New-York tribune., 1881-12-26
ing that others should be allowed to distinguish

ing that others should be allowed to distinguish
themselves.
The Constitution then won't into the hands ~
Captain Bainbndge, and sailed with the Hornet ON
the Goth of October, 1912. On the 26th Of Decem
Der she captured the British frigate Java. When
Banbridge gave up the command of the
Constitution in 1913, she was found to be
In a very decayed condition; and then began
those repairs TO which she has been so often sub
jected. When she sailed again she was under the
command of Captain Charles Stewart. Before hs
came back. after cruise in the Wost Indies, he
captured few prizes and the man-of-war schooner
PIctou, Ii. Captain Stewart sailed again from
Boston in December, 1914. The luck of the ship
did not desert her. Captain Stewart. February 20,
1915, captured II. B. NJ. ship Cyane, "a, and the
slOop-of-war I4evant 81. These were famous naval
actions in their day, and are not yet tor
gotten They are the last exploits OF
the Constitution, of whom Americans began
already TO speak aifectionately as Old Ironsidesn
When there was talk of running Commodore
Stewart for the Presidency they gave the name to
him. Her service during the may be summed
up as follows: La the course of two years and nine
months she had been in three actions, had been
twice dangerously pursued, and had taken FIVE YES
sells of war. Sailors boasted of her. as they told
how she had never been ashore and never dis
masted She had been fighting all her life, with
constant success and with a minimum of loss.
Naval historians explain her good fortune
by the fact that she had always been
well commanded. Most Of her crews, during her
last two cruises, were hardy New-England men
almost as we'll qualified to fight the ship her Off
cers.
The Constitution was designed by Joshua Hum
phreys. of Philadelphia, and constructed at
Boston, under the supervision Of Colonel George
Claghorne of New-Bedford, Mass The point at
which she was built is called Constitution
Wharf She had very guished men 10 look after
her ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Barry, Dale, Nicholson
and Truxton. Old Paul Revere furnished the copper
bolts and spikes. Originally she was bnilt Of
live oak and red cedar, the keel, keelson beams
and planking of best white oak; the decks Of
the best Carolina pitch pine, but, undor the guns,
of oak. There is hardly inch Of her orlgi-
nal wood in her now. singularly, she had bad luck
In launching Two attempts made to get her
into the water; only the third successful!
Before she sailed for TrpOl she was recoppered with
copper made in the United States. The Constitu-
ton was at Charlestown, Mass, in 1884, when
Commodore Elliott was in command of the station.
He was a warm admirer of General Jackson and had
placed figure of that parsonage on the bow or tho
ship greatly to the disgust of the Wing majority ot
Boston. This igurehead enthusiastic young
man named Samuel p. Dewey sawed OFT and car
ried away in the night. He had the imDudence to
carry the head to Washington with the intent of
presenting it TO General Jackson, but after he AZ
rived there he was di5suaded from doing so. This
fgurehead is still preserved at Annapolis. During
the War of the Rebellion, the Constitution was laid
up for a time; bat afterward, during the same
trouble, she was employed practice ship at
Annapolis She was in the training squadron for
about three years.
Such are tho main facts in the history Of this
famous ship She has been sedulOusly cared for,
until now. it appears she is worth caring for no
longer. No poet will now come to her rescue, and
ask as better fate for her, that she be given TO
the God of storms, the lightning and the gale.'
Naval warfare has entirely changed since she won
her great battles against wonderful odds; but she
will always be honorably mentioned in the naval
history of the country as n noble exempar of the
tactics which gained great victories, man to man
and gun to gun.