Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-12-14
LECTURE By COMMODORE
SEMMES.
The sAIRbRma'' Viewed in the Light
of History.
From the Galveston Bulletin. Nov. 5.

From the Galveston Bulletin Nov. s.
FELLOW CITzEEsi As you have been
told by my friend, have been invited to
deliver one Of a course Of lectures Every
one is to be believed in HIS own art, which
may be paraphTased, no one is to be be-
lieved bat in his own art This is not my
art. / am not accustomed TO the lecture
room. Othello's occupation is gone. APP
plause do not propose to touch any pO-
litical subject. l propose TO speak of the
history Of the Alabama rs viewed in the
light Of history and American precedents
Your invitation found me at my home, en-
deagoring to restore our State to her place
in the Federal Union without furnishing
her honor a little time back we were all
engaged, heart and soul in a mighty war /;
now we are engaged with equal earnestness
in the pursuit Of peace. The architects in
our revolution left their work incomplete
They must expect TO be condemned and
despised in their day A philosopher
never quarrcls with nature. This, / am
happy to say, is the course of all our
prominent leaders. Instead Of giving way
to useless repining, they are acting with
tact and talent in all the walks Of honest
labor.
Men Of one generation make history !;
men Of another write it. The actors in
conflict, such as is passed, are disqualified
from being its historians. 1t is TO put on
record some facts regarding the Alabama
that | speak tonight. propose to show
you that she was not pirate priyateer
or bucaueer, but the recognized ship,
wearing the cOlors Of State, by the laws of
nations On the land an enemy might over
run country without destroying private
property. Destroying private property on
land il forbidden Not so on the seas.
The destruction Of commerce in ancient
times was q slow process. The war be
tween the Confederate and the United
States was the first between maritime pow
ers since the introduction Of steam
The Alabama had warrant for what she
did, both i'm the laws Of nations and of the
United States. She was bud abroad. The
United States has made the British origin
Of the Alabame constant source Of COM
plant. She was built by the Lairds The
United States government endeWored TO
contract with this same firm to bald ships
FOR them. Mr. Semmes here read extracts
from Mr.. Laird's speech in the House
Of Commons already published and well
known. From this speech it appears
that before they undertook TO build the Al
ALBANIA, the United States government had
been in treaty with the Messrs. Laird To
build gunboats and monitors. We offered
better terms-hence the Alabama became a
Confederate ship instead of Federal YES
sci She left England as a merchant YES
sell Her Confederate commission was read
and her proper flag unfurled ON the high
seas, where the Confederate had rs much
authority as the Federal government. Il
is the commission a sovereign puts on
board 4 vessel that makes her a personif-
cation Of the sovereign. Even if a ship be
built in a neutral territory, she is purged
of that wrong rs sool As she is commits
stoned. Ii the Alabama was built in viO-
lation Of the neutrality law, that was a
question between the United States and
England From the moment the Confed
crates were recognized As beiligerents, they
had a full right 10 make war in every par
tioular. The United States Acknowledged
this in the first months Of the war. In sup
port Of this proposition the speaker quoted
"Nattel, Third Book, and argued that, if
the United States could buy ships, the
Codederates could do the same. The
speaker then quoted Justice Grier's decision
in the prize cases reported in the Second
Black Reports" laying great stress on the
passage, 81 is not necessary that the State
should be recognized
Mr., Semmes entered largely into The his
tory Of ihe South American States, claim
ing that their cruisers captured prizes and
carried them into American ports In illus
tration Of the fact that the Confederate
States we're recognized, and entitled to all
the sovereign rights Of war, Generals Grant
and Sherman treated Generals Lee and
Johnston as Generals Of an army. Allusion
vas here made TO the circumstances Of the
speakers parole, and 70 the fSci that be was
described both as an Admiral and a Gen
tral. Johnston aud Sherman treated with
each other as equals We laid down our
arms in consideration that the safety Of our
arms should be guaranteed. When Cen
eral Grant wrote his letter to General Lee
lac recognized us as soldiers under de (dcto
government
The speaker here drew a parallel be-
tween the revolution and the Confederate
States II what the colonies did was right
when they did it, what the Confederate
States did was right when they did it. The
acknowledgement Of American independ-