The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-07-02
PIRATE "ALABAMA.'
THE DEFENSE OF CAPTAIN SEMMEs.
Reasons Why the Rebel Pirates Burn
Their Prizes, and the Remedy,

,--a.,-..,>,,------.ys,----.
The fact that Captain Semmes had published a
long defense of his pratica exploi, in the Lon.
don Times has already been stated. The docu-
ment was accompanied by the following letter :-
10 hs Editor or hs Tues--
Sir do me the favor to publish in the Time,
the inc'OsCd communication, which / design rs
reply to numerous assaults upuu me by the
English Press, not excepting an occasional
rumble from yourselves, on the subject OF my
destroying prizes at sea without adjudication by
a Prize Court
The London Ereninq star and kindred negro.
phiiist associates have been particularly virueut
and abusive. The term "prate" is n favOrito
CpithCt with them, but as abuse Is always evil
dence Of the weakness Of the cause in which it is
employed, and as this little failing NAV be a sort
OF yocabulstic necessity with them, TO enable
them TO pursue their polite calling, perhaps /
ought not 10 quarrel with IT,
II in the course Of my remarks I have found Il
necessary 10 review some OF the acts of your Gov
eminent, trust you will give me credit for doing
this in spirit OF justice aud fair play, and not
with disposition 10 be querulous or censorious
l have alleged no fact that will not be conceded ;
and If my reasoning upon the premises be sound,
no harm can have been done to any one, since
the truth is never unjust. If, on the contrary,
the reasoning be unsOund, you have the probe
and scalpel at hand
am, respectfully &c,
+. SEAAEs, Captain @. S. Navy.
Confederate States steamer Ala5dn,d, ON the
high seas, April, 1864.
The following extracts from Captain Semmes
communication show its drft and spirit -
81 had the honor to command the first vessel.
Ot-wnr (the steamer SUMTER commissioned by
the Confederate States in the present war, aud
having successfully run the blockade of New
Orleans and got to sea, II early became necessary
for me to adopt some mode Of dispOsing of my
prizes.
"A blockade OF the entire coasts of the Confede
rate States had already been declared and the
enemy was busy in collecting and arming ships
TO enforce IL and presumed that in the course
of few months the blockade would be at least
sufficient TO keep out sail vessels and of this
class, with rare exceptions, II was probable my
prizes would be. IL was clear, therefore, that
should be ehectually prevented from sending my
prizes into the Confederate ports.
up to the time of my running the blockade
(June 80, 1861, had not seen her Brittanic Mi-
Jestys orders In council, prohibiting the belge-
rents from bringing their prizes into British
ports; aud looking TO the unequal operation of
such orders, had strong hopes that none such
would be issued. made my first prizes on the
coast OF Cuba, and with view to test the dispo-
siton OF Spain In this matter, sent them, seven
in number, into the port of Cienfdegos. Their
arrival was teegraphed to the Captain General ut
Havana.
"The Captain General was without instructions,
the orders of neutrality of the Queen of Spain
not yet having been received. The prizes were
permitted to remain until these orders should
arrive. The orders came, and the prizes were
afterwards illegally handed over to the enemy,
instead of being warned to depart. Spain, as we'll
as France, had followed the lead of Great Britain
and In due time all the smaller commercial
nations did the same. To show the objects had
in view in sending in these prizes, quote below
an extract from my letter to the Governor of
Cienfuegos -
"'The 'cargoes of several of these vessels are
claimed, as appearC by certificates found among
the papers, as Spanish property. This fact can
not, Of course, be verified except by judicial
proceeding in the prize courts of the Confederate
States. But while this fact is being determined
what is to be done with the property have
the right TO destroy the vessels and not the clr-
goes, in case the latter should prove to be, as
claimtd, Spanish property but how can destroy
the former and not the latter
" Il cannot before sentence unlade the cargoes
and deliver them to the claimants, for do not
know that the claims will be sustained, and
cannot destroy the cargoes, for do not know
that the claims will not be sustained. Indeed,
one of the motives which influenced me in seek.
ing Spanish port was the fact that these cargoes
were claimed by Spanish subjects, whom 1 am
desirous of putting to as little inconvenience rs
possible in the unlading and reception of their
property after sentence, in case it should be re-
stored H. them
"It will thus be seen that was not only anxiou,
to condemn my prizes, but to put neutrals to as
little Inconvenience as possible. If my prizes
had been received into neutral ports, and per-
mitted 10 remain there until they could be adiu-
dicated by our prize courts, sitting in our own
territory, no possible Inconvenience, that can
perceive, could have resulted 10 neutral nations
and the rights of everyone would have been Sc
curcd-the right of the captor 10 the full benefit
OF his prize, and the right of the neutral claimant
20 adjudication.
"WlAt inconvenience to Great Britain, for ex-
ample, could possibly have grown oUt of the fact
Of captured vessel lying quietly at hcI dock in
the port OF Liverpool, in charge Of q ship-keeper
and ptiZe agent until she could be adjudicated; !;
and If she should be condemned, why could she
not have been sold as quietly at public auction
as If she had been seized and sold under
an execution for debt IL was my inten-
tion to follow the precedent set In the
Cten6aegos case-of sending all my prizes
into the most convenient ports for the parties con-
cerned; a., where there were English claimants,
into English ports French claimants into French
ports, &c. This intention was frustrated, as has
been seen, by the orders Of the Queens Govern
ment-I say the Queens Government, because
that Government gave the cue which was fol
lowed by all the other nations. By these orders
was deprived at the same time Of the right of
asylum and sale of my prizes, and Of the power
OF adjudication.
"What course was expected of me under these
circumstances; Was il expected that would
abandon the right Of capture altogether or that
would be guilty OF the child's play of captur-
ing the enemy's ships with one hand and releas-
ing them with the other? That, in short, /
would retire from the high seas and leave the
tuNlll W pursue Ills GOuutfttt MS innocent
and peaceable commerce. as Mr.. Adams plain.
lively and nairely calls il, without molestation
If you did not suppose this-and l will not
impute such folly TO people who not
only know the value of commerce 20 a bcllige-
rent, but who have always annihilated the com
merce of their enemies In their own wars-you
must have known that / would destroy the
enemys ships in every case where II was possible.
Why, then, do you complain OF the course /
pursued Was IL just to force that course upon
me, and then eXclaim against il in pous horror
Is this the Kind Of fair play upon which Eng
lishmen pride themselves !"
Captain Semmes then alludes 10 the relative
positions Of the belligerents at the commence
ment of hostilities. He says
"a large portion of the wealth Of the Fedora
States consisted in their commerce and If this
could be destroyed, an important blow would be
struck I'm the war. The Volunteer Corps of the
sea-as legitimate as the Volunteer Corps of
the and-was the most effective weapon with
which 10 strike this blow; aud accordingly, in
the first days Of the war, several prYateers
were commissioned, and others were being
rapidly fitted out, when the Queens orders ap-
peared, and knocked the whole scheme on the
head.
"As If by magic, the priyateers which had
alTeady been commissioned disappeared from
the seas, and all work was suspended on those In
course OF preparation and the little Sumter after
wards assisted by two or three other small YES
sells, was Obliged to undertake tho hereulean