Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-07-14
Demand for Scnmes.- oi
the Press.

iut NcN Il OIh liiDuHC luluhs lLdt
the law, beyond question, entities our
government to demand the surrender of
Semmes from English soil, TO which he
was illegally transferred by the owner
of the "Deerhound. The Kearsargc
had engaged and defeated the Alabama,
and the latter, with everything and eve
ry person on board, was the lawful prize
of the victor unless the Kearsarge had
herself been so much injured as to be un-
able to take possession. That she was
not unable, is evident from the quick ar
rival of her boats. Mr.. Lancaster OF the
Deerhound, alleges that he was request
ed by Capt, Winslow to aid him in saw
ing the drowning crew, as if this afforded
justification for his proceedings. If
Capt. Winslow made such a request, he
made it with the expectation that the
Deerhound would put on the decks of
the Kearsarge whomeyer she picked up.
But Mr.. John Lancaster, having first
rescued Semmes, and then lied TO the
kesrsarge boat concerning him, made
off to Cowes. The interference, the yio-
lation OF neutrality, the insult to the
American flag, are hardly less fragrant
than If the Deerhound had ranged up
unseen to the Kearsarge while the fight
was going on, and poured in her broad
side, supposing her to have had one.
The Evening Post and the Herald
come to a similar conclusion. The Her
aid says that the fact of the surrender
of the Alabama before she went down.
is admitted by Semmes and established
by testimony on both sides that there
fore before Semmes or single man from
his sinking ship had taken to the water
he and his whole crew, from the surren-
der of his ship, had become prisoners to
Capt Winslow, Of the Kearsarge and
that Semmes, stolen from his captor,
though landed on the soil of England,
is still subject to requisition from the
United States.
But the New York Times differs. 1t
thinks that if Semmes had been rescued
by a Queens ship, her rinterrerence would
indeed, afford just ground for demand
for satisfaction and no satisfaction
would be complete which would not
! place Semmes on board the Kearsarge.
The governncet would, OF course, be re
sponsible to the fullest extent for the
acts of its officers, and the protfer of aid
TO the vanquished, during or Immediate
ly following an action, so as to enable
them to escape the Legitimate consC-
quenccs of their defeat, by an officer OF
the Royal Navy, would, unless it were
disavowed and atoncd for, undoubtedly
constitute an act of hostility. But the
Deerhound is q private vessel, owned
and commanded by private individual,
and this owner and commander inter-
fered on his own responsibility, and
with the usual risks-nameIy, that oi
being sunk, killed or captured by the
victor. He might he made to suffer in
the English courts for violation Of the
foreign enlistment act, but the position
of Semmes, when he landed in England
was that of any other refugee whose
offence was not covered by the extra.
dition treaty, viz; that of an escaped
prisoner of war simply, and the British
government would have no more au
thority to deliver him to Minister
Adams than to cut off his head.
There seems to be general agreement
that Capt. Wilson of the Kearsarge nigh
at the time have stopped the Deerhound
searched her, and taken eff the pirates
but the latter having once escaped tC
British soil, there seems at least plaus
ibilty in the argument, though an un
pleasant one to contemplate, that tn,
only satisfaction left is such as may b
got out of the Deerhound if our boat
can catch her away from home.
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