The National tribune., 1898-03-24

wealth of Massachusetts, the centenary O
an event which was heralded far and wide
even to the ends OF the EARTH as tn,
| hundredth anniversary of the Birth of tht
| American Navy" The immediate occaSi /.
, of this function was the fact that the gooc
old frigate Constitution, popularity known
| as "Old IronSides," had been launched a,
Boston in 1897, and that she was the first
! of the three original 44gun frigates to be
| placed in commission.
| Therefore the good people of Boston
claimed that, as the Constitution was the
| first frigate Cf what is now known as the
Regular Navy Of the United States" and
as she was launched, completed and com
missioned for her first cruise at Boston,
| that city is entitled to the honor of being
the birthplace OF the American Navy.
In view OF such demonstration, based
upon such a claim, il seems proper that
some American citizen should proceed to
! vindcate the exactitude Of American naval
! history.
| Boston, whatever il may be now, was
thoroughbred American city in 1877. The
memory of the taxed tea ships, of Warren
Of Paul Revere, OF Concord, OF Lexington of
Bunker Hill, had not at that time sue
cumbed TO acute anglcmania.
The old frigate Constitution bonn at BOs-
ton in 1891 was, and still is, an American
man-of-war; not effective, Of course, in
these days of steam and Steel but yet
memento that cannot fade, of the days
when no such disease as anglomania was
known 10 intellectual pathology-not even
in BoStoni
The old Constitution was indeed a happy
and lucky ship. Her battles against the
pirates OF Barbary at the beginning of this
now waning century, and, a dozen years
later, against the robber nation, greater
than all the Barbary pirates OF all ages
her battles, whether fought against the
Moslem pirates of Tripoli or against the
Wanted mariners OF England, illuminate
with the blaze Of their victory some Of the
most resplendent pages in our annals
But after all, the old Constitution was
not the first American frigate She was
not the first American man war to
fiaunt defiantly in the tech Of moEarchicaI
mankind the multi starred "Old Glory
She was not the first frigate TO teach Eng
lishmen the bitter lesson that they could
he whipped at sea; not the first to dare
the Briton's brand; not the first to make
the naughty crosses Of ST. George and ST.
Andrew curl into one indiStinguishable
mass Of sullen surrefGer.
An event of that kind occurred long be
fore the keel Of Tic Constitution was laid:
long before what the marine nlartinets ard
the pelagic pedagogs Of to-day, com
monty called the Regular Navy" were
thought of
This brings us TO say that whatever may
have been its legislative and executive
annals in the purely Regular sense, The
ing sense, was founded 10y Paul Jones, ard
its substantial history began with the un-
paralleled battle between the English
Scraps and the American Bon Hommc
Richard off Fiamboro Head, east coast OF
England, Sept %, 1873
The cruise Of which This battle was the
climax has no parallel in naval history.
and there can never again be ii CONDITION of
human affairs that may develop its like.
For this reason, and because it was in
any important sense not only the first but
also the moss romantic and brilliant chan
ter in the history Of the American Navy
and beyond all, because il set a fighting
pattern, created an heroic standard and
fixed type Of invincibility not yet and
never 10 be surpaSSed-If ever euuallcd-
but always To be emulated by any and
all defenders Of the Union on the high seas
its memory should ever be kept green
That is 10 say, whatever may have been
or whatever may yet be the subsequent
exploits OF Americans in naval warfare
those two names-Paul Jones and the Bon
Homme Richard-nlust stand forever en-
folding between them the dawn and open
ing to disclose the daybreak of the naval
glory OF this Republic.
WHO JOHN PAUL JONES WAS.
1t is well known that Paul Jones. As
his name stands immortalzed in history.
was the son OF John Paul a gardener or
small farmer near the fishing hamlet of
Arbigland, Observation-Disclosures, Scotland.
on the north shore of Solway Firth was
born in July, 1745 (some of his biorra-
pliers say 1747); also, that he was at first
named John Paul, after his father and that