The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-05-06
Commander Pendergrnst.

Commander PenderSrnsts
We are well aware that it is an easy mat |
ter for newspaper warriors to do gross in
Justice to a brave man, from their inability |
to comprehend all the circumstances that
induced him to adopt particular course of /
action. Editors, costly seated in soft-cush-
toned chairs can readily furnish obiter dc
tllnls to any desirable extent, as to what va
rious commanders ought to do, and where
in they fail to discharge their duty. These
paper heroes-these sagacious soldiers of
the quill-cause no little trouble by volun-
teering their advice, and Extensively parad-
ing their ideas of wal" before an excited
public. So palpable is this, that we were
not at all surprised, the other day, at re-
ceiving a dispatch announcing that an order
had been issued by the Government for the
arrest of all newspaper reporters at Annap-
oils. Whether the dispatch was true or
false, the propriety of the measure, to our
mind, was unquestionabIe. No commander
can execute any movements that require Sc
cresy and dispatch, when he is surrounded
by horde of hungry newsmongers, who
greedily snatch up every item that has the
least bearing on the contemplated move
ment, and telegraph it to their respective
sensational papers. Notwithstanding they
are often entirely wrong, still they mate
rally interfere with the plans of the Com
mander-in-ch chief by raising hue and cry
when he desires quiet, and filling the minds
I'D Il lie
satisfaction. Newspapers go into the hands
of the soldiers, daily, and no severer blow
can be dealt the public service, than to Gre
ate the impression among the rank and file
that their officers are either unpatriotic or
incompetent.
Commodore Peudegrast has been called
to an account by the military editor of the
Cincinnati Gazette, who, by consulting the
Virginia papers, and gentlemen lately from
Richmond" has concluded that the COmmo-
dore acted both without Judgment and IN
der unnecessary fear in destroying the Gov
eminent property at Norfolk. The Gazette
says the Commodore carefully destroyed
that portion of the property which could d.
it, and totally failed to destroy the mum
lions of war which the rebels most need
The guns were badly spiked the vessels
many Of them-only partially sunken cost
ly nautical instruments were thrown over
board, while the powder and small arms
non were spiaed in loose and easy way
and pitched into the sea, from whence they
can be readily fshed up again.
These allegations may be true, but surel.
the Gazette ought to have confidence enough
in the Navy Department to believe tina
it will attend to the Commodore in du
time. If it should turn out, as not unfre
quently happens-that it has made a violen
assault on a good commander, merely OF
the authority of Virginia papers, which
it is well-known, are given to inordinatt
lying and the statements of men who
were no nearer Norfolk than Richmond
and gathered their information from tattline
Virginians-it deserves all the censure i
heaps upon Commodore Pendergrast. The
Gazette ought to have sense enough t.
know that it is much easier for one situated
in Cincinnati to tell what the rebels die
not do, than for Commander cooped up il
Norfolk harbor, with his means of commu
nication in a measure cut of, to know wha
they intended doing. With all due defer
ence to our dignifed contemporary, we re
spectfully suggest that it is better calculated
for almost anything else than criticising tht
conduct of military commanders. L
should leave that business to the offenders
associates.