The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-06-28

| earliest commerce, and Its per-
| formanccs have been directed to the protection
! and maintenance of American rights on the
| high seas when such support was more neces-
sary than 1t is to-day. Perhaps more than any
| other ship, the Constellation made possible the
| foreign trade of the young republican Govern
| ment. says a writer in the New York Times.
! After years of service, lately as a praetica!
school for young officers, the Constellation
meets the fate of the worn-o out warship-it
must join the list of receiving ships. Now its
name is taken forever from the register of act
i've naval vessels.
The Constellation was the result of the piracy
OF the Dey of Algiers. That petty tyrsnt had
kept some Colonial merchantmen in slavery for
five years, and one of Washington's first acts
was to relieve these victims of the corsair.
4 The young Republic was without naval force,
and the Ministers and the diplomatic negoti-
ators were not only discouraged by the pratt
cal monarch, but lie even menaced the person
of the American Minister should he venture
within the Algerian dominion. In the first year
Of WashingtOns Administration 10 ships were
captured and los prisoners made. Washington
recommended feet of six frigates and the
preparations were made to begin construction.
The treaty with Algiers in 1895 suspended
work on three of them. One of those COM
pletcd was the Constellation, a vessel of 35
guns, which was lauched at Baltimore Sept Z,
l7S7, the second ship Of the reoTganized Navy.
his is the ship which, with various changes,
has continued III service ever since. The first
commander of the Constellation was Thomas
TTuXtun, who had seen much service during
the Revolution in command of different private
vessels of war. The first duty OF the ship was
in June, 1898, when she cruised from Cape
Henry to Florida, with instructions 10 capture
all French cruisers found lowering on the coast
with hostile intentions toward American COM
meree. Early III August 1898, the Constela-
tion, with the Baltimore went to Havana and
brought a convoy of go sail in safety to the
United States On this cruise she developed
remarkable speed for ship of her time, and
has always been accounted one of the fastest
sailers in the world.
As early as 1898 there was difficulty with the
English In the West Indies In the same year
an active force of four squadrons were ordered
there. The second feet, under Commodore
Truxtun, with the Constellation as his flagship
had its rendezvous at St kits and its cruising
ground as far TO leeward as Porto Rico. Among
the privateers captured-witIout incident
however-were La Diligente and L'Unon by
the Constellation. 1t WAS on this cruise that
the Constellation won her first distinction and
rendered the Navy popular branch OF the
service. In February, 1893. Truxtun, while
cruising, deserted large ship flying the French
ensign, and which, on the appearance of the
Constellation, fired gun, as if by challenge.
This was the first opportunity since the close of
the Revolution for an American war-ship to
meet an enemy, and there was great eagerness
on board the Constellation to engage and ap-
parently an equal desire on board the stranger
The CONSULTATIONS foretop was commanded