Evening star., 1936-08-30
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY,

The Gorgeous Hussy," with its
strong historical background of the
Jackson administration, when Peggy
ONeal caused a stir in the cabinet and
among Senators of the Daniel Webster,
John Randolph. John Eaton period. has
visualized the difference in the lives Of
the strong men Of those times from
today.
Senator Morris Sheppard OF Texas re-
calls that President Roosevelt has a
similar human interest recollection of
another hero Of the same times-Gen.
Houston, whose exploits are now being
memorialized at the Centennial Exposi-
ton. On April 81. 1896. Gen. Houston
with less than 800 men held in his keep
ing the future OF the country as 1t is con-
stituted today. The President said: II
like to think of Gen. Houston sending
Deaf Smith back to destroy Vinces
Bridge. over which he had brought his
army. so that neither reinforcements nor
retreat were possible"
The homely, Jacksonesque recollection
Is that as boy the Presidents father
told him of having been sent by his law
Arm to Washington with papers for
Senator Houston. He was uShered into
a huge, high -ceilinged room in one of
the Capitals balconied hotels on Penn
sylvania avenue. There propped up in
a great bed. nightgown and nightcap.
though 1t was past the noon hour. lay
that splendid old man, who had been
Governor of Tennessee, liberator of
Texas, President Of the Republic, Gov
ernor Of Texas and Senator from his
State. There he was holding q levee,
transacting public and private business,
and preparing for the session of the
Senate. which in those days did not COM
mence until the late afternoon. His office
and his home was his hotel room. 1t
would seem that the manners and the
customs of the Senators of the United
States, like other manners and customs,
have undergone q great change" said
the President.
Representative Simon M. Hamlin of
Maine, q school teacher for IS years,
who was the first Democrat elected from
his district in u years, wants the world
to know about jeremiah O'Brien-and
he thinks there should be q monument
to him in Washington. Hamlin doesn't
claim that OBrien's capture Of the Brit
ish ship Margueretta in hand-to-hand
lighting with pitchforks, axes swivel and
flint lock guns showed more courage or
typified better the spirit Of the Ameri-
can Navy than did John Paul Jones Of
the Bon Homme Richard, or Howe Of
the Constitution. Decatur Of the Phila-
delphia. Farragut Of the Hartford, Perry
or Dewey in Manila Bay or Wainwright
of the Gloucester. But he stresses that
OBrien was the flrst captain to stand
against the proud mistress Of the seas
the first American to haul down the
British nag before our patriot Army and
Navy had even been started. It was the
first challenge Of the American Navy
to the world. the first naval victory for
the patriots in the revolutionary struggle
"A bugle blast to arouse the patriot
fathers.
The life story Of Capt. jeremiah
O'Brien is the short and simple annals
of the poor. Born in Kittery, Me-. 1744,
he died in 1918 while collector of Gus
toms at Machias. I'VE do not need to
skip any lines in his life" says Repre-
sentative Hamlin. He with five brothers
"A lions brood of the Louisburg patriot
father. Norris. with IS Machias patriots,
rushed and took the Unity, . British
lumber ship and sailed down the bay.
Another captured ship, the Polly, ran
aground. O'Brien warned his men they
would not be reinforced and asked If any
wished to quit-three did amid jeers.
Aooro ~ fba hfo ru,, arotfo eho,,tad
that any nearer approach and he'd IRE.
Surrender" yelled back OBrien. A
sheet of flame from the British ship and
John MacNeil fell-the first sailor to die
for the Stars and Stripes. The MachiaS
patriots lashed the vessels together.
boarded the Britisher with any imple-
ments they could lay their hands on.
and went into the first naval battle Of
the Revolution. OBrien hauled down
the British nag and tucked it under
big celebration. Later he captured two
British schooners and took them to
Boston. The provincial House of Rep
resentatives appointed him commander
of the American Navy. With his few
vessels he patrolled from Cape Ann to
Nova Scotia. Ship after ship he cap
tured for the patriots until in l7S0 his
ship, Hannibal, was taken by two British
vessels, and he was confined In q Jersey
prison ship and later sent to the awful
Mil Prison, in England, from which he
escaped In 1881.
Again, he captained the patriot ship
Tiger and continued fighting and cap
turing enemy vessels until the close Of
the Revolutionary struggle. He gave
q home to the gallant Negro, Richard
Earl, who fought with him on the slip
perry dseks OF the Marsueretta.