Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
BY GEORGE CREEL.


- anchor grudgingly enough. the
errand bitter to his whole be
IL ing, for he bore Americas an
nual tribute to the Barbary pi-
rates Five years had we paid black
mail for the right to sail our mer'
chant ships on the high seas, and
every fighting man resented the hui
initiation of it.
The Bashaw of Tripoli, the Bey
of Tunis, and the Emperor of Moroc-
co, these three greeted him with no
more than the usual insult, but the
Dey OF Algiers had chores to do.
Take my ambassador" he ordered,
land carry him to Constantinople.
Not IT, swore the furious Balm
bridge. with many lusty oath.
You render me tribute" cried the
Dey, land are my slave. Obey, or by
the beard of the Prophet
1t was sound reasoning, especially
when backed by double-shotted guns,
and cambridge took the swart envoy
on board with such grace as he coulc
muster Some joy waited for him at
the end, however, for while the Sultan
had never heard of the United States,
the stars on our flag appealed to his
superstition, and he was pleased 10
give the young captain a firman that
freed him from the ignominy OF fur
Their ferry service.
The next year-1S01-it was the Ba-
shaw of Tripoli that gave rein TO his
arrogance. 1t had come to his ears
that we had presented a frigate to the
Algerines IN addition to our tribute,
and that the Tunisians We're being
given more money than he himself re-
ceived.
Furious at these indignities, he de.
clared war, vowing to wipe our COM
merce from the seas and sell every
sailor into slavery. Thomas Jefferson,
forced to accept the challenge. found
himself in poor shape for combat. as
he had auctioned off the navy by way
OF showing the people that he had
none of Alexander Hamilton's mon
archical ideas.
Two years passed before a decent
feet could be gathered together, and
no sooner had it reached the Tripo-
Titan coast than the Philadelphia
grounded on rock and was captured
with her crew. Woe indeed. To have
lost the frigate was damage enough,
but her possession by the Bashaw
made disaster seem certain.
Now sprang forward young Stephen
Decatur-the Huguenot strain show
ing in handsome face and dark. brill
liant eyes-offering to make his way
into the haI Dor and blow up the Phila-
delphia where she lay at anchor.
Every man begged the privilege of
volunteering. but only "A could be
taken, even this number straining the
ketch that Decatur picked for his pur
pose. On the morning that the In
trepid came before Tripoli. a great
storm blew. and for nine days the lit
tie band faced the double dangers of
wreck and starvation.
When the waves stilled at last. it
was a battered boat that crawled into
nor hunger had power to chill De-
catur's blazing courage. Father and
grandfather before him had sailed the
seas in honor and daring, and love of
country was still another clarion.
NEVER was venture more desper.
ate. The Philadelphia itself car
ried IS guns, and lay moored under the
very muzZles of 10 strong land bat
teries and the cannon of the Bashaw' s
castle, while in the harbor were three
cruisers, 10 gunboats and two galleys,
manned by the flower of Tripoli's fight
ing men
Against this grim array Decatur had
only the ketch's four small guns and
the cutlasses Of his men. In each
heart, however. was not only passion
ate resolve TO avenge Americas many
humiliations. but the love and faith
that Decatur never failed to inspire.
Through the gathering dusk crept
the Intrepid. the young commander
lounging over the rail in casual talk
with boyish Tom Marlborough, one
day to win glory by his victory on
Lake Champlain. Dressed in rough
sea clothes, they seemed harmless fish.
ermen. the volunteers pressing their
bellies against the deck in the deep
shadow OF the bulwarks.
1t was Decatur's purpose to run the
ketch under the frigate's bows, but