The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-09
Ships Should Carry the Names
Made Glorious in Naval
Encounter.
Gradual Disappearance OF the
Flag Bearers Of the
Revolution.
racr, War yassel Should Bear the Inherit
ance Of Deeds Rather than an
Euphonious Appellation.

Mnst we lose the names of the war ships
that have once fioated the stars ana STRIPES
in glorious encounter? asks dar-
per's Weekly. New ships are bnlio-
ing. and old ones are being condemned, by
act of congress, but why cast away me
magic name that has once been assoclaseo
with our glory on the seas? The ships that
now carry our blue-jackets and miodles
about the world should be a reminder OF
the deeds of their worthy predecessors, and
the names they bear should suggest the be-
r,ism of our Farraguts, Decaturs and John
Paul Joneses, that the men of thir peaceful
age may not forget that we too have our
heroes.
Our new vessels are bringing new names
mon our navy list, and worthy names too'
Int should we not first exhaust those unoer
which our past heroes fought? Who OF us
do not feel his cheeks glow with PRIDE
when the Bon Homme Richard ID mentioned
the good ship that carried our revoiut1onaly
arms on to the shores of Great br1tlan ~
self? With her were associated many otn-
ers in the struggle Tor liberty, a ~ than
There we're the Columbus, Providence,
protector. Defence, Cabot, Hancock, Ran
dolnh. Raleigh, Washington, Warren, Trum-
bull, Congress, Montgomery, Hampoeh'
lexington, Royal Savage, Liberty, Deane.
Gates, Hornet, Surprise-names PlcKeo ou "
iibertv in the days of '76-many OF them
those of leaders in that struggle, and az OF
them at least as appropriate to our modern
vessels as such unmelodiOus nonsense as
Nipsic or Tallapoosa. Who would not pre-
fer fighting on the deck OF the Congress OF
m ~ n
Lexington rather than on tn"o VI 'no '""-
tara or Quinnebaug!
Some of the Revolutionary names nave
survived. NJ. for Instance, Boston, Enter
nrise. Alliance. Ranger, independence,
Dolnh;n. Sarntoga--all ships that helped
the history of that stirring time. but why
should not the rest be also remempefea!
In 1870 the war with Algiers and with the
French in the West Indies brought our ma
tional flag once more upon the high seas in
n manner calculated to impress the world
with the fact that fighting republics did not
die with the last of the Romans. " the good
ships of that period we still are reminded by
our present ones to the e11en1 OF t4e Con'
Adams. Portsmouth,, Baltimore, Enter.
mise: but where do we find now the gooe
limited States or her sister crafts Congress
General Greene, George Washington
(Ianues. Merrimack, Connecticut, Delaware
Pinckney, Eagle, Warren? :, -,
repret. for that is the last great naval wa
in which we have been engaged-at leas
against foreign power. The Mexican
war. we propably all agree, did little TO ad'
to our glory at sea, even II 1t dld add !
our land possessions.
The war of 1872 made US proud OF sue
ships as the Decatur, Yankee, chesapeake
Macedonian. Hornet, Lawrence, Niagara
President, Wasp, Peacock-names that ever
school boy should know all about: " tn
others were tho Argus. Siren, Nautilus
Vixen. Ticonderoga, Preble, Oneida, On
tario, Fair American, Somers, ana man
more.
The rebellion war is so recent that man.
ship that fought then is now in commits
sion; but it is no less to be regretted tina
so many of the names that sugges
naval greatness to us should max
room for new. ones with no par
ticular historic interest attaching
to them, Before naming any more AT
lantas or Dispatches, why not revive sue
names as San Jacinto, Roanoke, Cumbel
land, Monitor. st. Lawrence, Oneida, Mlf
sissippi. besides many others that WI
readily occur to all others who nave near
of the great rebellionT
great wars, there might be then good res
son for naming our boats Vesuvius, Dyns
mite, or corresponding names; but, than
God! we are not reduced to that. and col
gress should be made to understand INT
the ships that reflect American grea.'
ness in foreign parts do not requil
to be branded merely for pleasing effec
like new collars and cuffs, but thu
each man-of-war that leaves our shor
should bear the inheritance of an unbroke
record of patriotic deed upon the high sea
that each veteran craft that reaches the II
valid condition should be replaced by a
other. fresher in paint and spars, to
sure, but manned with the same stuff
fought her predecessor, and animated
the recollection of what was done when Il
name she bears acted like the magic
Napoleon's eagles.
Let us, then, revive these honorat
names, and when these shall have been G
hausted, let us draw for the rest, not up
European navies for titles, but upon t
names Of men great as patriots, and up
those of places connected with deeds
patriotism.