The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-07-16

doubt az thu Allegation upon which thiA
charge h founded. All accounts agree that
Semsass did hot z 70 hlmseif up; that he
did not even 20 dawn with LiA ship, al was
proper and bscomiue, bull, on the contrary.
fariively, ieloniously and with malice aiore-
thought, ss,nped, SWAN n, aud made away
from the SINGING veescl, 81, aiing his life from
the United States, TO whom II justly be-
ionged, ID the great loss, detiiment aud
dansage Of the said United States. smoanf-
ing To the snm al ------ pounds, shi'Angs
| aud pence, hereafter TO be more definitely
ascertained.
That this was an unparalleled outrage, and
one which only hardened freebooter Oh the
ocean could )mmit, none Will deny but
men who are Ms bad as Capt SemMes. Was
not his ship beaten, AMI, therefore, should
he not, dealing with an enemy who always
scrupulcusly regards the rules Of civilized
a.fare, have adhered to the same rules with
irtiexible tenacit,? 1t may be pretended
that, as the Kearsaige continued to fire upon
the Alabama after her iiig was lowered,
Capt Semmes was ahsolyed from every spe-
cies OF obligation implied ia that act, and as
the United States h I'd proclaimed its pur-
pose to treat Capt Semmes as pirate, and
not q regularly commissioned officer Of the
Conie,i, rate States, he was at perfect liberty
to make away with his own life, or that Of
any other person. We shall not stop TO dis
cuss such puerile pretex.s. We expect
from Conf deraLe officers soul above quib-
bles, and chez riil sacrifice of themselves
aud their country rather than lay them
selves open to an imputation OF dishonor
from Yankees. Moreover. this ia not
mere question Of logic, but one of sentl-
lnent nd feeling. Maghauim,ty, generosity,
and d!sint erestedness, Az dictated that Capt
Semmes should have swan off to the ear
sarge, aud with the dripping body and au-
gust eoul Of sea god, have climbed up to
the quarter deck aud dropped down at the
kae,s of his lawful captor. Had the United
States Navy put forth all its energies for
three years only to sink the Alabama? Was
not he, Semmes, the real object of pursuit ?
Would not Winslow, IL his fl, had been
lowered, acted with that nice sense OF honor
which characterjzes his nation, and have
dsdained 10 escape, even II he had the op- |
portunlty? 1t may be said that WinslOw |
would have been treated by Capt Semmes |
according TO the laws Of civilized warfare, |
whereas the fate OF pirate was already de |
creed for Capt Semmes. Here, again, we |
fall back upon the principles Of chivalgy,
and usist that, i'm fair play aud lofty abne /
CATION, the very doom pronounced upon |
him should have qnickened the ardor II |
generous self-sacritee. Was it not su-
preDely selfish in Capt Semmes, after bay
Bg his own pleasure for three years In light
pg up every sea with Yankee bonfres, aud
iIiving Yankee commerce from the ocean,
10 refuse the Yankees the legitimate result
IF their persevering and successful enter
prise--the pleasure of beholding him sus
pended from the gallows tree? IL Ia possible
hat Capt Winslow might have hung him at
Ince TO the yard ann OF the X earsarge, but,
more probable, that he would have for
1arded hin, as fast as steam could hurry
him, to.the United States, 10 time to be hung
III the Fourth Of July. Such spectacle
Is that would have richly compensated for
he failure Of Grant TO add new glories to
hat anniversary BY the capture of Rich.
nond. Onght it not To have been the proud
mbition OF Semmes thus to grace Yam
lee holiday? Has he no spark OF American
ceiling? Ia the memory Of '76 dead within
is calious heart? Had he no vestige OF
that, Tor the sake of saving his
aiserabie life. he should dry up that ocean
f fanatic joy which would have rolled
mountain high about bis scaffold and deaf
ned his dying ears with tornadoes of ex-
citation? What an outrage Who can
'lame the Yankees if they retaliate, and,
sheneyer they are defeated 10y land or sea,
ereaiter, fy for. their lives?