The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-10-01
.IyNING THE ALABAMA.
'uuIimaod from first page

-
leader himself bad once been an officer III the
proud, uucoHqu,rcd navy Of the American
Union.
SjN months before, on the 18th Of January,
i~62. he had met and sunk the United States
steamer HatlcraS alter a sharp struggle of Il
minutes.
Rc,cr7cs 10 our arms at home followed
each o;bec II rapid succession. and all news
adverse to the Union cause WAS greatly ex-
aggeratcd before il reached the European
public.
But TALsUIooD WAS sUrERFLuors.
The plain truth was sufficiently discourage
in. Hancock had been compelled 10 rehn-
quish the ln'renchmonts OF the enemy at
DIury,S Bluff: 4 division of Banks army
had been defeated at Mansfield, La; Grant
had Withdrawn from the enemys works at
SPottSylydnia, suffering a loss of 10000 men
: gll mad been yanquiShed at New Market
and the distress of the Nation had been bia-
zoued to tn, world through The Presidents
call for 2eO.@00 more men Tor the army.
In view Of these facts and considering the
sentiment of Europe, il was difficult then, As
. il Is dIthCuIt now, 10 measure the Importance
of tlis battle. or to estimate the impetus
which victory to the Alabama would have
given to the rebel cause. Had such a result
. followed this battle, it can scarcely be
doubted that some Of the European powers
would have acknowledged new Conteder-
ATE nationality, and possibly have aided 1t
with arms.
Several members of the British Parliament
were active and bitter advocates of such
recognition The late Prime Minister of
England, Mr.. Gladstone, who now claims the
honor Of having been an impartial friend Of
h.. ,,inr had la.inraI Parliament that
the Union WdS dissolved.
PARIS WAS BLATANT
with the bold confident, audacious rebel
backcrS of Mr.. Srmme5. headed by the willy
Sidell. who was Ambassador of the Rich
moud Government to France. The Emperor
of the French proposed the recognition of
the Southern Conttdcracy by France and
England, while he sought to secure foot
hold on this continent by grasping with a
hand Of steel at Mexico through the instru-
mentality of the heroic and unfortunate
MaXimillan.
The locality suggested some of the bril-
liant victories and disastrous defeats for
which this English Channel is historic.
Here England France. and Spain had
risked their chances in the lottery Of naval
warfare Tr0mp vainly boosted, with broom
NJ the masthead of his flagship, that he
would sweep these seas of English shipping
Near these waters the tempest brought dis
aster to the magnificent Spanish Armada
which proudly sped toward England TO con-
test her claim rs Mistress of the Seas"
Here nearly all the great naval heroes of
history had gained immortal fame. Here,
too English rebels had pyeyed on English
commerce as the rebel Semmts pTcyed upon
American commerce.
On one side lay French fleet within the
famed breakwater of Cherbourg; on the
other, The renowned fleets Of Great Britain.
BENEATH THESE JEALOUS EYES
of m0aarchical Europe, were all ttese brave
deeds of the past to eclipse in valor and de-
termination the efforts of the kearsarge to
uphold the honor of the Union and main
tain the ascendcncy of its powers? Was
the result of the coming battle to be such
as TO strengthen the plausible and cunning
diplomacy of Napoleon at the Court of ST.
James with view to SECURE the recognition
Of a Southern COulederacy, and the Union
con, inue 10 be threatened by an augmented
French force in Mexico? Should the enc
mics of the Republic eXult as in the early
days of its existence, over the defeat OF
so-caiied Yankee ship by a British cOrsair?
These We're some Of the questions asked by
the Union crew On that eventful Sabbath
morning.
Thee was bat one response from every
aching heart. In this sketch fancy plays no
part. In that hour Of gloom and disaster
friends OF the Union everywhere needed en-
enlargement and support.
The strongest arms, the brightest intel
lecis the purest hearts went down as a sac
rifce on the altar of the Republic; the land
was filed with mourning; civilization stood
aghast at the dreadful slaughter on the bat
tlefeld; bread and soldiers had become
dear; taxes were burdcnsOme even to the
wealthy; brave men grew pale with doubt,
if not with fear, and prayers from millions
Of American homes went up to the living
God for sucCOr.
Happily, those prayers were answered by
a victory which made our banner respected
throughout the world once more, and sud
denly checked The dangerous and extending
sympathy abroad for the Confederacy.
Il the midst of events like these all true
men realize the power and inspiration Of the
spirit OF patriotism; and this spirit was
about to be subjected to a crucial test.
SABBATH BATTLE.
Sunday morning, the 10Th of June, 1864,
broke upon the KearsaTge cruising off the
port of Cherbourg, at a distance of about
nine miles from shore.
A thin haze filled the atmosphere, but the
rising sun penetrated the light clouds at in
tervals, and early in the day the city, the
famous breakwater and the adjoining coast
could be easily distinguished from the deck
of the Kearsarge.
An excursion train from Paris brought
large numbers Of people seeking amusement,
and, as the determination of Mr. Semmes TO
make au attack had been noised about by the
Paris rebel navy, the hills near Cherbourg
were sought by these and crowds Of other
spectators, TO witness the pending battle.
The waves Of the sea scarcely affected the
motion Of the ship. The channel was spotted
here and there with the white and tan col
ored sails Of fishermen or pilots, and now
and then stately ship sailed maiestically
past, freightcd with the legitimate fruits Of
peaceful commerce.
The crew had cleaned ship donned their
Sunday suits, and were leisurely smoking OF
discussing the chances of brush with the
Alabama.
The officers were below, writing letters to
friends and arranging for such disposition of
their effects as they might desire in the
event Of a fatal disaster.
Il was 10 o'clock in the forenoon, and the
bell was tolling for religious services, when
the conversation in the ward-room was sud
denly interrupted by the officer Of The deck
shouting down the hatchway:
" GBES COMING Ann tgranJIT z,Tp ~ TIT