The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-06-14

. sion on their
part and not
- fact They are
had losers and, like children, cry, ave
won't play!" the instant they are overs
matched.
| Paul Jones humbled the English
where their pride was most sensitive.
{ They couldn't rule the wave" when
Paul Jones was aaoat. And then he
was an upstart, not even a colonial
gentleman. The son OF a Scotch gar
dener getting the better of old Albions
trained sailors was intoierable Wash
ington and his generals, Jefferson and
his colleagues, the dukes and lords
could in pinch dignity by the title
''revolutionists." but in the plebeian
John Paul. self christened Jones, they
found target for their lleenest invec
tives.
The English contemporaries of Paul
Jones denounced him as a traitor be-
cause he lived under the British flag till
he was 20 years old and at 80 took up
the fight of his adopted country, pi-
rate because he licked their crack ships
without being commissioned to fight by
the admiralty of some recognized pow
er and felon on the general principle
that no name was detestable enough to
apply to the man who made British
sailors strike the flag which was a ter
ror to the greatest naval powers of the
: earth.
In these days of meteoric heroism it
is well to recall what the first sailor OF
the American Revolution did to win i'm.
mortal fame. In series of private let.
tiers which ultimately became public
property the hero summed up his serv-
ices and told also in detail the story Of
his most remarkable battles. He says.
In 1775 j. Paul Jones armed ard embarked in
the first American ship Of war, In the Revolution
he had 90 battles and solemn rencaunters by sea;
made seven descents in Britain AMI her colonies
) took of her navy two ships of equal, two OF far
superior force, many store ships and others; con-
strained her fortify her ports; suffer the Irish
volunteers desist from her cruel burnings in
America and exchange as prisoners the American
citizens taken on the ocean and cast into prisons
in England as traitors, pirates and felons.
So in that faroff day a man of plebe-
ian blood stood up for the rights Of
American citizens, although those citi-
zens were of that humble class who
ship before the mast To say nothing
of the glorious deeds .recounted in that
paragraph there is fire enough in it to
show why Paul Jones is a man to talk
about Il century after his death.
Personally Jones was not the ideal of
an ocean terror. His figure was slen-
der and rather below than above medi-
UNI height, his manner quiet and his
voice soft. But he. had a keen eye.
Neither was the great sailor perfect
l man. His redeeming vices, however,
did not interfere with his fighting, q
! quality needed in his time quite as
. much as perfection in character. He
1 was ambitious and jealous Of his
4 rights. When he had Won his way to
4 the courts of Europe, this son of gar
!, dener sought the good graces of the
highest ladies'. even those of the rank
of royalty. He was honored with the
attention and favor of kings and had
for lifelong friends Ben Franklin, JEFF
!. ferson and Robert Morris. Early in
: the war the Marquis de Ia Fayette
{ wanted to join his naval expedition
Jones fame rests upon his foul
5 hours battle with the new Englisl
e frigate Scraps, which he defeated arc
e compelled to strike when his own shil
was sinking. The Yankee sailor wa.
looking for fight when he went at til,
Scraps and her consort, the Duches.
of Scarborough. His French ally. Cap
tain Landais, in the Alliance declared
on coming up with the Scraps that a.
= she was so gunner the American
fleet must run away. He kept out o
y the way, too, until the Briton was near
: ~ Worsted then ran up and raked tn
good Bonhomme Richard with broad
sides Paul Jones way of fighting wa
shown in his reply to the British cap
tain, who hailed and asked if the Van
u kee ship had struck her colors. TIL
- answer was, II have not begun t
\ iight!'' AT that time the ships wer
r. afoul-th that is, entangled-with the jill
IS boom of the Engiishman in the riggin
Of the Bonhomme Richard. In thi
way the battle was fought
u The British captain tried to free hi
ship from the Yankee embrace. bu
Jones was in for a finish fight an
dashed the antagonists together S
close were they that the English coul
not open their ports on the inside an
~ fired through them at the Americans
In ramming their charges home th
N gunners actually leaned over the enc
~ ny's decks. The story of the hero c
a the strange combat as officially giyel
is not at all ford, but it reveals til
q true Paul Jones quite as clearly a
d those fragments of his speeches whic
are part of tradition. He says:
Il Every method was practiced on both sides
~ gain an advantage and rake each other, and
81 must confess that the enemy's ship, being muc
n more manageable than the Bonhomine Richar
gained thereby several times advantageous 81
81 uation in spite OF my best endeavors to prevent
As had to deal with enemy of greatly 81
II perior force was under the necessity Of closir
" with him 10 prevent the advantage he had on
e me l.. maneuyer. 1t was my intention to lay II
ppy1tp inl,o NJ