The Irish standard., 1905-07-29
eARRy-JoNEs CONTROVERSY.

i he IOllOWlnS Idlr ana pointed state.
ment on the Jones-Barry controversy
was furnished to the New York Sun
by James Fitzgerald, the present presi.
dent of the Society of the Friendly
Sons of st. Patrick, a society older
than the Republic, and of which Cap
tain Barry was long member. Mr..
Fitzgerald, like other right thinking
people, sees sufficient honor in the &C.
complishments of the young American
navy for both Barry and Jones. His
letter is as follows:
The personal achievements of John
Paul Jones constitute the basis of his
lmperishable fame and entities his
memory to the highest honors within
the power of our people for all time to
confer. The recital of mis- heroic deeds
must ever thrill us with pride, and no
manifestation of popular gratitude can
outmeasure the value of his splendid
services to our beloved country. No
borrowed plumes are necessary, no
padding required for his proud record.
Why, then, should history be falsi-
fled to furnish him with needless Gre
dentials? What Interior motives sug-
gest persistent references to him as
the father" or founder" of our glor-
lous navy it is not my province to dis
cuss, but as a matter of fact he was
neither the one nor the other; and l
might add that those expressions
father" and founder" are being
somewhat confusedly applied; they
are interchangeable terms, and the
use of the word founder" is inexcus-
able or worse when the right to be
styled father" does not exist.
John Barry was appointed to the
command of the first armed vessel of
the colonies, the Lexington, Dec. q,
1875; Paul Jones was appointed Lieu
tenant on the same day, and did not
receive a Captains commission until
June IA, 1777. Barry captured the
first British prize upon the ocean, the
snip Edward. He served throughout
the entire period of the Revolution
under orders of the Continental Con.
gress and fought the last naval battle
of the war, winning the final victory
on the sea by defeating the Sybille. In
1888 he was the senior commander OF
all American war vessels, his flag fly.
ing on the Alliance, the last vessel
owned by the united colonies, until
she was put out of commission and
sold.
When subsequently, and in brighter
days, the Congress of the United
States decided upon the establishment
of permanent navy, Barry was the
first to receive a Captains commits
sion; upon the face Of this historic
document was inscribed Number
One" and the signature at the end is
that of George Washington, as Presi-
dent of the United States.
Barry was assigned to superintend
the construction of the first warship of
our national navy as today organized,
and his pennant was hoisted upon this
frigate (the United States) imme-
diately upon her being put in com.
mission. Other famous early Romans
there were than Romulus, but the
nursling of the she wolf was never.
theless the founder of Rome.
The hero whose precious remains
are now approaching our shores was a
most distinguished son of our infant
navy, but he was not its father" OF
founder" The honor of being the
father of the American navy belongs
to John Barry. The archives of the
Continental Congress and of the Con
gress of the United States prove his
title to be so designated, to an abso
lutte demonstration. 1t is certified un
der the seal of the Union and attested
by the signature of Washington. Ar
attempt to ignore his claims by any
one or upon any pretext is unfair an6
un-American. AS president of an an
cient and patriotic society of which
Capt Barry was long member fee
called upon, in justice to his memory
to write this letter, which take tht
liberty of asking you to publish IL
that spirit of fairness at all time!
characteristic of the American.