Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-30

SPECIAL honor Tor having saFeu 'of y
the survivors of the Titanic disaster last
spring.
Rostron. as everybody knows. was cap
tain of the Carpa thia which hurried 10
the relief of the Titanic daring the
dangers of an icebers-ridden sea lie
succeeded in picking up most of the pei
sons who survived the disaster thst
shocked the entire world.
Congress adopted 2 resolution July ),
1af2. voting the thanks of Congress TO
capt Rostron and the officers and men
If the Carpathia for their heroic and
humanitarian services. The resolution
also provided that a suitable medal be
made and presented to the captain by the
President of the United States. IL was
ordered that the medal should bear such
designs that would fittingiy commemorate
the event and the service of the com
mander and his men.
Congress has on numerous occasions be
slowed medals OF honor upon persons
who have distinguished themselves in the
service of the country. Many hunoreos
of army and navy officers and men nave
received congressional medals for special
heroism or distinguished service. But
this mark of distinction does not carry
the privileges ana the Spetfdt Hohoi ehne
are understood to accompany spec'al
vote of thanks of Congress
A vote of thanks rendered an indlvidual
by Congress gives TO that lndlVloual lof
life the privileges of both floors OF Con-
sress as we'll as a peculiar mark OF honoi
mat is not implied in a merely perfume
tory giving of medal or even the Young
of thanks where the Individual or the IN
dividuals are not named in the resolution
Only those persons named in resolu-
ton of thanks are understood TO ENJOY the
special privileges of Congress. On more
than one occasion Congress has voted It's
thanks to companies, regiments ana even
to the entire United States Army. For
instance, at the close of the civil war
Congress passed a sweeping resolution
voting thanks to the officers and men or
the entire United States Army and Navy
for having suppressed the rebellion This
resolution, like many others of the same
nature, carried the name of no man or
men, and its honor ceased there.
Only fffty-two individuals have been per-
sonally thanked by the Congress of the
United States. Naturally, the first was
Gen. George Washington who received
the vote of thanks of the Continental Con-
gress March %. lie. when word had been
received of the evacuation of Concord by
the British Washington was also given
a medal in commemoration OF this event.
OF the fifty-two persons who have been
honored by the Congress- of the
United States only four are now $axins.
Il
E. Peary. Admiral George Dewey ard
Gen. Horace Porter. Only two men were
honored by a special vote of thanks dur
ing the administration of President Taft.
Peary. Only eight men have received the
thanks of Congress during the last forty
years.
Admiral Robert f. Peary was voted the
thanks of. Congress March !, 1911. for
having discovered the north pole. Peary
reached the north pole April 9. 1909. The
event was of twofold significance. 1t was
a distinct epoch in the history of the
world, and the feat was accomplished
by an American
Every American knows what Admiral
George Dewey did al Manila bay. 1t was
May l. 1893. that Dewey before break
fast bounced down upon the Spanish
Asiatic squadron under Admiral Montojo
in the bay. Before breakfast was an
nounced Dewey had destroyed eleven and
captured all other vessels of the Spanish
fleet. as we'll as silencng land capturing
the land batteries. When noses were
counted not man of the American fleet
was missing. Ten days afterward. on
gress being in session. a vote of thanks
was rendered the admiral. Dewey was
a commodore when he accomplished this
victory. He was Immediately made an
admiral.
cen. Horace Porter. who now lives in
New York city. received the thanks of
Congress May ., 1906. for having re-
covered the body of John Paul Jones.
This work of love was accomplished by
Gen. Porter after long research, and at
his own expense. while he was minister
to Paris. Gen. Porter has been the re-
cipient of many honors in this and other
countries. In 1863 he received medal
from Congress for gallantry at the bat
Ia r.f tho Al&y
of the civil war. He was promoted to
brigadier general shortly after the bat
tie of Chickamauga. and did valiant sery-
ice for the country during the. entire con-
fict. Gen. Porter was decorated with the
grand cross of the Legion of Honor by
the French government in 1904. and was
given gold medal for patriotism by
the Sultan of Turkey in 1901.
The hhedi-e of Egypt is the only for
eigneP. excepting Capt. Rostron TO have
received the highest honor in the gift of
Congress He received the thanks of
Congress January l.. 1882 for the gift
TO the American people of Cleopatra's
Needle. which now STANDS In the city of
New York. The resolution conveying
the thanks of the American people reads:
For the gift of work of art that could
try in the world. and fully appreciated
by The youngest"
Gen Zachary Taylor, the hero of TIE
Mexican war. and Commander David D.
Porter of the American navy each re-
ceived the thanks of Congress on three
different occasions Gen. Taylor was
first honored July 16. 1916. for gallant
services on the Rio Grande during the
first operations in the Mexican war. The
second vote of thanks was taken March
2, lSi7. and was for gallant services at
Monterey. September 2i-2,. 1916.
This engagement had been prosecuted
with the same masterful skill and sue
cess had been displayed during the
early days of the war on the border and
which gave an earnest of the great
victories that were to follow. Gen. Tay-
Tor again received the thanks of Congress
May 0, 1913. This was for his historic
victory over Gen. Santa Anna at Buena
Vista February 22-23 1877
Every reader of history is familiar
with the dramatic features of this bat
tie. which lasted two days and during
the American forces were doomed to de-
feat. The student remembers how, when
a messenger from the willy Santa Anna
coming under a flag of truce warned Tay-
Tor that he was surrounded by Mexican
soldiers, and had better surrender Tay-
!or declined with thanks and prepared
for battle. and Santa Anna learned to
his sorrow that II takes something more
than humane warning 10 stop an Ameri-
can army.
The deciding encounter of the two-day
battle was convincing. \ large company of
picked MeNicans mounted on fresh and