won without the firing of a shot or the loss of a life impresses only the reflective few. Hence the fame of Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry has been overshadowed by that of the hero of Lake Erie, whose name is not infrequently confounded with that of his brother; the two are in many minds supposed to be one. Index-makers entangle and confuse the pair, treating them as Shakespeare's two Dromios, or as Siamese twins, unduly lengthening one life, and prematurely introducing the other upon the stage of history. Several biographies of Oliver Hazard Perry have been written, none of Matthew Calbraith Perry has yet appeared. The collection of materials for the lastnamed work has been a labor of love with the writer of this sketch, who in a tongue other than his own has heard the name of Matthew Calbraith Perry spoken reverently and with enthusiasm, as the moral liberator of a nation: and can testify to the tenderness with which his memory is cherished in Japan, as well as in Africa and America. It is a remarkable fact that two of the most pronounced triumphs of American diplomacy-the opening of Japan and Corea, after the envoys of many nations had failed-were achieved by purely naval officersCommodores M. C. Perry and R. W. Shufeldt. Matthew C. Perry, justly called the father of the American steam navy, and known the world over as the sailor-diplomat who opened Japan, was a typical American naval officer. The word "type," as defined by Webster, signifies "the aggregate of characteristic qualities," or "that which is representative." Whatever is typical, therefore, combines the essentials of a type. The American naval officer's characteristics are, we consider, thoroughness of professional education, capacity for details and universals, knowledge of men and of governments, the combination of the independent with the co-operative spirit, alertness to the needs of the times, together with the grand old virtues of patriotism, manliness, courage, coolness and skill. Our distinguished subject possessed all these. He came of Devonshire English stock on the paternal, and of Scotch-Irish stock on the maternal side. His ancestor in the sixth degree was Edward Perry, born in 1630. Well educated, he became a Quaker preacher, whom the Spirit often moved. Suffering annoyances if not persecution under Cromwell's government, he helped, by emigrating to America, in what a certain writer has called "The Quaker Invasion of Massachusetts." Settling at Plymouth, he married the daughter of Edmund Freeman, the assistant-governor of the colony. In crossing the ocean, however-if we may mix such contradictory metaphors as fire and water-he leaped from the frying-pan into the fire, for Massachusetts soon gave him a hot reception. He was an unusually militant Broadbrim, and in 1576 retaliated upon his persecutors, by writing "a railing accusation against the court of Plymouth," copies of which are still preserved, and for which he was heavily fined. Here, we behold the foun tain-head of that stream of irrepressible fighting quality so often manifested on ship and shore, in war and in politics, and last exhibited by our young Long Island congressman, Perry Belmont, a grandson of the Commodore. Banished from Massachusetts, the son of Edward Perry emigrated to Rhode Island, in company with Roger Williams, and purchased land near South Kingston. From the first, friendship was secured with the Indians; and one of the faithful aborigines served with Commodore Oliver H. Perry, losing his life at Lake Erie. The original farm still remains in possession of the family, and near the site of the rebuilt homestead is the ancestral cemetery. The father of the two commodores was Christopher Raymond Perry, who was born December 4, 1761. He served during the Revolution as a volunteer in the Kingston Reds, and on the Mifflin, an American privateer, which was captured, and he, with the crew, lodged in the Jersey prison ship at New York. Fortunately escaping from the floating coffin, he served as soon as his health allowed on board the Governor Trumbull, commanded by Captain James Nicholson, and again on a privateer, which was taken by a British frigate while off the English coast. He was sent to Ireland as a prisoner, and held for eighteen months. This proved a blessing in disguise, for during that period he met his future wife, the mother of many heroes. He first saw the young lady, Miss Sarah Alexander, of Newry, County Down, during his parole, and was much impressed by her spirit and beauty. Reaching America by way of the West Indies and Charleston, he made a voyage to Ireland as the mate of a ship. On the return trip in 1784, Miss Alexander, then an orphan girl sixteen years of age, took passage on the same ship to visit an uncle in Philadelphia. She came under the care of a Mr. Calbraith, whose son, a little boy named Matthew, was a great favorite with the Irish lassie. On the long voyage, there was time for friendship to ripen into love, and that time was well improved. On their arrival in the City of Brotherly Love, they were met by Doctor Benjamin Rush with the news of her uncle's death, and so the young couple, Christopher Raymond Perry and Sarah Alexander, were married at once, and removed to the Perry farm in Rhode Island. From this marriage have descended probably more naval officers than from any one American connection, that of the Nicholsons alone excepted. Of the eight children were three daughters: Anna, became the wife of Commodore George Rodgers, killed in Charleston Harbor, 1863. Another married Dr. Butler, of South Carolina, the father of Matthew Calbraith Butler, United States Senator; and the third remained single. Of the sons, Oliver Hazard was the hero of Lake Erie. James Alexander, who was in the boat with his older brother, the commodore, when crossing from the St. Lawrence to the Niagara, had his hat pierced and a curl of his hair cut off by bullets. He was drowned at Valparaiso in 1821, while trying to rescue a companion. The fourth and fifth sons, Nathaniel and Raymond, were both naval officers. Matthew was the third son in this decidedly naval family. Their father being away at sea most of the time, holding the rank of Captain in the American navy, their training fell upon the young mother, and sublimely did she fulfill her charge. Those who knew her in later life speak of her as "a Spartan mother," "a grand old lady." Her ancestry was Scotch. She was descended from Sir William Wallace, and was proud of it. Having emigrated to North Ireland, her people, though Protestants, were involved in the Irish rebellion in Cromwell's time. In her childhood she had often listened to accounts of the battles which had taken place on her native soil, and now, as a mother, she loved to recount them again to her children. Believing that her people were the bravest in the world, she fired the minds of her own boys with the ineradicable passion of patriotism, and a thirst for the display of valor, while at the same time. training them to the severest virtue, purest motives, a love for literature, and a reverence for sacred things. The habit which Matthew C. Perry had of reading his Bible through once during every cruise, and his fondness for the English classics, were created at his mother's knee. The circumstances of Mrs. Perry's death were interesting and tragic. In 1821, while living at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, at which her son-inlaw, Commodore Geo. W. Rodgers, was then second in command, there were hundreds of Irishmen employed, who, on St. Patrick's Day, were accustomed to serenade the commanding officers. The news of the death of her son James had come but a few hours before, and this time, forgetting what day it was, and prostrated with grief, the aged lady was in her room over the piazza. The Irish bands usually made their approach playing the most rollicking airs; but hearing of the mother's loss, they approached quietly and with muffled tread until near the piazza. Suddenly the united bands burst forth in the Coronach - the Irish death wail. The shock was too great. She fell insensible to the floor, following three of her five sons in death. Surely, of such mothers our country may well be proud, and our prayer be for many more. Matthew Calbraith Perry was born at Newport, April 10, 1794. In the matter of his birthday, the encyclopædias are as divergent as seven Dutch weathercocks, four pointing to Newport and three to Kingston; but the family Bible, now in possession of Mrs. August Belmont, has given us our data. He was named after Matthew Calbraith, his mother's little friend. When about ten years old, the future commodore was visited by his name |