Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-06
NO SENTIMENT IN HIS BREAST.
Vessel at Charleston Not the Yes.
sci With Which Hull Cap
tured the Guerrero.
p,.sccy. Long surpriscd--C. +. Adams
Indignant--"Let Her stay Where
She is" Says Priest. Eliot.

Boston. Dec. 6.--Boston Is grievng
over secy. Bonaparte's suggestion III
bIs annual report that the old warship
constitution might be used as a tar
ret. Opinions are practically unani-
nous that secy. Bonaparte is not at all
IN touch with the feeling Of New Eng
land toward the historic frigate,
1ohr y. Long, former secretary OF
,be navy said 81 am surprised that
no exhibitst 50 much feeling against
ola Ironsides. The Constitution has
n national significance. SO long as a
mink remains It ought to be held in
reverence and preserved. Mr. Bona
parte can have no Idea how many peo-
pe visit It aud what a stimulus II is
In patrlotic education. ] sincerely
,rust that he may modify his views"
President Eliot OF Harvard said:
Let the Constitution stay where she
Is and as she is.
Charles Francis Adams said; THE
report strikes me very unfaVorably M
deed. IT is simply brutal ] am as
tonished at such a thing
WHAT SECRETARY SAll.
Erroneous or greatly exaggerated re-
ports as TO tho condition of the old
frigate Constitution now ut the Bos-
ten navy yards led recently to some
popular agitation looking to the preser-
walton Of this ship as a national relic.
and also TO much discussion as to the
most appropriate and becoming meth
Cd OF perpetuating the memory of the
naval victories with which her name
h associated
IN dealing with this question Il is i'm
rortant to bear in mind that the ves-
sci now ct Charleston Is not the ves-
sci with which Hull captured the Guer-
riere. Some portion of the materials
from that ship was undoubtedly used
IN building the rev one, 10 which her
name was subsequently, given. but
probably only very small part Of
these materials can be now identified
with any confidence, and, IN any event.
II Is quite certain that they constituted
only a very small part OF the structure
of the new ship. To exhibit the Con-
stltuton therefore as the genuine old
lronsldes. charging. as has been pro-
posed fee for permission 10 inspect
her, and using the amount thus earned
10 bear the expense OF her preservation,
would not only i'll accord with the dig
nifty Of the government. but would
amount to obtaining money under false
pretenses.
The further suggestion that she
should be rebuilt on her old lines with
new materials would involve perfect
~ unJustifiable waste OF public money,
since when completed. at cost of
certainly several hundred thousand
dollars. she would be absolutely USE
less. Nevertheless, I think It would be
wise and becoming to commemorate in
some proper way the victories OF the
old Constitution. and ! suggest that
ms be done In the same way in which
u was done when the frigate was re-
hullt-that Is to say. | suggest that SO
much of the materials Of the present
snip as can be shown to have belonged
10 the original Constitution and to be
also OF some utility, or at least of no
detriment, on board a modern ship of
war be transferred to new vessel TO
he named the Constitution, and that
The remainder Of the ship he broken up
If, for purely sentimental reasons. Il
he thought that this supposed veteran
OF our old wars is entitled to u mari
llme end, she might be used as a target
Tor some OF the ships IN our North
Atlantic fleet and sunk by their fire. ]
mink the new vessel ought TO be one
outside OF the regular estimate for the
increase OF the navy. built first OF all
10 perpetuate the memory of the Con-
stitution, but so constructed that IN all
respects she will compare favorably
with the finest vessels OF her type now
aHoat
This type, It appears TO me, ought to