Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-10-29

yacht of the thirtieth President Calvin Coolidgel
For it the Constitution that put the Amer
lean Navy the seas more than one hundred
years ago. And it is from the Maylower that the
President views the American Navy of today as 1t
passes in review before him as its commander in
chief One would wish nightly to be privileged
to know the thoughts of this thirteth President
he paid his homage at this national shrine this
summer at Boston.
"Old Ironsides" is as truly an American national
shrine as is the tomb of the Unknown Soldier"
For she was as truly symbolical of the nation in
her day as is the Arlington tomb in this
TIE Revolution gave us our independence, but
left our affairs in chaos. The adoption of a writ
ten constitution and the election OF George Wash
ington as President made us q nation-but nation
without navy. Said Washington in an annual
address: ITO secure respect to a neutral flag
requires a naval force organized and ready to
vindicate it from insult and aggression" Congress
turned deaf ear. But the piratcal extortions of
the Barbary states enforced the truth of Lis words
and the Constitution and her sister warships were
built. Thereupon brought the Mediterranean
pirates to terms and taught France to let alone
our merchant ships
But We Had the Constitution.
But by 1912 Great Britain, fighting for her title
of Mistress of the Seas" was impressing our
seamen and Selling cargoes So war was
declared to assert our inalienable rights upon the
seas. 1t was forlorn hope if there even was one.
There were then 1,042 warships in the British
navy and in the American navy there were just
seventeen.
But we had the Constitution-American de-
signed, American built and American manned
First she escaped from a whole squadron of
British frgates in historic chase of three nights
and two days. Then she fell in with the Guerrero
The two crack frigates closed like two fighting
bullterriers. They knew each other They were
looking for each other
Then Dacres loudly cries: MAKE the Yankee ship
You can in thirty minutes neat and handy, oh!
Thirty -fve's enough, I'm sure and, if you'll do it
TIL treat you to double share of brandy Ohw
That was Captain Dacres to his men-typical of
the British naval commander made arrogant by
easy victories Frenchman and Spaniard and
the rest OF the world; sneerngly scornfuI of the
American pine boxes with their gridiron flags"
Dacres had laughed at Capt Isaac Hull just before
the declaration of war, warned him to keep in
harbor and bet him a hat the Guerrero would
knock the Constitution into kindling wood in short
order if they ever met
Let us imagine the spirit of the Americans as
they closed in. Hull had slipped out of Boston
just before an order arrived for him to stay in
port; on the outcome of his battle hung glory
or "death for sailing without orders" Many of the
crew had martyred ancestors who had died in the
British prison ships of the Revolution; Hulls
father had so died in the pest ship Jersey Many
bore the scars of British lashes after impress
ment The war on land had been failure from
the beginning And for the first time an American
frigate was to meet on equal terms frst-class
warship of the Mistress of the Seas!"
After just 40 minutes of fighting the Guerrero
was a dismasted and sinking wreck with IS of
her crew dead and wounded; the Constitution was
intact, with IA dead and wounded. Dacres was
too dazed at the outcome to surrender Hull said
"No, keep your sword. But I'll trouble you for