New-York tribune., 1869-06-23

and rather than see his ship IN action Semmes
would have her wther in despair. SO he leaves
her high and dry at Gibraltar, and betakes
himself to London to delight sympathnng
capital with the tidings that the Sumter, IN
her six months cruise had captured seventeen
ships, and done incalculabe harm to Northern
trade
| In July, the Alabama, built on the Mersey
was ready for sea, and Capt Semmes, with
this record behind him-known to the Govern
| ment, known to the Customs authOrltes-was
| appointed to command her. On June %, Mr.
Adams had declared her to be o Confederate
cruiser, and applied to Government to
| detain her in accordance with the Neu-
trality proclamation Lord Russell had
promised to hold her under surveil-
lance, but failed to do so. On July
9th our Consul at Liverpool offered still stronger
evidence against her. The authorities refused
to SEIZE On July 81, the Consul presented new
facts. The authorities refused to seize. On
July 90 and July 26 they were warned that the
Alabama was manned and ready for sea, and
still they refused to seize. On the Goth of July
she sailed on pretense of trial trip, without
clearance or register, went to Moelfre Bay, in
Wales, remained there thirty-siX hours shipped
ftty men, and then made the harbor of Tercelra,
in the Azores, where she was joined by her
store ship, q British merchantmen, and received
from England her supplies, arms, and ammu-
milton. Here came Capt. Semmes on the
Bahama, and here began his depredations. The
Alabama carried eight guns, and was
thus held by her gallant officers and crew
to be a match for Nantucket whalers and Maine
lumbermen. Steaming outside tho marine
league, the cheftain, whose words are battles,
summoned his crew, informed them that
they were in the presence of
bold buccaneer and that enlistment under him
meant unlimited grog, glory, and greenbacks
wrung from the oppressOr. Eighty out of
ninety sailors enlisted, and then the tender father
of his men disappeared in the Roman leader.
" When / wanted a man to do anything after
"ths,n writes the stern mOralst, did not
"talk to him about 'natOnalites and lib
critics and double wages; but gave him
" a rather sharp order, and if the order was not
obeyed in 'doube-quick,' the delinquent
E" found himself in limbo" And there rose up
ungratcful men who, safe on shore, denounced
him as a liar and a bully.
From the 5th of September to the 2Sth of
October the Alabama, always hosting false
1
or store, almost without exception burning her
captives in mid-ocean, seized twenty-one United
States ships. Once or twice moved by their
dumb beauty, or by the appeal of their oili-
GERS. the stern patriot would have dropped
n tear. but there were too many
"vhite-cravated. long-haired fellows bawl-
"ing from the New-England pulpitS
"and too many hOnse-burners and pill
"fcrers ,inundating our Fatherland," to permit
him that tender cffusion and for tears he substi-
tuted Trades. From November to January,
cruising about the West Indies, the Alabama
seized five ships. Jamaica had the largest hospi-
tality for the prvateer, the officers OF the Brit
ish squadron at anchor establishing at once the
most cordial relations with her officers, and
Gov. Eyre extending aid and service. on Bra
I'll and thence TO the Cape Of Good Hope she
captured nearly two score more of valuable
prizes, seizng a rich bark Just off Cape Town,
10 the mad delight Of the English colony. There
was no end to the civilities of Cape Town, and
Il found it "a much as / could do" protests
the modest and cOurtly commander "to write
autographs, and answer the pretty little per-
"fumed billets that came off to me-" The la
dies! Heaven bless 'em! Simon's Town
We'd with Cape Town in kindness, "the
| EnGllSn naval Objects, uiScuulHB III lHc
ridiculous nonsense about our not being
"' recognized' and extending to us official
"as well rs private civilities." Shipping
English seamen to replace deserters, the Ala
bama steams to the Indian Ocean, capturing
paging. and burning on her way. But game
was scarce, trade having long since taken the
alarm and transferred itself to neutral bot
toms, and in six months the Alabama bagged
but seven fst-class prizes Table Bay proving
friendly halfway house on her new voyage to
European waters, the priyateer repaired, re-
fitted, and proyisioued there, and then made
for Cherbourg, seizing whatever Yankee ships
she saw Three days after she dropped anchor.
oil the 18th Of June, 1854. the United States gun
boat Kearsarge appeared in the harbor. Capt.
Semmes finding himself thus bockaded, and
reminding himself that he carried one gun more
than tho enemy. for the first and only
time in his career decided to fight an armed
ship. But simple as Iago, he too cries out that
TO be direct and honest is not safe. The Puri-
tan miscreant, Capt. Winslow, in command Of the
Kcarsarge, had the Yankee meanness to pro-
tect his vessel amidships by hanging over her
sides what anchor cable he could spare. Not
happening to have thought in season of sim
liar armor for himself, Capt. Semmes is prop
ery sc0rnful of the cheat of his dastardly
foe. In an hour and ten minutes from the
firing of the first shot, the flag of the Alabama
was struck, and that vessel found to be sink
ing The Kearsarge secured some prisoners
and an English yacht picked up the rest,
the redoubtable Captain among them, and