Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-10-22
/. OLD iRoNsIpEs
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is not likely to forget that they will
prove formidable only through the skill
and valor of the men to whom they
are instructed; and as she repeats the
words, come peace or war, come VIC
tory or temporary defeat. America ex'
poets every man to do his duty,
memories of the Constitution, the Moni'
tor the Hartford and the Kearsarg;
crowd upon heq mind and she knows
we'll that her confident expectations Is
not misplaced.
Gov. Wolcott then introduced Theo-
dore Roosevelt, assistant secretary OF
the navy, who spoke in part as follows
The moment of the Constitution
launching was the beginning OF GU!
navy as we know it today. 1t was Il
years after the launching of the Con
stitution and her sister ships before
that proud flag which menaced us was
humbled, and during that 10 years
there were many people who objected
to the maintenance of the navy, LEST
we should be tempted to use it. There
were those then as now who failed ia
recognize that the existence of navy
is the cheapest form Ct insurance
against encroachment and danger from
foreign powers.
1t was because we had the Constitu-
ton and her sister ships that we came
out of the war with credit, and it is due
to a policy contrary to that which
prompted the introduction of such YES
sells that in recent years brought US
into danger of gravest national dis
honor.
Mr.. Roosevelt closed with eulogistic
reference to those who have been in
strumental in making the history of
the Constitution and urged that we see
to it that those who are now in posi-
ton to do so have the means to pro-
tect this country should cause arise.
At this point. Major William Fl. Garland
of Boston, who was a powder boy on gun
No. 10, on board the Constitution in her
famous battle with the Guerrero, was
presented to the audience, and Governor
Wolcott himself led in three cheers for
the veteran.
After the applause had subsidized. Mayor
Quincy of Boston, delivered a short adj
dress.
j.
read Oliver Wendell Holmes poem, "Old
Ironsides." after giving brief history of
the writing of the poem and its result in
saving the frigate from destruction.
The poem was received with round after
round of applause. Then Major Garland
apostrophe written by Major Garland was
read by Prof. Churchill. These verses
aroused great enthusiasm in the audience
and the reading of them was interrupted
by frequent applause and cheers. which
rose and fell with repeated force as the
reading was ended.
The historic address of the day was then
delivered by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge
He said in part:
1.-THE United States frigate Constitution
has come back to Boston and to Massa-
chusetts. She floats again upon the wa
tiers into which she rushed as she left the
builders ways, 100 years ago. She returns
to us stripped of her masts and spars. of
her sails and guns, of all that once made
of her thing of life. She is little more
now than a hulk. rooted over and weather
beaten. helpless and mOtiOnless on the
seas where she once rode triumphant
Curious Gu, inq ~ have been e. pains
scarcely anything remains; that in her
career she has been made over from truck
to keel So be 1t. Whether the statement
is true or false matters not. 1t is not a
given mass of wood and iron which
touches our hearts and stirs our pride. 1t
is the old ship herself. because she Is the
visible symbol of a great past. charged
with noble mem0riesr and representing
sentiments, aspirations and beliefs far
more lasting than .eefsr
Brass eternal, slave to mortal rage
THAT which concerns us here is what
this old man-Of-war means to US, not
what she is. There is much music ex-
cellent voice in this historic ship. and
more fortunate than Hamlets friends, we
know the touch of 1t, and can make it
speak.
Everyone is familiar with Turner's
famous picture of The Fighting Temer-
aire lowed to Her Last Berth It is
masterpiece of England's greatest paint
er. The splendor of the execution arrests
the eye at once. The crowded river the
disturbed water, the smoky mist, the mar
vellous effects of cloud and color. of light
and shade, all fill the gazer with wonder
and delight
But there is much more than this. AS
we look at the old brown hulk dragged
slowly up the murky stream, we see that
the canvas before us is not only picture
but a poem full of pathos and of memo
ries. The old ships course is run. She
will never face the seas nor front the foe
again. The end of great career. always
pathetic to the finite mind, is here very
genius has put upon the canvas. Turner
was painting more than water, sky and
Ship He has touched the scene with the
enchanter's wand, and we behold. as in
the magic mirror, the story Of England's
navy. The long roll of her sea fights
stretches out before us. All the great
figures are there, from Grenville sinking
on the Revenge. ringed around by foes.
and Blake burning the Spanish ships at
Cadiz and sweeping through the Mediter-
ranean. to Nelson dying victorious at
Trafalgar.
above all. the Fighting Temeraire'
speaks to us of that supreme period of
England's naval history when she had
crushed France and Spain and ruled the
ocean unOpposed, the great sea power of
the world. Against that mighty power
in the full flush of-victory and dominion
we took up arms. and England suddenly
discovered that, ship for ship and man for
man. she had more than met her match
I'm 1872 the growth of the country had
changed the situation. We had no organ
lied militia. as we have. today and SOL
diers had to be taken largely from men
who had never fired a gun or mounted a
horse. We could not make an army out
of this material as quickly as we did in
the Revolution. MYst the bravery and
fighting capacity OF the race are shown
by the fact that in two years we had SOL
diers able to fight with the best at Lun-