Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-11-07

STRANaE AND IMPORTANT IF TRUE.-It has
long been wonder to the public that Col.
Brown, the commander at Fort Pickens, has
not attacked the rebels at Pensacola, he hsv-
ing gnns and men enough to drive them from
the place, or at least to destroy their stores.
A Fort Pickens correspondent of the N. 7.
Tribune accounts for the fact as follows:
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 countermanded or amended.
These instructions were and are that under
no circumstances is he to open fire on the
rebels except in the event of their batteries
opening first upon him.
1t 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, with
the choice of time left wholly with them,
and it will be no fault of the authorities at
Washington. whoever they NAV be, who are
responsible for this unheard OF blunder. To
us it seems as though the fact of war, not
withstanding the humiliation and disgrace
which has been heaped with such profusion
upon the Union cause, was not yet recogniz-
ed We still treat the rebels as though they
were froward children who would volnntari-
ly return to a sense of their duty, when the
present paroxysm should be over and as
though our object was to infict as little iDju-
~ as possible meanwhile.
d. believe it is a fact that, at the time of the
spirited attack on the Judith, it was agreed
between the officer in command of the expe-
dition and Col. Brown that. in the event of
the Confederates attacking him while engIg
ed in destroying the judith. the latter should
support him by fire from the guns of Pickens.
He was 30 attacked, but Col. Brown failed to
support him, because that on reading his
instructions again, under the actual circum-
stances of the case, be had no authority for
such action.
Again, the attack on Wilson's encampment
was anticipated, but the instructions already
referred to tied Col. Browns hand.
Is it not time that the pretence of keeping
up q hostile attitude was laid aside. or thai
the fact of war should be recognized. and the
commander of the fort released from instruc-
lions which emanated from the imbeeile
BUCHANAN dynasty, and which, for reasons
inscrutabie to human wisdom, are still per-
petaated5 @1sas5Eras 80 = =
A short tine ago Col. Brown wrote for the
third time 10 Washington, asking to be re-
leased from these instructions. II NAV be
that the affair of Wilson's Zouaves will open
the eyes of the authorities; aud that before
this reaches you orders will have been trans
mitted which will allow Is TO break the spell
which has bound US At al events, If we
must wait for the rebels 10 still further carry
on their works, all here viii do their duty,
and endesvor to avert disgrace from the ma
. tional arms, although disgrace would seem
Ito have been courted. s.ra y zlissa