Evening star., 1898-05-06

| has canonized him in our history: I'VE
| have net the enemy and they ours -
| 1t was written on his stln hat in lieu of a
| table. on the half Of an old letter, and the
| additional information in ii gave the size
and number of the enemy. namely, two
1 ships two brfgs. one schooner and one
sloop. Perry was a hero in peace well
in war. During a fearful winter storm,
| while lying in the Larbor Of Newport, he
heard that merchant vessel had been
driven on reef six miles distant He at
once manned his barge and said to the
| crew: Come. my boys, We are going to
the relief cf shipwrecked seamen: pull
away. That act was applauded by the
country almost as much as was the battle
on Lake Erie. During the Mexican war
Gen. Scott requested the loan of some guns
from the feet, to be Used on shore. Perry
complied, but one condition - that
wherever the guns go the officers and men
must go alSo.'
Free Trade and Sailors Rights.
Commodore Porter. father of the late Ad-
miral Porter, happily phrased the senti-
ment of the country in the motto which
he few his flag in the war of 1872:
Free trade and sailors rights In those
distant days IT became the text for many
patriotic song and thousands Of political
speeches. A British captain, meeting Por-
ter. flung out an answering signal to this
effect: God and country, British sailors
best rights. Traitors offend both. The
belief in England at the time as that the
crews of the American ships were all Brit
| ish deserters. Porter answered his enemy
next day with fresh signal flag: God.
our country and liberty! Tyrants offend
them!'
When the Constitution, under the COM
mand Of Commodore Hull, engaged the
French frigate Guerrfere. a dramatic scene
was Witnessed on the deck of 'Old Iron
Sides" AS the Frenchmans guns began to
thunder out Lieut.. Morris. second in COM
mand. asked Hull IL he should give the
order to fire.
mot yet" replied Hull.
Nearer and nearer came the two ships.
Again Morris asked for the order, and
again came the answer, Not yet" A few
moments later. high above the roar OF the
guns, as the Constitution completely COW
cred her enemy. Hulrs voice rang out:
Now, boys, pour it into them"
The Guerriere was literally torn to
pieces, 'ths blood OF the killed running out
Of her scuppers." says a naval historian.
Preble and the Maidstone.
The dashing Preble. during q cruise in
the Mediterranean, ran across another
ship. It was night and he could get no re-
ply to his hail. This colloQuy followed:
Preble-'I now hail you for the last time.
II you don't answer III ire a shot into
you.''
stranger-"If you do I'll return a broad
Preble-'I should like to catch you at
that. now hail Ter an answer. What ship
Is that?''
Stranger1'"rhis Is his Britannia mayes-
tvs S4-gun ship Of the line Donegal. Dir
Richard Strachan. Send q boat on board"
Preble-"-This is the United States 44-gun
ship Constitution. Captain Edward Preble,
and tn be id II send q boat on board
any ship. Blow your watches, boys"
We were at peace at the time, and the
two captains suspected that each was q
pirate. They lay to during the night. Ex-
plantations followed in the morning, when
the British ship proved to be not the for
Midable Donegal. but the 32-gun frigate
Maidstone.
Commodore Macdonough sighted the
enemy On Lake Champlain on q Sunday
morning He ran up the signal for divine
service. and, kneeling on the deck among
his men. offered appropriate prayers. Dur
ing the engagement British shot struck
the hencoop on the Saratoga and released
game cock. which new into the rigging
and crowed Justify all through the firht
the men loudly cheering. MacdonouRh'e
victory aroused the enthusiasm OF the en-.
tire nation
~ReDeaber the Alamo.s
A war cry tEat closely resembles RE
member the Maine" was that which Gem
erai Sam Houston gave to his troops at
the battle OF San Jacinto.-the battle which
gave freedom and Independence to Texas.
! Colonel Travis was In command Of about
101 Texan sosdisrs IN the fort called the
Alamo q Hexfr. Ihsfe he vas surrounded