The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1911-11-18

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~ gotten geography lesson, or IN IN
Ill., history of-where did Tripoli hgur
\\b in that stupid old history We studio
W. in the grammar school?
At about this point in the averag
mans series of mental gymnastics the light be
gins to dawn. That scrimmage with Trpoli, b
remembers, recorded In the United States
history along between the chapters that treated
OF the revolution and those devoted to the war o
1872. One by one the names. Decatur Prebe
Somers, Cambridge Hunt, Truxtun, Sterrett come
hooking back into his memory, and a cold thrill
OF patriotic emotion creeps slowly up his spine
1t was something great, something spectacular
and heroic. the fine achievement of infant
navy Slowly out of the mist of forgotten things
comes the glorious tragedy of the freshp, In
trepd"; the thunderous retort Of Ambassador
Pinckney, Millions for defense, but not one cent
for tribute and finally the storm-center of the
entire war the American frigate philadelphia
In the centuries preceding the Christian era ii
was tossed from Carthage to Rome and bach
again, with many a lesser nation taking whack
at the oasisdotted desert between times. After
the Arabs took possession In the seventh century
1t became the bone of contention among the ma
tons of the eastern end of the Mediterranean,
until its final capture by Turks in the middle of
the sixteenth century. However, this present
menace is not the first to challenge the authority
of Turkey in that turbulent little Barbary state.
In 1714 the Turkish yoke thrown off utterly
after the determination of the Barbary pirates.
by the combined effort of all the Caucasian ma
tons of the world
Barbary pirates "corsairs of the Medter-
ranean.' Millions for defense, but not one cent
for tribute" At last We have it. That was what
1t was all about The bumptious little American
nation objected to paying ransoms for her citt
zens and sailors, who had been captured and en-
saved-a thing that Europe had been doing with.
out protest for centuries. Indeed it was tacity
understood that the pirates of Tunis Tripo Mo
rocco and Algiers were countenanced by the great
powers of Europe for the sake of the injury they
could do to the weaker powers. England encour-
aged the piratical attacks the shipping of other
nations, part of her system of securing and
maintaining her Wanted supremacy of the sea-"
The consuls she sent to the Barbary states went
with instructions to make only surface show of
opposition to the merciless treatment to which
the slaves were subjected. And there was a
wonderful roster of those slaves, such men as
Arago, the great astronomer; st. Vincent de Paul
and even Cervantes, having fallen into the
clutches OF the pirates. The author of Don
Quixote" probably acquired something Of the ad-
venture that was to figure in his later literary
works during the five years of his slavery in
, northern Africa. Coming closer to our own times
and interests. the station OF the western
hemisphere had not forgotten the indignities that
had been heaped upon DR.. Daniel Mason, Har-
ward graduate, who died In captivity. when the
ers was undertaken by all the Barbary states fol-
lowing the close of the revolution. With the con-
nivance OF England, eleven American vessels
were captured within two months. the men being
stripped of their clothing attired in the lthiest
of rags and set to work at hard labor Those
that attempted to escape were subjected to the
most frghtful torture. 1t this condition OF
affairs, no less than the published pamphlet of
Lord Sheffield, which announced, In part 1T
will not be to the interest of any of the great
maritime powers to protect them (the American
vessels) from the Barbary states. The Ameri-
cans cannot protect themselves from the latter;
they cannot pretend to navy" that spurred the
ambitious young republic until she not only
pretended to navy but had given those same
pirates such drubbing as they had never re-
ceived at the hands of any European power.
Meanwhile it seemed wisest to dig deep down
in the American stocking and produce tremen-
dous sums Of money with which to appease the
marauders. Under the direction of our greatest
with the notable exception OF Thomas
Jefferson we had concluded treaties OF "immu-
nifty from piratical capture" with all the Barbary
states. the with Tripoli being most cheapy
purchased. 1t was when that state awoke to
realization that she had received only $56,OOO
while Tunis had extorted 100000 as payment for
perpetual peace" that Tripoi forgot all about
Der treaty and began in earnest the capture and
enslavement OF Americans There is touch OF
grim humor in the demand of the hey" OF Al
g1ers Tor 1O,0OO stands OF arms, because fire in
The armory had destroyed 10000 stands, and he
considered 1t the duty OF America to redeem one
fourth Of the loss. Ambassador Eaton refused to
convey the insulting and altogether preposterous
demand to his home government. not only be-
cause America had nothing to do with the fire,
tut because she thought she had purchased i'm
nunity from such demands. The insoence OF
Fripoh was even more irritating to the newborn
lational pride OF the republic and when, in Feb
uaTy, 1901, the pasta repudiated the treaty alto
,ether, demanding lump sum of quarter OF q
Million. with $4,000 annually, which was the
UNI he had extorted from Sweden, there seemed
othing left for the Americans but to fight 1t out
)ur commerce In the Mediterranean was growing
t such pace that could no longer take the
tt1tude OF cringing vassals to set of unprin-
ipled cutthroats, whose honor was bounded only
y their convenience
When the new tribute was refused the bey OF
ripoi cut down the American flag STAFF and
lade formal declaration of war having been duly
lformed that war was inevitable. Already lit
e squadron had been assembled in Hampton
Dads. consisting of the President the Essex
le Enterprise and the Philadelphia, the latter a
igate carrying thirty-six guns. These were fol-
'wed by other war vessels, as fast the youth
IL war department could provide them. More
ian two years went by, with only an occasional
1gagement and absolutely no glory, when Com
odore Preble was sent to take command On
le last day of October, 1903, a misfortune over
ok the American forces that proved a tempo