Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-09-28
AN AMERICAN DREYFUS.
Story of Prosecutions to Which U. s.
Naval officer was Subjected.


In the September number Of the Cen
fury Magazine James Morris Morgan,
In an article entitled "An American
Forerunner of Dreyfus," recites the de-
tails of case in our own history in
which a naval officer, Uriah P. Levy,
was made the victim Of persecu lions
almost as relentless and cruel as those
to which the French officer now on
trial at Rennes has been subjected in
the last few years. Levy, who was
born of Jewish parents in Philadelphia
in 1892, went to sea when only IL years
old, and before he was Is had saved
sufficient money to buy an interest in
schooner, of which he was made mas
ter When the war of 1872 began he
received an appointment as sailing
master in the United States Navy, and,
after rendering valuable service, was
captured by the British. After the re-
turn of peace he applied for naval pro-
motion under the rule that masters Of
extraordinary merit and for eXtraor-
binary services may be promoted to
Iieutenants." His application was in
dorsed by Commodores David Porter,
Stephen Decatur, John Rodgers and
Charles Stewart, and he received the
appointment, in spite of the formi liable
opposition of the line officers, who
claimed that Levy's advancement
would be a wrong to older midshipmen,
whose promotion it would retard.
Although they did not succeed in
preventing the recognition of his SER
vices, they rendered his life miserable
for many years by systematic hostil-
ity that was intended to overwhelm
him with disgrace and ruin. "Ostra-
cism, favorite weapon with religious
enthusiasts, was first tried for the pur-
pose of forcing the Jew to resign"
His first assignment was to the Frank
lin, Commodore Stewart. The old
frigates and line-of-battle ships car
ried from four to eight hundred men.
but Lieutenant Levy found himself
always alone. He was always incOm-
municado." The same treatment was
continued when he was transferred to
other ships Commodore LaValette
testified at one of the numerous courts
martial to which Levy was subjected
that when "he joined the frigate in the
Mediterranean to which Levy was at
tached the only officer on board who
would speak to the latter was the doe
tor of the ship" When I4avalette was
asked the circumstances which caused
him to entertain a favorable opinion OF
Levy, he replied that it was an affair
in which he Hevy) received six or
seven shots in mortal combat without
returning the fire, demonstrating at
every fire with his antagonist" AS a
lieutenant says Mr.. Morgan, Mr. Levy
spent nearly the whole Of his time
either under arrest or under suspen-
sion, Frequently his enemies were
successful in having him sentenced to
dismissal. They always had him IN
Coventry, but they never broke his
dauntiess spirit, or impaired his
patriotism"
How intense and steadfast was that
patriotism Mr.. Morgan illustrates by
several striking incidents. In 1927,
while serving on the Cyane in the har-
Dor of Rio de Janeiro, in helping to
save an American seaman from a press
gang, Levy warded off blow intended
for a midshipman and received Sc
we're saber wound. The Emperor of
Brazil learned OF the incident and was
so impressed with his spirit and zeal
that he offered him the command OF
new 60-gun frigate. Levy thanked
his Majesty, but declined the offer, say
that he loved his service so we'll that
he would rather serve in it as a cabin
boy than as a captain in any other SER
vice in the world" At a dinner in
Paris on the 18th OF July. 1888, at which
Mr. Ewing, the American Minister,
presided, and General Lafayette was
the guest Of honor, the toast Andrew
Jackson, President OF the United
States was received with Kisses and
groans by some OF the guests, where
upon Lieutenant Levy struck one of