The Placer herald., 1873-09-20
SEMMES' DEFENSE.
His Attempted Justification Cf the Whole.
sale Destruction Of Amer lean COmmeIce
How lie secured the Alabama
A COndembing Judge on the
III IN Seas-EHu jeff.

Yesterday, and after the trans ,ciion Of some
routine business, Admiral K. Semmcs, bate
commander Of the Confrder tic cruiser -4td-
bana, WIS Introduced 10 th, As5ocitt on.
which he addressed
Mr.. Semmes said: Gas he wished IL
correct certain poins in his own career
which had been assailed, lie felt honored al
being the first to address the associ .ton,
and excused himself for seemingly being
egotistical, as lie desired TO Wind cate his
own career. Men owe a. duty to posrer'iy
"A correct record of the events Of their times.
Unbiased history could not he written until
the actors were hushed to death, and par
ticipstors could not be impartial judges.
But if they could not write the history AT
least the data could be furnished. lie had
been called phate, buccancer, Prvaeer.
His was nothing but regularly commits
stoned ship. The destruction OF property
| n land, which represented the necessalies,
was not considered by our enemy as rob
berry, but : G destruction Of property at sea,
which was the wealth of the nation, by him.
was called piracy. In olden times the d.
siIuction OF commerce was n slow matter,
and the nation that succeeded in most
damaging the Others commerce vas gen
orally victorious; but it was not so STOW
since the Introduction of steam. 1t had
been his lot to command the first steam
trisate, and her .ame WAS due to this and
not Ter commander. His warrant f r al
he did on the high seas could Ge found Ill
Ihe laws of nations, and still more in the
'ctS Of the federal navy. The denial of
hegerent rights to the South WAS fircll.
The blockade and the very p,role gi>en
them proved their rights as beIligerentf.
he Aiabana beng bu 1t in Eng land gave
no claim TO that government TO hold her
Again, she was armed and equipped ont OF
En,l al. Her commission WAS read upon
her quarterback, and her ilas unfurled oI,
The high seas The federal government
had for yeal before the purchase OF tle
! alabama negotiated with her builders 70
similar vessels lie got her by paym,
more This fact lie established l'y p'oof
10 reiuc the claim that England should
hive held her when in any British ports,
he referred to The war Of Spain and III,
colonies, and the action of this government,
citing the Saniissama Trinidad. He next
referred to the wars Of 1776 and 1912
He quoted extensively from Cooper and
c ted Paul Jones and others. The part
taken by Franklin and the State of Masst.
chuset's in lurlhcring nautical cnt rprises,
the cases Of the Qree Of France, the Sur
pr Sc, Revenge and other cases as analogous
were plainly dissectcd, In referring to the
Geneva arbitration he showed the difference
between grandfather AMI grandson; III the
elder Adams using money obtained from
The saleof captured ships to aid the cause
and The OIL er denying these rights. He
was charged with not having u court OF
admiralty to sit on his captures. His oAn
ports beng sealed he did tie next best lhilil
ne could, he constituted himself IA Distrc,
Judge and held court in his cabin, AN cor
demned every ship beteae he burned it.
- referred to hi- arrest. and read extracts
from al article highly complimentary to him
-e'f from JuJge.Adoocate Bow ic. from the
4Hdnfic Wodhiy. lie also cited the case
of the Bonhomnc R.r!nrd etc. lie con
cludcd that the his DRY of this country mus
be one. Our separate history would liz,
generation or go, but it would only be Al
episode in that of the country. ! he pcopl,
would be justified or condemned hereafter
by the events Low TRANSPORTING. It th
Government was merely 10 be governed b,
HE majority its days were numbered i
would 50 ss other Republics had done. !
that time comes we will be regarded will
approvieg eyes, having hazarded all W,
possess,io save the liberties of the people
secured 10y our foref,hers. II The party IN
power took a new dep ,rture, then we woulc
It'll be looked upon as IL people who haz
arded their ali for principe and honor. who
were superior to their worldly interests.
The war failed to deprive us of cur country.
Nor are we without hope that we or on,
poster.'y may carry us back to the pure
government E our fathers. We are des-
tined to live together as one people. Let
us show maenaniniy TO our enemies, and
vi ere they deserve it let ,s join in the per.
pc; uation of their fame. A soldier cannot
b. a secti,rian, and he can advise his biothei
soldier without loosing any of !! IS love for
the South. Eneli.ll history is written, bu,
there is 40 separate history of the Red or
White Roses. They were only episodes.
IN SO would our war be in the time to
come. lie WAS Willing to leave his history
and that of the Alabama, the Florida anc
Shenandoah TO be written when there W Il be-
cherished no more South 10 more North.
Let us, then, preserve our records aud
archives. Our society must not be secta-
rian. If our government is TO be a govern
ment of the majority, without constitutional
restrictions, our days are numbered, and
when that time comes we will lie vindicated
and honored for the struggle for constilu-
tional liberty; but if, o the other hand, we
come back to The constitution. ns it was nm
dersood by the Fathers of ihe Rep ,blic
our course will commend itself to all men
A Southern editor rarely ventures into his
compositors room, and when obliged to do
so, arms himself to the teeth, and leaves
on his desk an obituary notice Of himself