Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-05-31
JOHN PAUL JONES.
His Remarkable Career-Why the
English Hated the Great Com

English Hated the Great Com.
mander.
These facts in brief about the ca
reer of Commodore Paul Jones are
taken from review in the Springfield
Republican of Cyrus Townsend
Bradys life of John Paul Jones in the
Appletons Great Commander Sc
ries."
John Paul Jones was originally
John Paul, the son of a Scotch peas
ant. He did not bide long at home,
but in 1853, when only ~ years of
age, shipped on a merchant vessel
trading with America In Virginia
Paul found his elder brother, William,
a prosperous planter, and here he
first conceived the warm admiration
for the colonies that earned him the
charge of being a renegade to Eng
land. Studying navigation with the
thoroughness that was part of his
character, he was able to take the
place of third mate on a brigantine
when he was 10 years old. The ship
was a SLAYER, and his spirit revoted
from that dreadful business; he re
signed within two years, in spite of
the worldly advantages of the posi-
own account. with considerable sue
coss. His brothers death brought
him back to Virginia, and here he
added the name of Jones to his own.
probably i'm honor of a family of the
name who were his strong friends:
and at this time. 1913. he definitely
adopted the American colonies as his
country. When the war of the RcyO-
lf on
planter. living on his own estates in
Virginia, offered his services to Con
gress and was appointed lieutenant
in the continental navy. 1t was an
act no more heinous than the similar
acts of all colonists. but it was, in
his case. so signallv distinguished by
personal success. that. rs Mr.. Brady
says, "The English cheek tingles still
from the blow dealt upon it by the
hot-handed sailor. Naturally. they
did not love Paul Jones. The hatred
which after a hundred years still
rankes, is evidence of what they
feel-and what he did"
In the exciting adventures of our
badly-equipped, crude little navy,
fighting the British fleet. with its
fatuous arrogance and conceit, Jones
bore a conspicuous part from the
start His seamanship was as indi-
vidual a quality as his courage, born
of the swift inventive genius which
was sure to rouse jealousy among the
less gifted officers of the navy. and
provoked the English to the intense
hatred they have ever since shown
toward him. Paul Jones seems to
have suffered from an excess of capac.
ity for leadership. that in a subordin-
ate position inevitably caused fric-
ton. Mr.. Bradys accounts of the
sea-fighting in which Jones's little
sloop-of-war Ranger figured are CAPT
tally told. and the great battle be-
tween the Bon Homme Richard and
the Scraps offers chance for pic
turesque narrative that the writer is
equal to. Better fighting has not
been seen on sea, and Commodore
Paul Jones furnished in a single sen
tence sufficient excuse for British an
ger, when, the commander of the
Scraps calling out after raking fire
of upward of an hour. Have you
struck the little hero returned the
well-remembered' reply: Il have not
yet begun to fight"
The quarrel with Landais. the cap
tain of the Alliance, which forms the
most serious charge against Jones. is
investigated at length by Mr. Brady,
who concludes his hero to deserve
a degree of disapprobation. while he
considers Landais as either insane or
malicious. Benjamin Franklin. whose
shrewd Judgment of men seldom went
astray, took sides with Jones. and that
in itself is testimony sufficient to his
worth. Congress took up the matter
and made decision by appointing the
commodore in 1881 commander of
the America, new ship of the line.
thus putting him at the head of the
navy list. This was done. instead
of giving him the rank of rearadmiral.
as was proposed by the marine com
mittee. Catherine II. made him rear
admiral, when, there being no Ameri-
can fighting to do. he took service
for Russia against the Turks. with
brilliant success. but with no rewards
except ISLANDERS and court intrigues.
His health broke early. and after two
years of quiet in Paris. where he con
tinued to find many distinguished
friends, John Paul Jones died, in
1892