Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-11-07
The Federal Policy at Fort PiCkeas--
Wore Grumbling.
pm Correspondence Of the New York Tribune
FORT PlCkENs. October Is. 1861.

Extract from Correspondence Of the New York Tribune
Fort PiCKENs, October Is, 1861.
When Fort Sumter fell, in consequence of the
erection of girdle of batteries, which the fatal
indecisiOn of the Buchanan administration al
lowed to be completed, the country hoped and
had a right to hope, that no similar act Of imbe-
cility would be tolerated in any other quarter.
Certainly, the circumstances Of aggravation and
disaster which have marked the progress Of the
war since that event have afforded no ground for
any concession TO the rebels Of any advantages
which the exigencies of the war did not compel.
For months we have been in a condition TO re-
possess overselves of the navy-yard. For months
that we have been in this state of preparation
and efficiency, the rebels have gone on under
our very eyes erecting additional batteries and
perfectng those already commenced, and pre-
pairing to re-enact the rOie of Sumter.
The reason for this tolerance on our part is
more surprising than the fact itself During all
this time the eommandant of the fort has been
acting under the instructions sent under the
Buchanan administration, which instructions
have never been counteTmanded or amended.
These instructions were and are. that under no
circumstances Is he to open fire upon the rebels
except in the event OF their batteries opening
first upon him.
1t is right and proper that this fact should be
| known. What motives of policy may have ac-
o
! it Is impossible TO conceive. The commander Of
a position Ike this who should Of his own will
pursue the course which the cOmmandant of this
| fort has pursued, would deserve to be shot, and
II is difficult to understand what views of policy
can BE- of sufficient force to justify course
which, in a military point Of view, is not only
indeisnsible, but criminal
Il IS said that our commander has three several
times written to the authorities in Washington,
! begging permission to open fire on the rebels,
and also, know not with how much of truth,
that no notice has been taken Of his letters The
rebels now boast that their preparations for the
attack are complete. Certainly if they are not
successful, whenever they shall have completed
their works, and with the choice Of time left
wholly with them, il viii be no fault of the au-
thurities at Washington, whoever they may be,
who are responsible for this unheard of bunder
/ believe it is a fact that at the time Of the
spirited attack on the Judith, il was agreed be-
tween the officers in command Of the expedition
and Col Brown, that in the event of the Con
iederates attacking him while engaged IN de-
stroving the judith, the latter should support
him by fire from the guns Of Pckens He was
50 attacked, but Col Brown failed to support
him, because that, on reading his instructions
again, under the actual circumstances of the
case be could find no authority for such action.
Again, the attack on Wilson's encanpment
was anticipated, but the instructions already re-
feTed to tied Col Browns hands
Is It not time that the pretense of keeping up
hostile attitude was laid aside or that the fact
Of war should be recognized, and the commander
of the fort released from instructions which en-
anated from the imbecile Buchanan DYNASTY.
and which, for reasons inscrutuble to human
wisdom, are still perpetuatcd
short time ago Col. Brown wrote for the
third time to Washington, asking TO be released
from those Instructions II may be that the af-
fair of Wilson's ZOuaves viii open the eyes of
the authorities and that before this reaches you
orders will have been transmitted which will
allow US to break the spell which has bound Us.
At all events, if we must wait for the rebels to
still further carry on their works all here will
do their duty, and endeavOT to avert disgrace
from the national arms, although disgrace would
seem to have been cOUTted
Referring to the same subject, the Cincinnati
Commercial makes the following remarks:
As an evidence of the extreme vigor which
characterizes the performances Of the President
it is worthy Of notice that the commandant at
Fort Pickens has not received any instructions
from the present administration He is still la
boring under the Buchanan orders. the substance
of which was "Don't shoot" Col Harvey
Brown has several times written, begging that
his orders be so modified as to allow him TO pre-
vent the further erection OF batteries Fort sum
ter style But he has not, W TO this date, been
able to get the earof the President-or at least
he has not been able TO squeeze out the order re-
quired Weuld It not be well to send a cabinet
officer to Fort Pickens. to see whether the time
has come when It viii be expedient to withdraw
the general direction "don't shoot1" We think
Cameron might as well look down that way
His assistant Secretary Thomas A. Scott, gets
along better without him than with him, at any
rate. We hope permission has been granted the
great naval expedition to do little shooting.