The National tribune., 1898-03-31

At the same time, in the same resolu
ton, the Congress ordered Paul Jones to
command the Ranger. The text of this
remarkable resolution is:
I'm CONGRESS, JUNE IA, I'LL.
Resolved, That the Flag of the Thirteen
United States be Thirteen Stripes, alternate
Red and White; That THE UNION be
Thirteen Stars, White in a Blue Field;
Representing a NEW CONSTELLATION.
Resolved, That Capt. Paul Jones lie
appointed to command the ship Ranger"
The career of Paul Jones was unique in
many things, though i'll none so com
pletely, and, it may be said, so marvel
ously as in this direct and imperlshaDie
association of his name and his fame with
the birth Of the American flag.
Whether this remarkable concurrence
was intentional or not on the part OF Con
gress, Jones himself accepted it as his
talisman. Long afterward, when asked
whether, in the most awful crisis OF ms
savagest battle, the thought OF surrender
occurred to him he calmly answered:
Not That flag and l were twins. III
was decreed by Congress in the same
resolution that appointed me to command
the Ranger. and in that ship l first fung
first to strike il? No! ! had always been
fully resolved that wherever might find
crave. by sea or land that flag should
never be lower than half mast over mel
This sentiment coupled with the natural
stubbornnesS and the innate nerve OF the
man may have been the secret OF the
excessive and unheard of desperation ne
afterward displayed. 1t is certain that ne
To the utmost appreciated the honor;
valued the distinction and comprehehded
the rare immortality that ms personal
association with the origin OF the american
flag must inevitably shed upon his name.
On another occasion, personal repre-
sentative of the King of France urged MN,
for diplomatic reasons, to horst on ms snip
the French flag in lieu OF the American.
His reply was To exhibit and translate TO
the Frenchman a copy OF thus resolution o.
Congress- which he always kept Withih
reach The Trenchman said no more.
Nearly two years before this. Paul Jones,
a First Lieutenant OF the Alfred lying III
the Delaware. off what is now Christian
street wharf. Philadelphia. had hoisted the
original "Rattlesnake Flag" with the motto
Don't tread on mel
1t was now his destiny to baptize the
lasting emblem of the Union on the sea
When the news of the action OF Congress
reached Portsmouth the patriotic mothers
and maids of that stanch American town
made n silk ensign and presented 1T to
Paul Jones on behalf of the Pride OF Ports
mouth as they affectionately called the
little Ranger.
And when, on Aug. 80, 1I11, that nero
broke his pennant from the Caff OF ms.
gallant brig. the Stars and Stripes first
badc defiance to the foes OF Freedom ana
braved the battle and the breeze
STARTED AT LAST ON HIS CAREER.
Now. with good ship-little as she was
under his feet and crew OF 131 genuine
Yankee tars Of the old school around nm,
Paul Jones got under way on Oct. Z, 1I1I,
and sailed ON that pioneer European
cruise Of our infant Navy which he had SO
long and so persistently urged upon Con-
greSS.
In his last letter before leaving our
shores, dated "On board the American
Continental Ship Ranger" he wrote To Mr..
HeweS:
Il have at last a good ship, fas her rate,
and n perfect crew for its numbers. Com
pared to the hopes had INDUCED it is
small beginning; but shall do my best to
prove that il is not a poor one. Rest
assured. my dear friend. that you viii hear
of me before very long from the other side
and from other pens than NINE.
This expression from most men would
have had some favor OF bravado. But
from Paul Jones it was the simple, UNI
affected utterance Of his jmmeasurab bic
confidence in himself and his men; his
fearless. almost contemptuous indifference
to any peril that might he in his path; his
high unconouerable resolution to do or die
His words were prophecy. He was. in
deed heard of from the other side, and
from other pens than his.
CARRYING IMPORTANT NEWS.
Jones sailed from Portsmouth, n. H.,
November. 1777. Burcoyne had surrcn-
dered Oct. l., preceding. Gen. Gatcs's |
DISPATCHES to Congress announcing that |
g ent had been conveyed to Philadelphia
and sent in duly authorized copy thence to |
Portsmouth, n. H., by the slow convey
ances Of those days in Just two weeks
Jones himself had heard the news at |
Portsmouth four days after the surrender. |
Anticipatinc that the Ranger would be |
selected To carry the news tO France, he |
had crowded a months work Of preparation
and outfit into few days by working day
and night and setting the example OF help |
ing with his own hands, SO that, when the
dispatches were delivered To him, he
weighed anchor within eight hours.
OF this he modestly says in his journal |
when ! went aboard with the precious
packet the dispatches in my hand, gave
orders to- weigh at once hut was informed
Ey Lieut.. Hall that some necessary stores
were vet to come aEt ard, that considerable
done and that-as | saw-the foretopsail
was yet to be bent
Il then sent Lieut.. WallinCford off in my
gig To hurry up The stores, and myself |
went aloft tn help lend the foretopsaiI.
That was soon done, but the stores were
delayed, to my irfinitc charrin and even
after all our diligence | felt forced to leave
behind several Eoat-loadS of spare stuff, |
and set sail without them, trusting to luck |
to make good deficiencies after reaching a |