, 1861-04-02

One Of the most mortifying and shameful
exhibitions OF official cowardice and perfidy
that has marked the secession movement, was
the surrender of the Pensacola Navy Yard by
Capt. Armstrong, The particulars Of which
have been brought to light by the court mar
tial at Washington. The Philadelphia Ledger
thus comments upon the humiilating revela-
tions:
It is pitiable to read the evidence Of the Se-
leet COMMITTEES Of Congress, raised to inquire
into the seizure Of pnblte property, and see the
conduct Of Capt. Armstrong, who was in com.
mand Of Pensacola when the State troops of
Florida demanded its surrender. Throughout
the whole OF it we look in vain
for any high and commanding quail
ties as an officer. any pride Of ser
vice, or any patriotic spirit; but there is
abundant evidence Of bis weakness, selfish
ness and ineapacity. When the "gallant an1
polished traitor, Lomax, demanded the sur
render Of United States property, poor Arm
strong felt distressed and embarrassed" )" but
immediately . reyulsion Of gratitude occurred
We give his own language: IT concluded he
fslt for ny position, for which I felt very
grateful to find there WAS come one who had
some feeling for me. It1alsed him In my esti-
nation" When be surrendered, which he did
without much ceremony, and his First Lieu;
tenant, sRenshaw, stood ready and eager TO
haul down the flag which be was sworn to de-
fend. the gallant and spirited Armstrong says:
to arouse me from dream. bowed, turned
my head away!' Whether for shame at his
own want OF spirit o. at the traitoroua conduct
Of Renshaw, he leaves US to conjecture.
When asked why he did not destroy prop
erty which he knew would fall into the hands
sfnqed pQHens not delegated to him. ut was
not bis province to destroy, but to preserve
propertY,h even though be know it YouIi
- en- the hands Of the enemies OF his Gov.
ernmeut. Certainly, strict construction could
not 20 further, anu i wooden machine would
haye had IS clear sense Of duty. tut the
cro8ning proof Of his wretched selfshness and
imbecility is found In his reception. Of Lieut.
Sanders, who was sent to hila By the United
States government with dispatches. saa-
deEs was informed on the way that Pensacola
had surrendered, but he refused to surrender
the dispatches, and bis determined conduct
induced Major Chase, Of the State troops
What did the gallant Armstrong do? In
bis own language again: said: Efam
sorry you did not destroy them when you
heard that the Navy Yard was surrendered.
Bandars sale that he had heard Of that when
he was half way between Montgomery and
Pensacola, and he hoped he might get to Pen
sacola and see me and hand nc the dispatches.
told him TINT was very sorry he had not
destroyed them. He said that Major Chase
had asked him to deliver them to him, and he
told him that be could not surrender them up
to anybody but NE; that he must put them in
my hands, or they would have to wrest them
from him; and that he had granted him the
permission to come down there and place
thern in my hands, lsaid to him You are
placing me in another horrible position here
they can take them from you or ne by for5e
rec the position I atn placed In. ThEse men
hsve brought Jon kerr, =. prisoner, to NE, q
prisoner. can feeelGe these things from your
hands, but they can take them from me.
Said Randolph: We have the force to do it,
and must do 1t; If We can wrench them from
you, we muRt have them. Then / said: Mr.,
Sanders, in order that you may fulfill your
orders, I will issc them and give you receipt
for them, which will be witnessed here He
took them cut Of bis bosom and handed them
to me-. I saw they were from the Navy De-
Partmept, but Without my breaking the seal,
they were demanded from me and taken pos
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