The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-04-27
The Presidents Address.

President Roosevelt said:
ION behalf of the American people L
wish to thank our ancient ally, the
great French nation. THAI Aroud and
gallant nation, to whose help we once
owed it that JOIN Paul Jones was able
to win for the stars and s1llpes the VIC
tory that has given him deathless fame,
n to whose courtesy we now owe ii
that the body of the long dead hero
has been sent hither. and that to COM
memorate the reception of the illus
trious dead a squadron of French war
ships has COME to our shores.
The annals of the French nav ar1
filled With the names of brave and able
anne each OF whom counted death
as Il mistress when the honor of his flag
was at stake: and among the figures of
these brave men there loom the larger
shapes OF those who. like Tourville,
Duquesne and the Bailli de Suffren.
Won renoMn as feet admirals inferior
to none of any navy of their day in
martial prowess.
I'm addition to welcoming the diplo-
matte and official representatives of
rance here present. let me also express
my heartiest acknowledgements to our
former ambassador to Paris. General
Horace Porter. to whose Jealous devo-
ton We particularly owe it that the
body of John Paul Jones has been
Jus W wv.
A Perpetual Inspiration.
When the body was thus brought
over the representatives of many diff
ferent cities Wrote to me. each asking
that it should find its asst resting place
in his city. But | feel that the place
of all Others in which the memory of
the dead hero will most surely be Il
living force is here in Annapolis, where
year by year we urn out the midShip-
men who are to officer in the future
the navy, among whose founders the
dead man stands first. Moreover. the
future naval officers, who live within
these walls will find in the career of
the man whose life we this day cele-
brate. no merely Il subject for admiral
ton and respect. but AN object lesson
to be taken into their imnernlosl hearts.
Every officer in our navy hould know
by heart the deeds of John Paul Jones
Every officer in our nav should feel in
each fibre of his being the de-
sire to emulate the energy, the profess
sional capacity. the indomitable deter
mination, n dauntless scorn of death
Which marked John Paul Jones above
all his fellows.
Short But Glorious Career.
The history of our navy. like the
history of our nation. only extends
over a period of a centuIy and a quar-
ter, yet we already have many mem
cries of pride to thrill us as we read
and hea of what has been done by
our fighting men of the sea. from Per-
~ and Macdonough To l'arlagut and
Dewey. These memories include brill
liant victories, and also. now and then,
defeats only less honorable than the
victories themselves; but the only de-
feats to which his praise can be given
are those where, against heavy odds.
men have stood to the death i'm hope
less battle. 1t is we'll for every Amer
lean officer to remember that while
II surrender may or may not be de-
feasible. the man who refuses to sur
render need new make Il defense. The
n fact must always be explained: the
other needs no explanation. Moreover.
he who would Win glory and honor for
The nation and for himself must not too
closely U the odds: if III does. he
will never see such a day as that when
Gushing sank the Albemarle.
The Great Scraps Fight.
I'm his fight With the Scraps Jones'
ship was SO badly manled that his on.
ponent hailed him, saying. HAS your
ship struck" To which Jones am
swered. II have not yet begun TO fight"
upbore the man who gave it and the
e Who served under him through
The fury of the battle. which finally
ended in their triumph. 1t was the
same spirit which ark the COM
manders of the Cumberland and the
Congress. when they met an equally
glorious though less fortunate fate.
The Cumberland sank. her flag flying.
and her guns firing with the decks
awas.l, While. when to sur
render, Morris replied: Never! I'll
sink alongside!" and maze his words
good. Immediately after the Cumber-
iand was sunk the Congress was at
tackled, and her commander, Lieuten-
ant Joe Smith, was killed. After fight
ing until she was helpless and being,
naple to bring her guns to bear. the
ship was surrendered; but when
Smiths father, old Commodore Joe.
Smith, who was on duty at Washing-
ton. saw by the dispatches from Fort
Monroe that the Congress had hoisted
the white flag. he said quietly. Then
Joe's dead!" Surely no father could
wish to feel a prouder certainty of his
boys behavior than the old commo-
dore showed he possessed when he thus
spoke; and no naval officer could hope
TO win a lner epitaph.
Honor to Mighty Dead.
We nave mel today TO do honor to
the mighty dead. Remember that our.
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