The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-04-15
sEMMEs ON THE CENTENNIAL.
THE ADMIRAL,s ANIMosITY.

THE ADMlRAL'S ANlmOo1l l.
RAPHAEL sEMMEs DENoUNcEs THE CEN
TENNIAL TEA PARTY ON PARTISAN
GROUNDS, CHARACTERIZING 1T A RADICAL
LOVE FEAST.
Having heard that Alabama had resolved
TO participate in the centennial tea party
Admiral Semmes writes as follows to the
Mobile Register: Alabama is to be present.
at the Centennial. AS commentary upon
the act by which she proposes to degrade
herself, permit me to glance at historical
fact or two. When, in the year 1861, while
holding the rank of commander in the
United States navy, 1 was seated in the
lighthouse bureau at Washington, in the
discharge of my duties, a telegram was
flashed over the wires to me, of which the
following is copy:
MONTGOMERY, Feb. IA. 1861.
SIR:-Ol behalf of the committee on
naval affairs, 1 beg leave to request that
you will repair to this place at your earliest
convenience.
en-. CONRAD, Chairman.
Commander Raphael Semmes. Washing
ton, ID. G.
The sovereign state of Alabama had Sc
ceded from the federal union, and a war
being imminent, she stood in sore need of
the services of all her sons. Hence the iele-
gram. Her son thus telegraphed, whose
only fortune consisted OF his federal COM
mission, without moments thought for
the future OF his family, fastened to obey
the summons. All he knew or cared to know
was that his state was CRYING aloud to
him in her anguish, and this cry was enough
What followed needs not to be told in this
communication. 1t is sufficient to say that
the great principle of the sovereignty of the
states, as read by the lights of the federal
constitution, in which the states were the
u
no others, was involved in the contest, and
that the state of Alabama deemed that she
was fighting not only for her life but for her
honor also. In concert with her sister states
of the South she fought long aud manfully,
and, in the words of the late John Mitchell,
sail the best men" of the state were confed-
crates. But she was beaten in the contest
by the sheer force of numbers, and after be-
ing beaten was spit upon with contumely
and contempt. To make her degradation
more palpable and enduring, the tunda-
mental law itself was changed, and the odi-
Gus and contemplate fourteenth amend
Inent found place in the same constitution
which the rebel. George Washington, had
signed. BY the third section Of this amend
ment it is provided that certain persons who
shall have engaged in instruction or re-
bellion" against the United States, meaning
the late war, shall be ineligible 20 hold Office
under either the federal or state govern
ment, unless congress, by two thirds vcte
of each house, "remove such disability"
Thus are citizens of the state of Alabama to-
day branded as ''iusurre ctiOnists and rebels
by the constitution of the United States. In
other words the sovereign state of
ALABAMA Is HUMBLED AND DEGRADED
through certain class of her citizens, who,
if they became "insurrectionists and rebels, u
became so by her command. To say moth
ing of others, the undersigned, who came to
her at her bidding, as has been shown, is
still under the ban of this coustitutio nal
prescription, and has recently been insulted
in addition by On infamous SANDER, pub
lished against him on the floor OF the Senate
of the United Ststes, in report OF the conn.,
mittee. And in view of all these facts-iu
view of the brand of infamy and shame
which has been burned, as it we're, into the
very forehead of the state-the once proud
| state of Alabama-what have her represent
atiyes, assembled at Montgomery, recently
done? Her legislature, democratic legis-
lature-and her governor-a democratic
governor-have consented that she shall
| by means of certain epresentatives-chi
OF whom is to be the governor himself-at
this radical love feast, the centennial, side
1 by side with certain other sovereign STATES
| whose equal she is, but who have branded
her as described. A pariah and an outcast
Il
burning into her brow, she consents to NEE
Edmunds and Others who have so recently
insulted her son. on terms of amity anC
reconciliation. Poor, degraded Alabama
When that telegram which brought you
son to your aid in your hour of trial anC
trlbulatiop, flashed over the wires from
Montgomery to Washington City, was Their
an honorable man within your borden
whose cheek would not have been suffuseC
with the blush of shame at the bare sugges
| ton of such degradation? What say you
good men and true of Alabama, are sther
any of you so wanting in spirit and manli
ness that you will accept from tn
| hands of the governor commission S,
tainted with dishonor? VIII you con
sent that at this great meeting Of sovereign
| states-which, If it were properly con
ceived and carried out, would tar outshin
| any meeting of sovereigns heretofore held
your own state shall stand crouching and
humbled, a branded felon; branded by the
very fundamental law to which you ar
expected to sing hcsannas? 1t has offer
| been said that we lost every thing bl
the war except our honor. Are we prepared
to surrender this also? What say you, mel
of Mobile? Will you sanction this intamy
| Or must you drink of this chalice? If j
may not pass from your lips the sooner yol
level with the earth the proud battle mounu
ment you unveiled, amid the plaudits o
the multitude and the booming OF cannon
but few months ago, the better. Will yol
dare permit it to stand. and at the sam
time admit, by the presence of your repre-
| sentatives at Philadelphia, on the 4.h o
July, 1876, that those who sleep in their
BLOODY WINDING SHEETS BENEATH 1T,
were rightly branded by the constitution o
the United States as "insurrectionists ant
rebels?" To prevent all misconception, o
rather misrepresentation, 1 desire to So,
that am sincerely in favor of an earnest am
honest reconciliation with the people of tn
North. We must look at the policy and in
terest of states from the standpoint of states
men, and in doing so we must bury man.
fathoms deep our private griefs, whsteve
they may be; but no solid and lastiuj
friendship can grow up between the section
unless IL be- based upon good faith and mu
tual esteem. Bot no people can esteem sn
other who do not esteem themselves; anC
4 I.