American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-07-20
VOLUME |.
The Alabama.

struction of the Alabama, we now turn
critically to some features of the contest
demanding more careful consideration
than has yet been given them.
It is stated in The London Daily NewS
that the Deerhound is regarded as having
been the tender or consort of the Alabama.
The view is correct Whatever relation
Mr.. John Lancaster, owner Of this g neu-
trar' yacht, may have previously sustained
to the pirate it is at least certain that his
appearance upon the scene, and his acts
when the engagement was over made
him the accomplice as well as the rescuer
of Semmes. We do not know, and it is
immaterial, whether the report OF his
agreement to be present in order to inter-
fere if the fight went against the Alabama,
be true or not; the fact being that he ac-
ted just as, in case of such bargain, he
would have been expected to act
The law of the case is beyond question.
The Kearsarge had engaged and defeated
the Alabama, and the latter, with every
thing and every person on board, was the
lawfulprize of the vicior, unless the keaf-
sarge had herself been so much injured
as to be unable to take possession. That
she was not unable, is evident from the
o,,;oL or,;,,ol ,P bo, Lo,ts NJ anoos
ter alleges that he was requested by Capt.
Winslow to aid him in saving the drown
ing crew, as if this afforded a justification
for his proceedings. If Captain Winslow
made such a request, he showed human
ity not generally yexhibitcd toprates; but,
in any event, he made it with the expec-
tation that the Deerhound would put on
the decks Of the kearsarge whomever she
picked up. But Mr.. John Lancaster took
another view of his duties as humanita-
rian neutral; and, having first rescued
Semmes, and then lied to the Kearsarge
boat concerning him, made off to COwes.
The interference, the violation of men,
tralty, the insult to the American flag,
are hardly less fragrant than if the Deer
hound had ranged up unseen to the kear-
sarge while the fight was going on, and
poured in her broadside, supposing her to
have had one. Our Government has
clear right to ask an explanation of this
act of a British subject, and to demand
the surrender of Scmmes from English
soil, to which he was thus illegally trans
terred, though his rendition now may be
quite impossible.
Nor are we yet informed as to the mo-
tives which influenced Capt. Winslow in
permitting the escape of the Dcerhound
with his prisoners When thatvessel had
taken the pirate Semmeson on board she was
still under the guns of the Kearsarge.
Mr.. John Lancaster says he expected to
be brought to by a shot-proving his own
guilty consciousness that he was doing an
Illegal act Capt Winslow must have
known that the Deerhound had somebody
on board; nor is it easy to conceive how
an officer who had been in command of
the kearsarge and excluded from all cour-
tesles in British ports, could have trusted
to the honor, or good faith, or sense of
justice, of an Euglishman. 1t would
have been quite easy for Capt. Winslow
to have detained and examined the Deer
hound. In the two dispatches published
yesterday, the SUBJECTS left untouched.
ltappears further that those of the crew
who were picked up by the boats of the
kearsarge have been paroled at Cherbourg
by Capt. Winslow. The effect of such
an act is to recognize the Alabama as
Confederate ship of war, and her captain
as an officer in the Confederate service.
Should our Government not be prepared
to make these admissions, this may be dis
mowed and recalled by the Navy Depart
ment.
1t has surprised nobody that the Eng
llsh journals should have sought to belit-
tie the exploit of the Kearsarge by extoll-
ing her superiority to the Alabama. 1t
Is natural that British pride should be
touched by the defeat of British vessel
The inferiority of the gunners trained on
the British practice ship Excellent was
rather too plainly demonstrated. But the
facts exist, and although it is easy to mis-.
represent them, they cannot be altered.
There has been no naval fight on more
equal terms than that between the Kear-
sarge and the Alabama. Captain Wins
low says:
1.-The ship were about equal in match,
the tunnage being the same, the Alabama
carrying 100-pound rifle, with one
heavy 63-pounder and six broadside 32
Founders; the Kearsarge carrying four
broadside 32-pounders, two l1-iach and
one 2s-pound rife, one gun less than the