The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-05-21

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| l3eh, 1903, for the shores of the
/ Mediterranean, to teach the pira teal
powers Of the Barbary States that his
country at least, though a Christian
nation, would pay no tribute for the
privilege Of navigating a sea common
to the commerce Of the world; nor
would suffer their corsairs TO prey
upon the merchant marine of the
United States with impunity. 1t was
his determination to intimate this
resolution, not only to the predatory
and rapacious powers OF. Northern
Africa, but also to those powers OF
Christendom which, presuming on
their numerical superiority and pre-
scriptive supremacy, dominated the
ocean with imperious arrogance, and
condemned the modest and justihable
pretentions of the American flag.
This cruise of Preble's in the Con-
stitution laid the foundation of that
discipline In the American Navy
which has replenished its annals with
triumphs so important and distin-
guished, and has rendered II of so IN
estimable a benefit to the country 5
maratime interests. Like Mad Jack
PerciVal, he was IN temper arbitrary,
capricious and violent, and like him
also, he was a thorough seaman
character which, among men cOmpe-
tent to critically appreciate 1t, com
pensates for all personal shOrt-com
ings, and when combined, as it did in
these two instances, with real game,
genuine pluck, sterling courage, It
invested the possessor with a carte
blanche, to be in other respects as
eccentric as he pleased. 1t Is related
of Commodore Preble that, when
passing the Straits of Gibraltar at
night, and the man at the look out
deserving through the surrounding
darkness a vessel whose nationality
and intentions were dubious, and
coming near and hailing her repeat
eddy, and receiving no response, the
Commodore, Selling q speaking trum-
pet and ascending the rigging,
Numbered out, This is the United
States frigate Constitution, A,
if you 10 not answer me Immediately
| viii give you a broadside; blow your
matches, boys" This menace pro-
duced the replythat the vessel so per-
emptorily saluted was His Britanic
Maiesty's frigate Donegal, a razee of
90 guns. Preble expressed his dis
belief Of the statement, aud declared
his intention TO lie by her through
the night, and see further about her
Ia the morning. A boat was there
upon sent to the irate Commodore's
vessel, and the officer in charge re.
ported that he belon- ed on board of
the Maidstone frigate, and that the
former report was merely a ruse to
obtain time to get their ship ready for
action. The discipline the English
officer witnessed on board of the Yam
kee astonished him; and it no doub5
astonished him still more a few years
thereafter, when It's good effects be-
came still more apparent on the rup-
ture between the two countries in
1912, when the Old Ironsides, under
Captain Isaac Hull, dissipated the
glamour Of invincibility which envel-
oped the folds of the Union Jack of
Great Britain.
The war with Tripoli resulted IA
vorably to the demands of the United
States. The force that had been en-
ployed In it was hardly adequate to
the purpose which it was expected TO
accomplish, but Notwithstanding the
loss it sustained 10 the capture Of the
frigate Philadelphia, and her subse-
quent destruction by a force COM
manded by Lieut.. Stephen Decatur,
yet the genius, courage, and Indomit-
able perseverance of Commodore
Preble surmounted every obstacle,
and brought the war to a successful
termination. The Constitution came
out of the contest covered with
laurels, returned to the United States.
and was lying at Annapolis, Maryland,
when the war began in June, 1872.
Commodore Isaac Hull was ap-
pointed to command her ia 1912, and
was ordered to take her thence to
New York. While on his way thither
he fell in with whole British squad
ron, which Immediately chased him.
The weather was squally, the winds
we're variable, and at length a dead
calm supervened. To this emergency
the boats of the English squadron
were attached to one of their ships of
superior force, and she was being, In
this manner rapidly towed within
gunshot. The sitution Of the COnsti-
tuition was gradually becoming more
and more desperate, though HILL en-
ployed every nautical stratagem known
to seamen, or suggested by his own
ingenuity, to save his ship. He had
on board several supernUmery officers
who performed excellent service In
this emergency. At last soRndings
in twenty eight fathoms of water were
found, anc a kedge with mile of
line was taken out ahead and dropped
to the bottom. The crew were
then set to work to warp the
ship towards it. Ia the mean
time another kedge and line we're