The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-07-28
Copyright, 1885, by Augustus c. Buell..

land, France may find the cause of liberty
advanced and the power of the Nation
aggrandized by taking her AdmiralS from
the source whence she now draws her
statesmen, the sovereign people,
Barere, throwing off the calm, logical
tone of his previous discourse, holly re-
torted:
yes, and If the new Admirals are to be
on a par with some of the new statesmen,
devil help the Navy. Whatever we may
do on the land, we cannot expose France
| to such forlorn chance on the sea. We
must not hunt our new AdmiralS on the
| brink of battle. If we do, the battle will
be upon US and against us before we find
them.
Our business is to find our Admirats
before the battle: Admirals as able or
! ADLER than those we discard and at the
same time free from the sinister brand of
! caStel'
At this moment Cambon rose and after
a few remarks said "Barere'S description
can point to but one man now in France;
a man the mere mention of whose name
/ must silence argument and close de bat !;
/ that man is Citizen Paul Jones'"
Cambon then moved that the Committee
proceed at once to consider the expedi-
ency of nominating Citizen Paul Jones to
| be Chief-Admiral of France.
| Barere instantly took the floor again
and rapidly recounted the services Paul
Jones had already rendered To the cause
Of liberty, the singular glory of his ex-
ploltS at sea, the simplicity of his char
acter as man, and the singleness of his
devotion To the welfare Of France
Vergniaud, in the chair, rose to put the
question, when ST. Andre, viSibly agi-
| tated, asked 10 be heard first Barere
| temporarily withdrew his demand made
for the question, and ST. Andre proceeded
This, said he, lis a most remarka BILE
coniuncture. We are called upon to con-
If
PRACTICAL f1nalIty, motion offered with
out notice; motion so remarkab BILE and
unprecedented that no one in the absence
of notice could be expected TO divine its
purport; a motion, l may say, of which
the adoption would place at the head of
the Navy of France foreigner
Not So Not So" exclaimed Barere.
rising and Interrupting with not a few
symptoms of temper. The situation was
rapidly reaching the point that he had
planned; the point that suited his fierce
Basque temperament. Not sol Short q s
! is the range of your vision and narrow as
may be your horizon even your poor in
tellcct must discern one truth and that is
that no lighting friend OF liberty can be a
foreigner in France. Paul Jones, care
not what spot of earth NAV have been
honored by his birth, has already com
manded French sailors in battle for liberty:
has already led French seamen on To
liberty S victories. Would that as much
could be said of more men born To the soil
OF France. Say other things of him If you
will, but do not cal him a foreigner while
l am here. Prattle as you please but do
not oppose the puny echoes of your voice
IN my hearing To the thunders Of Paul
Jones cannon that have vanquished
EngiiShmen at sea.
ST. Andre, though shaken and some
what awed, was not yet downed. Collect
ing himself he went on To saw that he
had no wish to dispute anything Barere
had sad about the exploits Of Paul Jones
Nobody could dispute them. because they
were history: He gladly joined in The
tribute that Darere had paid To that great
and successful seaman But France
could take no chances Other men in
that Committee had heard-and most re-
Gently, too-czpreSSIonS OF sentiment from
Paul Jones'S own lips that no man would
dare To stand responsible for either in
Committee or in Assembly. He called
Barerc himself to witness that within a
week Paul Jones had been heard To argue
that constitutional monarchy was the
best form Of Government for France. To
openly. declare that Louis-trembling in
ms prlson-waS the best friend French
liberty had; and more of the same sort.
He suggested that in France Jones was
at heart an aristocrat and constitutional
monarchiSt, and at the head Of our fleets
might betray u.s.
10 this Barere retorted: mo one this
SidC VI tiic IiieifSH coast need be afraid OF
Paul Jones. We have all heard him utter
the things you have said. What OF il!
Let the sick tiger fret in his cage. He is
i'll and peevish. He remembers the hand
that has fed him-the hand of Louis.
That hand is palsied now. Let him lick
il, in the gratitude Of his great heart as
much as he likes. France may soon have
other uses for the great heart 1t is as
full Of courage as Of gratitude
DO not imagine that | am ignorant OF
your scheme. have it by heart You
wall grasp the civil administration of our
Navy and place your poor creature,
tlilaret-Joyeuse, in command of our
fleets at
And SO, you and your precious protege,
Vlllaret, will have the Navy Of France;
you ashore to pick up the perquisites;
Nillaret afoat to get picked up by the
English"
After further and powerful eulogy of
Paul Jones's qualities and a heavy at