN thi, iia note was addressed 70 nii'
Belmont. who rcpi that II the authoI!tlcS au Oo,.
zcns expressed sire 10 have the statue ~ inTIo
central part of t ,I n. the family womb chetIi uly
give their COn~ruI such disposition OF H. Iholo
upon petition WAS drawn up. signed by numerous
peTsons presrnt,a 10 the Common Council, and
granted. Howc,-. the course OF go3d h ~
true love, docs run SinOoIn anu Oh tiio ~ 20
last June the p- uucrs as well as lne lhJoIlt! vi
the pullic Were - Huudcd at hearing thaJ counter
netition had hel resented TO the Council asking
that body 70 IcSclm vote that was on
noxioms 10 a l.iuority. inns eAuaOIulhHiA
petition received signatures OF nine names anu
WAS SAT upon al - .p.cial meeting of the Common
C0upcil where sl hot discussion, the orSllial
eraut was carried Do, unanimous vote the statue
"accepted with i .,ul thanks" and the ielnoh-
STRANGE given iraNe to WItIuiaW' - Vow W.
thinL the rcmou~ trance argued that the honor ot
having the first So erected IN the pubic park OF
our city, is due g. ,Hat man who has conferred an
enduring and uuF.i i,iabe glory upon our city ana
upOn our State. lUr public mlnd deSlgaleS loI lhs
honor almost UnIu mOuSly. the hero OF Enc, OilNtr
Hazard Perry g lo al the age OF - achieved prll-
liant victory for h'- ouutry, at time When such
victory was n,cot. 10 revive the chsheartehed
spirit of his men, victory 50 brilliant IN III,
self and so important in its results. as 10 have carried
disInay into the councils Of the enemy. This Is the
mantle brother 90 the late Comlnod0re[WhOm tlle
people regard rs then peculiar hero. And TO MN we
should be the mOIe tlue as attempts IN years paSt
have been ma,e Co diminish the glory, that rlghtfuly
belongs To his name on the pages of American History
Let him have statue, and ley the statue De eToGltu
GU the best site ln our publc park III the puuhc
park is TO he tuIheiShed by statues, let the best
sites be given 70 o. the men whom we most honor
men who have IGNORED us most Man WIN
capital NJ Brother" with capital Is, and the most
significant OF liaiics were IN VAIN. ne common
Council and common sense carried the day. Yet the
war ragged fierce .td strong, and was fought by DOth
sides in the columns of The DAILY AarS; Everybody
that had ever had a grandfather rolled IN fine
frenzy at the insult offered TO Newport Anyone I'M
acquainted with American history would have been
had been a second Robert Kid, and had
Murdered Capt. Norc not many leagues from shore
And left hun iu hiS gore, as he sailed
The disaffected should have battlecry, so "a II
Wa not possible for the owners OF granafatheiS TO
nmte upon every ones ancestor. they rallied around
the standard Of Oliver Hazard Perry. This was the
real Commodore" and no other Perry had any right
10 bronze etglcs cakes and ale OF any Description
Far be il from me TO institute any comparison be-
tween the two PeTys, brothers, and both faithful
60 their flag yet rs the tendency IN Newport Is 10
uuderN alue the services of the younger Commodore
love of fair play calls for justice to the latter
Born III Newport IN 1874 (APpld0nS CycOPeGd is
wrong in assigning 1875 as the year, and South
Kingston as the place of his birth. where however,
his elder brother MAS born. instead OF IN Newport as
stated by the Cycioptdi0 Matthew L. Perry was a
IuidShip nan III lSOO lieutenant IN 1915. a com
mandeT at 26 captain at 81 He was prominent IN
organizing our steam marine he conducted series
of ordnance experiments; he was sent 10
Europe special service connected with dock
yards and lighthouse administrations In lSiS he was
especially chosen to act In conjunction with England
In suppTessing the slave trade on the African coast
aud won eulOgums from both his own Government
and that of Britain. Commanding squadron ton
gotiate peace ia the contest about the fisheries on
the northern COASTS he did more than his duty, and
when ia command of the Gulf Squadron during the
Mexican war, he conceived the idea OF naval land
battery, when ii was supposed that there was no
thing left for the navy 10 do, and used II with signal
effect. Selt-aught. for IN his youth there was no
Naval Academy. Matthew Perry studied the English
classics in his leisure hours, aud Dr. NntOn says the
manuscripts eXtant III which he copied whole pa
pers Of The Spectator and The 1Gter, and afterwaTd
put them 10 paper from memory. This practice I'M
dGubtedy accounts for the excellent style IN which
his official papers are written, and for the very at
tTactve and ucd manner In which he tells the story
of the Japan EXp. diiOn, a story that is read from
beginning to end without loss of interest, and with
remembering hat II is very big book and what
is even terrifying an official report DIR. NIntOn
asserts from positive knowledge that although DIR.
Efancis L. Hawks is supposed to have edited this
book, he wrote Morning whatever but the preface.
and that the rest is a direct transcript of COmEO-
dOre PeTTys manuscript. DESTROYS on avoiding any
appearance OF egoiis, the whole account OF the ex
petition written by the Commodore in the third
person. thus adding mOdestly TO the list of his viz
tues sailor. engineer, dipOmatist and writer
Matthew Caibidith Perry adds renewed luster TO q
noble name, and To- ignore his claims by calling bis
gallant brother the real Commodore" Is to rob him
of Just due
When Marco Polo returned from his voyage of dis
cOvery in lzD. he declared there great island
20 the east called Zipangu. meaning the modern
Japan. TreasuTing tins report Columbus started IN
search Of Zipangu 200 years later and thought he
had attained the object OF his long dream when he
landed upon Cuba To Japan then III fact America
owes its discovery and it is absolute pOetica Justice
that in its turn America should have discovered
japan, for il is too well known TO be repeated that
Japan but geographical expression to ciylllza-
ton until IS years ago. " 50 long as the sun shall
warm the earth let no Christian be so bold as to
come 10 Japan; and let all know that the King OF
Spain himself. OF the Christians God, or the great
God of all if he violate this command. shall pay for
it with his head" such was the implous imperial
deere of 1882 held inyiolate until Commodore Perry
entered the Japanese waters and IN opposition 70
the Japanese laws" in their Official dealings the
Japanese themselves confessed opened tne gates Oh
a great empire to commerce and Christianity. How
was this dOnei BY patience, perseverance,,
comprehension of the peculiar people with whom he
dealt, is difficult 10 realize. Never was more
straieht-forward policy pursued. "He never de-
ceiyed them BY any falsehOod, nor ever gave them
reason suppose that his purposes could be altered
by their lies and stratagems. His whole diplomatic
policy was simply 10 stick TO the truth in everything
to mean just what he said and do just what he
promised"
But it is time to talk about the statue so return
from long WandeTlnRs beyond the
Newport weather has not been behaving with its
customary urbanity, but this week has recalled
memories of former beautiful Autumns, and yester-
day though somewhat cloudy. fulfilled the expecta-
lions of all Newport had holiday, for was not the