Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-01-10
LETTEH EEoaI RAPHAEL sEs1a.Es !, s. TO


] HIS BhOIAER. SAN. N. SEMMES.
A Washington paperhas been furnished
with the following letter written by Ra-
phael Semmes, late commander OF the
Confederate cruiser Alabama, and now
awaiting trial in that city, written by him
in August last, TO his brother, Samuel NJ.
/ Semmes, at Cumberland, Nd.
MOBILE, Ala, Aug. y, 1865.
! BEy Dear Brother: The cessation
l Of the war leaves me at liberty to renew
my correspondence with you, without
| subiecting you 10 suspicion and annoy
ance; and I need not say to you how
grateful to the yearmngs Of my heart is
this long suspended privilege. You have
been frequently in my thoughts
during our unfortunate struggle,
and I have often felt much
solicitude on your account, lest a part of
the odium and i'll viii which a Jealous
performance Of my duty has called down
upon my head from "mad nation,n -
should attach To you and your family,
and operate 10 your injury. Indeed, (
have no doubt but that the prejudice !
against me was the secret Of the barbar- Z
Gus and malignant persecution Of your 1
son, of which 4 heard only few days /
since from nv wife's friend and relation, /
=
Mrs. Judge Spencer, Of Cincinnati. / /
have never inquired as 10 your opinions 4
and conduct during the war, being con-
tent to leave you the same liberty Of
choice and action that | claimed for my
self I knew that whatever YOU did, you
would do like a man OF honor, and |
rested satisfied. Besides, YOU had been I
for some time retired from active life
by your want OF health. As for
myself l have nothing 10 re-
gret, save only the loss Of our indepen-
dence. My conscience, which is the
only earthly tribunal Of which a good
man should be afraid, bears me witness
Of the uprightneSs of my intention in
my course when, with many
regrets, I served my connection with the
old Government and hasten TO the de-
fence Of my home and section and now,
upon reviewing the whole of my subse-
quent career, | can see no act with
which | have to reproach myself as un-
becoming a man Of honor and 9 gentle 4
man. l approved the secession move
ment Of the Southern States, though I
had no agency in it. / thought that a
separation of those two sections ofOur Re Z
pa bic, which had been engaged in deadly
moral conflict for thirty years, would
result 10 the great advantage
suOugh for them 70 live apart, and
leace, l thought, would be the fruit of :
heir mutual independence Of each
,ther. Although 1 cared very little
bout the institution of slavery, /
bought that the subordinate position of q
he inferior race was its proper position. <
believed that the doctrine Of States
Rights was the only doctrine which would o
ave our Republic from the fate of all 4.
ther Republics that had gone before Us =,
D the history of the world. l believed c.
hat this doctrine had been violated,
nj that it never would be sufficiently =
sspected by the controlling masses a
{ the Northern section to prevent
hem defacing with sacrilegiOus hands
ur national bond OF Union wheTesOever +
: letter was meant 10 guard the pecu-
ar rights Of the South. Believing this 4
lere was but one course which a faith
u Southern man could pursue, and T.
laintain his self respect. / pursued that A
purse. When the alternative was pre-
'nted 10 me of adhering to the allegiance S'
ne to my State or to the United States,
chose the former. Having taken my
de, l gave it Jealous and earnest sup
lrt. / spent four years in active SER 4
ice, and only ceased TO labor for my n
.use when it was no longer possible. l
ndered this service without ever having y
eated a prisoner otherwise than hu- L.
snely, and I may say, often kindly;
I'd without ever having committed an
I of war at any time, or in 4
~ manner, which was not sane -
lned by the laws of war
Il my name viii probably go down to
,sterity in the untruthfuI histories that y
III be written by bigoteG and venal
stOrianS rs q sort Of Blue Beard Of Capt.
idd. But I am content, my brother.
Y conscience is clear, my self respect -
Is been preserved, and my sense of
anhOOd remains unimpaired. think,
o., the South viii be content, notwith- a
luding her immense losses and sacri-
es. If she had yielded 10 the intoler-
t eXactiOns Of Northern selfishnesS and ~
naticism, without appealing TO the ar ~
.rameut of war, she would have played
craven and unworthy part. It I
better 70 lose everything than
T honor and manhood. l know
n viii believe me, my brother, when OF
tell You that l should feel greatly
mbled i'm my own opinion, were | this
Y entitled 10 wear an Admiral's flag in Ne
e old navy, and in possession Of all the
cans and appliances Of wealth, if
ought my h0nors ond rewards had been =
ined by q sacrifice Of creed. The -
aservation Of my own self respect Is
iinitely preferable 10 all such gains I
we come out Of the war poor, but, God
ling, / shall make q support for my o
nily. The President treats as an out
", unworthy of amnesty. ] have
thing 70 say. If I am deemed un- Il
lrthy 70 be a citizen, l can remain in u
V native land as all alien. A magnan- ~ IN
.Ous people would have passed an act of ar
neral amnesty it beingabsurd and ride no
)us to talk about rebels aud traitors in III III
injection with such a revolution as has We
-ept over the length and breadth sf this vii
nd, in which States, and not individu- ols
merely, were the actors. But enough tie
this subject. l am still in Mobile, but COZ
is ye1 uncertain where / shall GO or Pta
nat shall DO. If I save five or six HE
1ussnd dollars out of the wreck Of my L
airs, it viii be fully as much as l eN-
Ct. / think Of retiring into the COm-
:, where, upon a small farm, l can live A
obscurity and peace the few years that ~
main TO me- Ny children are all -
OWN; are well educated, and will be
le, ii the worst comes TO the worst, to
ze care of themselves, =
Remember me kindly to your family,
y dear brother, and let me hear from
u. We have become old men. We q
We both had our troubles, but the Ia
ain of affection which binds me to you o
mains unaffected by the cares of the K.
,rld, and is as bright now as when We
pit I'm each others arms.
Your aHeotIouate brother, ii
l.lrass s,Tg Sar,-,as ESQ,