January 26, 1861, The Charleston Mercury
The information that the Brooklyn sailed on Thursday evening from Hampton Roads, with troops on board, bound South, reached this city on the same night. It is to be presumed that her destination is Pensacola, although a bright lookout will be kept for her at the entrance of this harbor. The people of South Carolina have so perfectly lost faith in the Government of the United States, that it is preposterous to expect them to remain tranquil so long as Fort Sumter is liable to reinforcements; and consequently the certain knowledge of the intelligence above referred to has renewed to some extent the excitement of a few weeks past.
We surmise, however, that the destination of the Brooklyn is Pensacola, as that place is, from its situation, its harbor, fortifications, and Navy Yard, a position of prime military importance. To send her there, therefore, seems the most natural move of the United States Government, and we may expect to hear of her arrival at that point within the next five or six days. Should she succeed in reinforcing Fort Pickens, Pensacola, the only fortified point within our grasp with a harbor suitable for naval purposes, will be lost to the South, and will be used by the enemy to fit out and shelter its fleets. With these facts, which are as plain as daylight before us, Southern politicians are to be found who have counselled an inaction which can only result in the catastrophe alluded to. So soon as Fort Pickens is reinforced, we presume the surrender of the Navy Yard, under the cover of its guns, will be demanded, and this being refused, it will be reduced to ashes by the shells from the fortifications; thus will be destroyed not only the only Navy Yard on the Gulf, but the only one in the southern Confederacy – which we hope to see formed, but which our reconstruction politicians are by sinister and secret efforts striving to strangle in its birth. Enough already has the South yielded for peace; let us no longer be deceived by its dreams, and let us learn that our only salvation is in looking to ourselves, and in leaving the Federal Union, as we would leave any other foreign Government to take care of itself. We have done with it forever; and let us crush, as we would a viper, any man who would whisper in our ears the word reconstruction.