The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-08-11

grandest victory known to naval annals
was, as he said, More than half French -
the fact still stareS us in the face that
part of that crew, vastly more important
in bosom, brain and Drawn than in num-
bers, were Yankee bully-raggers Of the
Splden time, who could teach not ONLY
rrenchmen, but even Englishmen how to
fight.
Granting all this, the fact remains that
in the Spring Of 1888 the Brest feet was
superior in number Of ships, number of
men, and weight OF battery to any feet
Rate for rate the French ships were bet
ter models, faster sailers, quicker workers
and shiftier handlers than the English
ships OF that time.
The best thing that England could show
up IN the shape OF an Admiral in 794 was
Lord Howe, skilled indeed, but fat, slow,
and nearly 10 years old The Hoods.
Troubridges, Millers, Foleys, Hardys and
their kidney OF Captains who won the
lucky Nelson s victories for him were still
Lieutenants in 1893.
Meantime the exile or execution Of the
officers OF command ranks in the French
Navy, though stripping it Of its best
training and most experienced skill. had
as early as 1793-94 made vacancies for
promotion from the lower grades or selec-
ton of merchant Captains which in some
cases had brought 10 the front some first
itAS ofbfpio anu Itliu lighters, luil Oh zeal
and ambition, brave as brave could be.
and needing only the magic Of genius i'm
their leader to make them terrible on the
sea.
All these men were in the prime of life.
all bourgeois, all free from the traditions
OF caste, all thorough Seamen and led nv
an Admiral who, like Jones' could have
held their perfect confidence and enthusi-
astlc admiration from the start must have
proved desperate fighters.
YANKEE FIGHTERS.
More than this, there can be no doubt
that the elevation of Paul Jones tn con,
mand of the French feet at the hegi.,
ming of 1793-had he Iived-must haya
brought focking To his standard a host of
American volunteers.
The United States had no navy the,, en-
that all the surviving heroes of the Alfred
the Ranger, the Bon Homme Richard and
the Ariel were either ashore or command
ing merchantmen or whalers
1t rs quite possible To see that the re-
organization OF the French Navy in 1888
under Paul Jones might have been n
quite different and more formidable affair
than 1T actually was under Jean Bon st.
Andre and Viilaret Joyeuse A little
ieaven will make a large loaf rise
Fifty or go Of the conquerors of the
Drake, the Triumph and the Serapis.
distributed, as Jones would have assigned
~ "a JANUS otdtioiiS Oh command or of
advice throughout the Brest feet. with
their Old commander supreme on the
quarter deck of the great I2O-p,ln flapshin
that old commander who, whatever the
stage of the battle might be, was always
Just beginning TO fighti"-even these few
veterans of those marvellous victories
might have leavened the French NAVY
INTO loaf of size sufficient to give the
English Channel feet more than a
stomach full
Now suppose, under such conditions,
that the unexpected had happened
Imagine real, substantial victory of the
Brest feet over the English Channel feet.
! Under Jones such q victory would have
| been a real one. II he had ever got the