Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-07-08

thing when she knows she u certain 10 gct
tho worst oi II Tho ba;tle Il not always
10 the strong. when strength j. counted by
the number Of cannon or OF soldiers. IL
requires daring men, however, q stand up
and try the issue out when the show OF
odds Il heavily against them. America
has never lccn q warllke nation, but she
has bcen favored In every crisis with men
having the nerve 10 face anythlngon sea or
land.
II was 70 have been supposed that the
long war Of tho Revolution had exhausted
the fighting courage Of the patriots, aud
doubtless France took this view Of Il When
she violated neutrality laws In American
waters aud allowed her privatccr u ruin
our commerce by SELLING merchant ships,
~ she did at the close Of the last century.
Such was not the cnsc, though. and when
diplomacy failed 10 redress tho wrong,
tho newly established department Of tho
navy took ~ the quarrel After providing
for coast defense four squadrons were
sent to the French cruising grounds In the
West ladies' ono squadron u i've vessels,
headed by the frlRaio Constellation and
eommagiled by Commodore Thomas Trux.
tun, roamci IN the ylcluityo Of Porto Rico,
aud two flgh,s OF the Constellation alone,
against crack vessels Of tho encmy'a navy.
displayed the virtue Of simple nerve IN do.
Gliding which is the better u two Rniogo.
nisiA
Franco was a strong naval power, Amer.
Tea had nothing 10 depend on but hCr forests
aud her heroes. Tho merchants, whore
business was In danger. supplied the money
tobring the "huarisof oak" and ribs NJ oak
together, and then the beginning o; tho
havy--for that l. what Il amounted to
stood ready to face the fnt class war va.
scla 81 the Old World.
The Constellation was n first class vessel
for that day, but she hadn't proved u SCI.
when hor commander sighted her hrat
enemy Il was IN February, isng, N tho
island " N,vis Truxtun boru down on
The stranger, paying ~ attention 10 her
hail. and signals until his vessel was ahcam
Of tho frunchmnu, and then delivered .
broadsllc. Tho ourmy proved 10 b. tho
ffmtc rinsurgnute, ono 81 tho fasto.t
ships In the world, and a. good fighter ~
saiier. She answered tho Constellation,
the vessels drifting Had keeping up sharp
eauu0nade. ....,, an,
managed 10 rake tho Frcnohiuan s1ycfal
times and escape her return ire The fis
ring Of tho Constellation suffered badly
LoWryrr. and early Ia the light the forc'
topu,nst was cut and was In danger Of Tall
inr irom overweight oi yards and sails
Mlishlpnnn David Porter then a lad Of
eighteen. was In the wounded fofciop, And
when he found that Ia the heat Of asiiot
on the deck below his signals were un
noticed no climbed 10 the top under q Mr.
Of bullets, cut away the fasienings aud ~
leased tho weight N ~ 10 prevent tho iAl
Of tic mast Tho iirr u tho Constellation
was low. or what i called "hull shots'
aud was doing bloody execution anon
tho crow Of the fFuachmen. After clio.
combat, during which Truxiuna shl
poured two or thrco raklng btondsido
iuto her Antagonist, the affair va. dy,Hdc
by a loli stroke Of soamanshp. While N
smoko ohscurrd the scgnc the ConAlclla
ton was brought across the stern ot ~
insurgcnta aud was prepared 20 rake he
lcnsthNlso with fgil hroadaidr, when ~
struck her rulou,
Tho french crow had suffered TERRIBLY
having - Killed and Il wounded. II
Constellation lost men.