The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-05
ADMIRAL COCHRANE.
A MAN WHO. UNCRUsHED BY FATE,
RESTORED HIS NAME FROM bis
HONOR TO RENOWN.
ISt, Louis Republican,

St. Louis Republican,
"The English Parliament has voted $4,000
to Lord Coehrane, this sum representing the
pay of his grandfather, Lord Dundonald. for
the period of his exclusion from the British
navy
This is the last chapter in a story of fact
which, in the strange yicisstndes of its hero,
equals the widest flights OF fiction. Thos.
Cochrane, son Of the ninth Earl of Dun
donald was born December "A, ITS. The
father, having wasted all his means in scen
tific experiments was too poor to educate his
son, and too proud to accept the offer OF the
parish clergyman to educate him gratui-
tously. So Lord Cochrane, as the boy was
called. commenced active life with an exceed
ingly small stock Of knowledge, but his fine
natural abilities enabled him to supply his
deficiencies in later years, to a very consider
able extent at least. Though intended for
the navy, he joined the army when q mere
youth as a subaltern in the One Hundred
and Fourth Regiment. But he soon wearied
of land service, and at the age of seventeen
wa find him attached to the Hind cor
vette, thon commanded by his uncle, Sir
Alexander Cochrane That he was born to
the naval profession Is shown by his bril-
liant record and rapid rise. In 1895, as act
ing lieutenant of tho "fhetis. he helped
to capture two out of a French squadron Of
five vessels in the North Atlantic. In 1900
he was commander of the SPEEDY sloop
of war, carrying fourteen guns and tfty-four
men. in ten months he captured thirty
three vessels with an aggregate OF 1913
guns and 533 men. and assisted In taking
many others In 1901. he took by boarding,
a Spanish frigate Of - guns, and obtained his
post rank for the exploit. The Same year he
himself was captured by French fleet the
admiral OF which would not accept the sword
of 80 brave " man" After his exchange, he
was, in 1903 appointed to the arab aud
subsequently, tot the ''Palas" in both of which
he highly distinguished himself. In 81 Inn
pereuse, in 1907, he captured fifteen Of the
Nnemys ships in a single month. The same
year, with eighty of his own crew, and an
equal number of Spanards, he defended Fort
Trinidad. on the coast of Catalonia, against
1000 French for twelve DAYS, and then blew
up the magazine and escaped to his vessel,
/ In 1909 he carried q tire-ship, loaded with
4 1900 barrels Of powder, against the French
! squadron in the Basque roads and received
for his gallantry the knighthood OF the Bath.
| Now came his misfortunes, partly the re-
suit of circumstances and partly the legiti-
mate fruit OF q fiery temper and unyielding
obstinary, As % member of Parliament, to
which he had been chosen in 1907, Lord
Cochrane charged his former Admiral, Lord
! Gambler, with incompctrncy, which led to
q court-martnl, In which Gambler was ac-
quilted and Cochrane's professional pros
! poets ruined. During the remainder of the
war he could obtain no employment at sea,
and had to content himself with parliament
AIRY fighting. In 1914 he was struck down by
a blow from which he did not recover for
fourteen years. and which an ordinary man
never could have survived. He was accused
Of starting a runor about the defeat of Ma
pnl"on which caused II sudden rise in
| stocks Of which he and his friends took adj
want tge by selling out. He WAS found guilty
Of fraud, sentenced 10 pay fine Of $1,000,
suffer n years imprisonment, and stand il,
the pllnry. The latter part of the sentence
was remittCh. hut he was cashIerod from
! the navy, expelled from the House Of Com
mons and deprived of the Order OF the
! Bath. His constituents OF Westminster
could not be aIipuat'd, however, and promptly
reelected him. and he, with characteristic
daring, made his escape from prison and APP
paared upon the floor OF the House. He re-
manned in Parliament until 1873 and then
abandoned politics and his country to take
command Of the fleet of Chill in her struggle
for independence. After contributing largely
to that result, he entered the service uf
I Brazil as admiral and was created marquis
| by tho Emperor Dom Pedro. In 1927 % he
assisted in tho Greek war of Independence,
and in 1880 returned to England to demand
the justice 50 long withheld. He got it at
once. i'll the shape Uf restoration to his naval
rank In 1891 lie succeeded to the eardom OF
| DundonAd, and in 1877 received from Queen
Victoria the grand cross of the Bath, aud was
| appointed commander chief OF the North
| American and Wc~t India station. In 1851 he
WAS made vice admiral of the White, aud in
1854 rear admiral of the United Kingdom
Retiring from active service soon after he de-
voted himself to scientific pursuits and pro
duced some valuable inventions in signal
! lights and naval proectlss. When upwards
of "igty years Of age he wrote his auto
! biography" which surpHsses any novel in in
terest. and dying in 1860 WAS buried In the
most honorable Of all tomss Westminster
! Abbey.
such was tho marvellous career of Thomas
Cuchranc Earl II Dundonald, n man who
with all his faults and folies, had many o
I the elements OF true greatness, and who. by
his indomitabe courage and iron will, con.