New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-13

THE CONSTITUTION AS SHE Is TO-DAY.
grand old rrign,e is her intense Amcricanism. In
this day OF foreign invaslons in the territory OF
American ideas, article that Is purely ana IN
trnsicaIly American should be treasured up as Il
precious Jewel There Is nothing foreign hreh or
foreign built about the Constitution Every Idea
about her was conceived by Americans. her plans
were drawn by Americans she was buiit with
American wood and by American mechanics. and
she has always been manned by Americans
Vet, come to think there smIrch Of foreign
made article about t!hs ship. When she was AZ
Boston, shortly after the War OF 1872 being htted
for n cruise in the Mediterranean. she was visited
bv n distinguished British naval officer He went
all over the ship. and after having made thor
ough inspection OF her. he returned to the quarter
deck and said: This is one OF the finest frgates.
n not the very finest. ever put my foot aboard or
but as must ind some fault. I'll just say that your
wheel IL one OF the clumslcst things ever saw.
and II is unworthy o, the vessel" The American
commander who had accompanied the English
officer on his tour OF inspection, replied: THAT
wheel sir IL the only thing English in the ship
When tho Constitution captured your BRUSH
frigate Java In 1872, our wheel was smashed INTO
spIinters by n shot from the Englshman After
the battle was the Java's wheel was taken
aboard the Constitution and fitted in place OF her
disabled wheel and. although we think 1t as ugly
as you do yet We keep IT as a trophy
Even in her name the Constitution Is nm Intensely
American ship. She was built with n group or
warshps that may properly be called the nucleus
Of the American Navy, for all the ships that
made such a gallant struggle on the high seas
against the Mistress OF the Ocean during the War
for Indcpcndence were destroyed sold shortly
after peace. The new group OF warsh'ps was butt
IN accordance with the recommendations or the
Secretary OF war April t. l79i The first Of the
r,oup to gel into the water was the H-gun
frigate United States. She was launched In Phila-
dclpbia on July 10. 179,. The second was the ~
gun frgatc Constellation the United states being
| noouar,v described at that time as new con
s,ellation' among the nations OF the earth. This
shin WAS launched at Baltimore on September Z.
1871 About tho same time were launched the a.
pun frigate President, the 35-gun frigate Chesa-
peake and the 36-gun frgatc Congress. The Con-
stntlon. named from that historic document
(which. In snite Of the Kind prophecies OF our
British cousins has survived century just az
the ship so named has existed nearly century In
spite OF the protest OF English cannon balls) was
launched on September %. 1891. 1T Boston
When the Americans acting on the recon-
mendatlon OF the Secretary OF War OF April J..
! i7ei proposed TO build frigates combining great
slecd with heavy ornaments they encountered
| much rdlcule at the hands OF the French and
50 that shgn h this @ G%p 3i aroSse
n good deal OF interest and not a liitle covert
/ mcrrimcnt among the Europeans naval officers on
phatic in predicting the failure Of the "monstrous
and preposterous ornaments carried In these ships
and many a messroom rang with laughter over the
| anticipated mishaps that would beiall these pre-
sumptuous attempts AT naval architecture by rebel
subjects" the Americans were generally re-
/ garded by their friends, the English nj that time.
! The result OF several naval actions between Ameri-
can and French cruisers did much toward changing
| the tune OF their laughter. But British officers
were still anxious to know II Yankee frgates
aSuf s wn on Sa Se
Of crack sailing British ship while on blockade