The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-01-19

ii
Raphael Scmmcs to HIS Brother, Sam
rrel Nj. Scnmcs.
The National hatelligence7. has been
furnished with the following letter,
written by Raphael Semmes. late
Admiral i'll the Confederate Navy,
the commander of the rebel cruiser
Alabama, and who is now awaiting
trial at Washington:
MOBILE, ALA, Aug. 12, 1865.
MY DEAR BROTHER: The cessation
OF the war leaves me at liberty to re-
new my correspondence with you,
without subjecting You to suspicion
and annoyance; and I need not say
to you how grateful to the yearnings
of heart is this long suspended pri-
vllege. You have been frequently in
my thoughts during our unfortunate
struggle, and have often felt much
sol1c1tude on your account, lest q part
of the odium and ill-will which a
jealous performance OF my duty has
called down upon my head from Il
"mad nation" should attach to Won
and your family, and operate to your
injury. Indeed, I have no doubt but
that the prejudice against me was the
secret Of the barbarous and malignant
persecution of your sou, of which [
heard only few days since from nv
wife's friend and relation, Mrs. Judge
Spencer, of Cincinnati have never
inquired as to your opinions and con-
duct during the war; being content to
leave you the same liberty OF choice
and action that [ claimed for myself.
L knew that whatever You did. YOU
would do like a man Of honor, and I
rested satisfied. Besides, You lad
been for some time retired from active
life by your want of health. AS for
myself, L have nothing to regret.
save only the loss of our indepcn-
dence. My conscience, which is the
only earthly tribunal OF which good
Nan should be afraid, bears me
witness of the uprightness OF my in
tentlon IN choosing my course when,
with many regrets, I severed my
connection with the old Government
and hastencd to the defence of nv
home and section; and now, upon
reviewing the whole of my subse-
quent career, can see no act with
which L have to reproach myself as
unbecoming a man of honor and n
gentleman. l approved the secession
movement of the Southern States,
though l had no agency i'll it.
thought that a separation of those
two sections of our Republic, which
had been engaged in deadly moral
conflict for thirty years, would ulti-
mately result to the great advantage
of them both. The world was wide |
enough for them to live apart, and
peace, [ thought, would be the fruit
of their mutual independence Of each
other. Although [ cared very little
about the institution of slavery, / |
thought that the subordinate position
of the inferior race was its proper
position. [ believed that the doe
trine of States rights was the only
doctrine which would save our re-
public from the fate of all other Re
publlcs that had gone before us in
the history of the world. / believed
this doctrine had been violated, and |
that it would never lee sufficiently
by the controlling masses
of the Northern section to prevent
them from defacing with sacrilegions
hands our national bond of Union
its letter was meant to
guard the peculiar rights of the
South. Believing this, there was but
one course which faithful Southern
man could pursue, and maintain his
I pursued that course.
When the alternative was presented
to me of adhering to the allegiance
TO my native State, or to the United
States, a chose the former Having
chose by side, [ gave it Jealous and
earn apport I spent four years
|331n service, and only ceased to
my cause when it was no