The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-03-29
Uhe 9ailg gnntmal.
Fort Pfckens,

The country is sick at heart over the nee
essary withdrawal of Anderson from Fort
Sumter. 1t had better stop crying over
what can't be helped, and spend its time in
preventing a similar humiliation of Fort
Pickens.
If not relieved in six weeks from this
time, Fort Pickens will have to be abandon
ed just like Fort Sumter; and for the same
reason. Fort Pickens and its approaches
are being gradually commanded by sand
batteries. If it be not forthwith garrisoned
and provisioned for siege, it cannot be
done at all. 1t must be surrendered with
out blow for the United States must suf-
fer no defeats. If the Government cannot
maintain the position, it ought to yield it
up without a struggle If this be done,
then the Confederate States will become one
of the nations of the world and the United
States of America will cease to be a first
rate power.
We know that the Administration does
not contemplate this, for in that case it
would as disgracefully betray the country
as did Buchanan. AS it does not purpose
this, it must mean to maintain the integrity
of the Union; and to this the holding of Fort
Pickens seems to US absolutely essential
The only question then is what is necessary
to accomplish that purpose. The first is to
garrison the fort, and provision it forthwith
to its utmost capacity. But this is not all.
When garrisoned and provisiOned, it will
still be attacked by the revolutionary forces
under competent officers. No matter how
full of men the fort may be, siege is a
mere question of time. After a few weeks
of battery in breach, its walls will be a
heap of ruins, and the besieging forces will
mount to the assault for garrisos and
provisions alone will not secure the fort nor
the dignity of the United States
The siege will be successful unless it be
raised. 1t can be raised only by a superior
land force driving off the besieging force.
Three or four thousand men can take the
fort by the regular process of a siege in
three or -four weeks from the opening of the
batteries, if undsturbed. But five or seven
thousand men will at once arrest their pro-
ceedings and drive them from the seige; all !
their works will be destroyed and their bat
tering trains taken by such a force. The !
United States must therefore instantly begin |
to organize this force to raise the seige of |
Fort Pickens.
If this work is begun at once, the revolu- /
tionary authorities will be driven to adopt |
one of two sources. Either they must aban-
don all idea of a siege and leave the fort un- |
assailed, or they must hold in readines |
force of five or six thousand men to support |
and cover their seige operations. To this |
the United States must be ready to respond !
by ten thousand men, which will still suf- |
flee to raise the seige. Thus twill become, |
like the seige of Sevastopol, real trial of
strength between the two parties.
The revolutionary State cannot possibly |
raise, and arm, and support, and concen- |
trate at Pensacola as many as $4,000 men ; |
their whole population is not sufficient; |
and at least one-half of the population is for
the United States, and will refuse to bear |
arms, and cannot be trusted to bear arms |
for the purpose of attacking the United |
States in its own forts.
But no matter how many men the revolu- !
tionists can assemble, it is certain the Unit
ed States can assemble, arm, support and
pay, two to every one the revolutionists car
concentrate and maintain on the spot. The
revolutionists will therefore either be driven
to withdraw their military force or to see it
destroyed. If they withdraw, their pres
tige is forever gone, and the people will rise
on them and expel them from power, and
the Union is maintained. If they fight
their whole military strength will be crushed
on the sands of Pensacola, without one act
of violence or injury or war against any
but those actually in arms assailing the
United States troops; ond the people of the
Gulf States will at once put down the
revolutionary usurpation, and the Union is
maintained.
How can troops be concentrated at Fort
Pickens? Under the laws of 1894 and
1907, the President can embody and employ
the whole militia for the purpose. 1t is the
law Oft the United States that the United
States authorities shall hold the United
States forts. Resistance to a hostile mill
tary force attacking them is thezonly mode
of enforcing that law and thus, under the
existing law, the President can act without
calling Congress together.
Instant orders should be given in the
proper quarters to the militia, in sufficient
bodies, to hold themselves in readiness to
march for embarkation-vessels should be
chartered to transport them-as many of
tue regular army must be concentrated at
the nearest points practicable-and the mo
ment a gun is fired at Fort Pickens the
forces in sufficient bodies must be embarked
and landed, and marched to raise the siege.
This course is demanded by the national
honor aud the national safety. If resolute-
ly and promptly acted on, it will end the
revolutionary outbreak Just where it ought
to be ended, now that it cannot be dealt
with at Charleston. None of the disorders
of civil war will mar the peace of any of
the Revolutionary States, and they only
will fall by the sword who draw the sword.
Spirit-Fiddling
Some days ago we published an item in