New-York tribune., 1900-09-23

IN all OF them n used brains IL never hfs
good fortune to walk aboard ship within ...an-
ty-four hours Of receiving command over har.
and TO employ her without interfereurs. In -sa
carry ing out Of his own plans There were al
ways officials intriEUiu- rainst him there -r--a
always vexatiOUs c.rc- .-aaces to be c1rq.l--a,
ashore before he cou.1 push out 10 victor. a,
sea This reused him % anger. and hs had -hz
temper of a tiger. But he met intrigue with can
ny adrOitness, usually embarrassing IL not van
gushing. his opponents. and the incuu--a1Ie
letters which he wrote in the course or his les-
long struggle against cabals are not only models
Of lucidty and force but reflect a u-9rs...f
enjoyment Of debate. In one OF the naval Ur.-
grammes which he drew up for the guidance u
Congress he delineated the ideal commando. a
he saw him in his minds eye. Il might peH
serve as a portrait OF Jones himself. When h.
found himself in France. after three years o.,
service in the American Navy. and discov--.d
that his capture Of the Drake, in the Ranee-
while gaining him plaudits. was not smoothing
his way as rapidly he wished to further
command. he proceeded TO besiege the King v1tA
an aDIomb that is only less provocatve Of ataz.-
ration than his mastery on the quarterIaez
At this stage Of his career the versatility and
the personal charm TO which Mr.. Buell. SD sa-
gaciously pays constant attention served Jones
more than we'll He turned cOurtier. The Ouch
ess de Chartres. through her marriage 20 ~tHe
sailor prince" was likely to look with Kindness
upon man not only well known to her husband
but already wTeathed with IaureIs won upon the
high seas. Jones saw in her q. creature almost
divine. She admired him intensely. Through
her friendly interest his negotiations with the
King We're advanced. and il was 70 her tha.
Jones, and America. owed the royal act which
put the sailor on his feet again. and made poss-
f,ta fhsa y,f-r, vfr fTrrt,@
Richard was victorious. OF that memorable
combat it is unnecessary to say more In this
place than that Mr.. Buell. gives to il some 20
his most exhilaratins descriptive pages. ana 40
the same time adjusts it Well 10 the broad per
spective Of his biography. II is good TO pause
once more on that heroic scene, but IL is better
to follow Jones through succeeding events M
Buell. narrates with capital spirit the troubles
of Jones in Dutch waters, showing again with
what aptitude the clever seaman and com
mander turned from gUnnery TO diplomatic
labOrs- The British Ambassador thought he
could persuade the authorities of Holland. TO
embroil themselves with Jones while the latter
lay with his prize in the TexeL Sir Joseph
Yorke reckOned without his host There is moth
ing in Jones's biography SO amusing as the
souvenirs of his tactfuI correspondence with all
and sundry who fancied that because his ships
were battered and temporarily almost helpless
he could be robbed OF the spoils OF triumph
Sir Joseph called him pretty names. pirate
rebel criminal" The object of these polite
attentions deftly parried them all. and IN the
long run emerged unscathed from a situation
in which many another commander. as brave as
he. but less diplomatic would probably have
reached flat catastrophe
Following this episode. and ending his first
volume. Mr.. Buell. has something 20 say abou,
Aimee de TeIson. the natural daughter OF Louis
Nv, with whom Jones Kept up an intluacy
more or less pIatoEic to the day he died. This
phase Of his hero's life IS left by the 5iosrapher
a little obscure. For his aInLlbIe treatment ot
it Mr. Buell. has the warrant OF the most dis
tinsuished friends Of Jones in Paris, both Amer
can and French who accepted the two on -a=-r
own terms, and evidently saw no occasion C1-
gossip. There is not i line c- a
word in any of their correspondence aUrbe--i-
cally preserved" says MI Buell. to indicate -ae
existence of that kind of relation commonly d.
scrbed by the French as -convena5Ie'" " and
whatever the inner history of the Friendship may
have been, il seems, on the whole 20 Save lect
no scandalous memories in its trail
The truth is that while Jones immensely en-
oyed the society Of women and counted scores
If them among his intimates on two continents.
ne was never inclined 10 make domestic ties. OF.
indeed. TO allow any personal attachment what
ever to draw him from the paths of public ac-
He had a sufficient share Of personal vanity