The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-24 00:00:00

TEE ALABAMA.

The brilliant career of the Alabama is over.
Pirate or not, she lies fathoms deep in the strip of
ocean which divides France from England. Never
again shall she terrify the merchantmen of the
Northern States. But her gallant captain lives,
and of the brave men whom he led the greater part
are left ; and it will be strange, indeed, if we do not
hear more of Semmes upon the sea.
Captain Semmes knew his fate beforehand. He
gave to an English friend at Cherbourg papers and
other articles of importance, not easy to be saved in
hurriedly taking to the boats. The Alabama was
pretty well worn out by long and active cruises in
all waters. To refit her, as the usage of English
dockyards teaches, would have been scarcely if at
all less costly than to build another craft. For
some inexplicable reason, the repair of a ship—at
any rate in the Admiralty establishments—is un.
reasonably expensive : sharp critics might suggest
that it offers an opportunity especially favourab'e
to the waste of public money—which is nobody's
money in particular, so that it is unnecessary to be
conscientious about it. Cap'atin Semmes, who found
that his ship could not long continue her victorious
career—and who may possibly have known (though
we don't say so) that a ship would in good time be
found for a Semmes—deemed it as wise as it was
certainly brave to end the Alabama'scareer in fierce
contest with an overwhelming force. So he came
out of Cherbourg ready to fight, and struck the
first blow right manfully ; ay, and fought on till
his last shot was fired from a ship already sinking.
Sunday is very often desecrated by men of diploa
macy and men of war. A calm Sunday morning in
June saw the great fight between the Alabama and
the Kearsage. The battle lasted from an hour to
an hour and a quarter. By good hap an English
yachtsman was close by to record his impressions
of the affair, and to pick up drowning men—one
more instance of the well-known fact that English.
men are to be encountered in places the most una
expected. The fighting was all at long distances ;
there was no attempt at the hand-to-hand business
which English captains loved in the days before
iron ships and guns of long range; and the greater
speed and better artillery of the Northern vessel
made the combat throughout unequal. How it
ended we all know, though no accurate estimate has
yet been formed of the heavy injuries which the
Alabama must have inflicted on the Kearsage. All
we know is that the latter never came to close
quarters, and that Captain Semmes and the chief
part of his crew took to the boats wiihout being
interrupted.

There will be jubilation in the North when news
arrives that Semmes's flag floats no longer. Im.
partial observers see no reason for such rejoicing.
As on land, so on sea, the gallantry, the daring, of
the weaker party—strengthened by the belief that
right is on t:,eir side—suffice to keep their arrogant
in'aders at bay. We suspect that the Federais
have not heard the last ot Captain Semnas. At
any not only has he, as he. designed, avoided
the expensive refitment of a worn-out ship, but also
done a great amount of damage to the new vessel
of the enemy. Yankees, who admire clever ellen-
lations, will have to admit that he acted with a
prompt sagacity, amounting to smartness, which in
the gamut of TrEmsatlamic eulogy stands several
notes higuer than mere heroism.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This Day,

LONDON, June 24.—Wind this day at noon—South-
West; moderato breczo and fine weather, but cloudy at
intervals.

FALMOUTH, June 23.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Minnie,
from Trinidad de Cuba,

SlLcomilE, June 22. Wind S.W.—Arrived—Ciocochie,
from Nassau.

PLYMOIITH, June 23.—Wind W,—Sailed—Mauritius,
steamer, for Madras.
CARDIFF, June 23.—Wind for
Havannah.

PORTSMOUTH, June 23,—Wind N.W.—Arrived—Tier
Majesty's ship Supply, from Corfu.

(ay MAGNETIC TELEGRITII.)
GRAVESEND, Friday Morning.
Arrived, June 23—Hamburg, from Quebec—Hound, from
Prince Edward's Island—Scotia, from New York—Urania,
from Quebec.
Arrived, June 24 —Classina Ardavia, from Smyrna—.
Sarah, from Caen—Otto Olof, from Foport—Floru, flout
Hobend—Christiane Maria, from 1 histad.
Sailed—Tartar, steamer, for Lisbon—Rhine, steamer, for
Robert steamer, for Ghent—Sir l-,
Boulogne—Flecba,eui
from Madras, for London ; llont(zuc: a.
steamer, for Dunkirk—Hanover, steamer, for Calait.,—Cor:
coera, steamer, for Alexandria.
DEAL, Friday Morning.
Passed—
folefttraro
'mOporto for London; Bonnie Belle
'
London; Pncursa, from London, for
Otago; Cassandra, from London for Sierra Leone ; Na'uti-
Ells, from London for Liverpool; Princess Loyal, Lcm
Vancouver's Island, for London.

LONDON SCOTTISH RIFLE VOLUNTEERS.-C°l-
- C. 8., Inspector-General cf Volunteers, will in•
spect this regiment to-morrow afternoon at six o'clock iu
Regents-park. The corps will march from Welliogtoa
Barracks at half-past five, under the commaud of Lunt.-
Colonel Lord Eleho.

During the lea few days there has been rather
lees animation in the Foreign and Colonial Produce
Markets. Sugars have barely sustained former
prices, while the transactions in Tea have been
unimportant. Coffee has been in some instances
rather cheaper, but a good demand has prevaied
for rice at full rates. In the tal:ow iziatket there
hao been more activity, and quotations for both
present and forward delivery show an upward move,.
meet.
MADRID, June 22.—M. B
the Argentine Republic, aicare, the Minister of
yesterday exchanged the
ratifications of this treaty of recogniiion, p_q.c.F, and
amity which was Ogued last year with the Spani.4h
Government.