The Alabama.
The Yankee Government have sent a whole fleet of ships-of-war after the
Alabama.
This scourge of their commerce has stirred the soul of the entire Yankee nation to its lowest depths, and that they are low enough and deep enough the present war has fully disclosed.
That nation of privateers are never speak of
Capt. Semmes, of the Confederate Navy, except as a ‘ "pirate"’ they intend to treat him if he falls into their hands.
We shall not be surprised if they swung him at the yard-arm as soon as he is captured, or at, all events, in a very short period thereafter.
It is useless for us to insist that privateering is a Yankee invention, and that it
Capt. Semmes has sinned in any way, it is in violating the
Yankee patent.
It is useless, to remind them that in the whole of the last war with
England their privateers swarmed on every sea, and that the ink is scarcely dry on the
State paper in which their Government refused emphatically the request of the
European Powers that the
United States would give up the right of privateering.
It is useless to urge that
Captain Semmes is a regular commissioned officer of the Confederate Navy, and not a pirate.
For the very reason that he is an officer and a gentleman they would like to hang him. These and all other reasons would be unavailing to save
Captain Semmes from his threatened fate if he fell into.
Yankee hands.
But there are certain other consideration which may have more weight, and which we would briefly point out beforehand to those who are thirsting for the blood of one of their gallant officers and high-toned gentlemen in the naval service of any country.
In the first place,
Mrs. Galeas rule must be of served for cooking turbat--first catch your fish — The Yankee Doodles have first to catch
Captain Semmes.
We do not despise them as seamen.
They are no great soldiers, but as sailors we have nothing to say to their disparagement.
But even on their own favorite element,
Captain Semmes is the master of the best man is their navy.
He has handled the two single ships which have been successfully under his command in a manner which throws into the shade even the exploits of
Paul Jones.
He has made the ocean unsafe for Yankee commerce and has hitherto baffled the boat laid and most powerful organizations for his capture.
It is possible he may be caught at last, for one vessel with a hundred after her would seem to have but little chance of escape.
And yet we are not sure that he will be caught.
He will make a bonfire yet of many a Yankee merchantman before that day comes.
As to the men-of-war; when he cannot fight them he will run, and when he cannot run he will fight.--And such a fight as he will make ! If he is only so fortunate as to meet one of them at a time, there will be one ship less in the
Yankee navy.
But we trust he may be apprised of the odds coming against him, and make his way to come neither at port, ready to dart out again at the first opportunity, and illuminate the sea with a hundred more blazing Yankee wrecks.
Even supposing the adventurous
Captain to the caught, there it still another argument to save him from the hatter in the certainty of retaliation a hundred fold for his fate.
The
Yankees used not expect that any wrong done
Capt. Semmes will be passed over by the Confederate Government, had we have said before, he is a regularly commissioned officer of the
Government, acting under its authority, and if he should be hung a hundred Yankee officers would be sworn in retaliation.
We are making prisoners of the enemy's officers in every battle, and the fortunes of war may again throw large numbers in our hands.
So let not the
Yankees exalt prematurely over the fate of
Captain Semmes, whom they have got to catch before they and whom if they will be accompanied to the shades by as many Yankee officers, officer with broken necks, as the fate of battles throws into our hands.
