Saint Mary's beacon., 1914-01-08


found in many n nature as noble as
Perry's, but which being less gifted,
remain obscure. Our moral beacon
lights must be raised on a high
foundation, not to be greater in the
sight of God, but to serve as visible
guides for man. Perry had a bril-
li:,nt mine TO start with, q mind
naturally calm, fai-seeing, yet ca
pable of rapid insight into most
difficult situations.
Then he had q cultivated hong
circle and 4 good, old.fashioned
education to develop that mind
Contact with his father, Captain
Christopher Raymond Perry, gave
the highest degree of vocational
training. as we call it now, training
in his future profession as a naval
officer. Long before he had ever
heard Of Lake Erie, he had chased
in his imagination many a British
squadron out of old rockbound Mar
ragansett Bay, pass treacherous
Breton's Reef and the towering cliffs
of Block Island. There were no
faulty nerves in that rugged consti-
tuition. toughened by sun and south
wssters. His temper was equable.
he was naturally cnterprising and
Courageous. But what use is the
most perfect tuEed instrument un-
less there is a spirit to control il.
1t was not Perry's poise and
disposition that made him q leader
even in childhood, and gripped to
him the hearts of his fever-stricken
seaman. The mind and will which
so mastered what was noblest in
his comrades was just that by which
Perry was Perry; for where is the
heart so generous that il can guide
itself by mere sentiment! The most
robust bodies, the steadiest nerve.
will wreck themselves if left "a
their own impulse. Animal cour.
age makes no heroes, aud if ou,
courage come merely from instinct,
we are likely to prove towards on
instinct. like Flagstaff.
Perry's proves was based on
principle; and being q man of prin.
ciple he was alive to the fact tina,
the chief interests Of his countr,
were at stake; her position among
the powers belittled, her very ex.
istance as a nation threatened. II.
saw, moreover, the relations OF
these vital interests of his countr,
to him; for he knew that only the
formation of an American nav,
could clear our name on the high
seas, and that alone could liberate
Harrison's army and set free the
shores of the Great Lakes from the
British yoke and the Indian toma.
hawk. But he saw, too, that the
success of that navy would depend
in great measure on his own exer-
tions, and that it was his duty to
perfect himself and his men by
study, and by drilling in time of
peace. Here at Erie he saw that
the very existance of the lake squad
ron was totally in his hands. He
saw that reliance was to be- placed
first and foremost, not on his ship
wrights unless he instructed them:
not in his guns, unless he himself
trained the men TO fire them; not on
his men. unless he himself drilled
them in the manuel of arms, pre-
served them from total exhaustion
by oyerwork, pracsiccd them i'm sea-
mansbip and gunnery. provided
them with every article for sv.ry
emergency.
He saw that neither time nor
tide, wind nor weather, sail nor
sweep. grape nor cannon ball, gun
ner nor officer, would avail any
thing, would be saved from utter
obstruction and disgrace that
would drag down our whole nation
unless INSPIRED and controlled by
the courage and forethought of the
commander. But our country knew
that in Perry she had a man who
not only knew her imperilled in
terests, but would be loyal to them;
and she echoed the words with which
Commodore Chauncey wrote TO him
to come to Erie: 'You are the very
person that ] want for a particular
service in which you may gain
honor for yourself and reputation
for your country
Our country knew that in Perry
she had a man who so feared the
shadow of disloyalty that he hesi-
tated even to mention the fault of
the man who nearly insured his de-
feat on Lake Erie. lest it might east
stain on the fair name Of our
service.
Obedience is the essence of 10y
atty; and for Perry obedience was
supreme. Even in that agoaizing
wait for men here at Erie he woald