The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-04-22
PAUL JONES' BODY FOUND.
Remains of the Famous American Naval
Hero Discovered in Paris-A Re-
n,nhlin,s Inrrafifude
New Orleans Picayune, April IS.

of the fathers of the republic is the
Neglect with which the revolutionary
heroes and statesmen were treated.
The greater the luster the deeds OF
these men cast upon the early history
of the commonwealth, the greater ap-
pears to have been the neglect and ln-
gratitude with which they were treated.
One OF the most conspicuous victims
of this public neglect was John Paul
Homes. one of the men among others
most entitled after Washington to the
gratitude of his countrymen. Paul
ZONES was the father OF the American
navy. and our whole naval history,
renlete as it is with brilliant achieve
ment, contains no more splendid page
~ an ia at which describes the capture
of the British frigate Scraps by Paul
Homes in the old Bon Homme Rich ard,
a condemned East Indiaman, about as
ill-adapted for naval service as ship
could possibly be.
Aside from the brilliant fight with
the Scraps, Paul Jones waged relent-
| less war against British shipping ana
inflicted incalculable injury on lt,
causing the British government to set
an enormous price on his head ana
declare him a pirate. He also as
sailed the British coast, capturing
mort and going into the interior OF the
country to strike terror by selling the
important country seat of big landed
proprietor. Aside from comforting
medal udon him, the American gov
eminent treated Jones with complete
neglect, and made no provision TOR
him in its small naval establishment
After living some years abroad after
the revolutionary war, Paul Jones
died at Paris and was buried there,
his body being permitted to lie ne
elected and his grave unmarked for
more than hundred years.
/ The failure of the Washington gov
eminent for so long time to seek out
the remains Of John Paul Jones and
convey them to the United States for
proper burial in the soil OF the nation
| his sword helped to create, Is one OF
those disgraceful exhibitions OF ne
elect Of which only republics are capa-
BILE. Even when General Porter. the
American ambassador to Paris. IN
; dertook to discover the location OF the
remains, congress utterly neglected TO
make an appropriation for carrying
on the work. Fortunately for the good
name of the country, Ambassador
Porter decided to carry on the lnVes
{ LEGATIONS at his own expense. 1t Is
extremely gratifying that these efforts
have now been crowned with success
While the description furnished bs
cable as to the location and appear
ance of the body does not give SUI
fcient details to satisfy critical minds
that the body found is actually that Of
Paul Jones, the assurance felt and ex.
pressed by Ambassador Porter war
rants the belief that no mistake has
been made, and that the body has
truly been found after an interval OF
more than a hundred years since bur-
ial.
1t is to be hoped that the govern,
ment will endeavor to give amends fol
its long years OF. neglect by making
elaborate preparations for the reeep
ton of the body and its final burial II
Arlington Cemetery. This tardy ac'
! of Justice should be supplemented b.
the erection of a suitable monument.
II would be superfuous TO review
: the career of John Paul Jones, as 1t Il
generally we'll known to every school
hoy. He was one of the first colonlsts
who offered his services to the con
tinental congress. He was commls
stoned a lieutenant the 18th OF Deem
Der, 1775, and the following year was
! made a commander or captain. While
his body has been allowed to lie buried
= without anything to identity it, hls
name has been permitted to be over
: looked or omitted in the navy list o
p commissioned or other officers who
i have served from the very beginning
of the navy to the present time. Re
: publics are proverbially ungrateful
! and in the case of John Paul Jone
this saying has certainly been ampl.
illustrated.
n II TTsr OF n HnpT FRS