Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-06-27
Ola MILITARY sUooEr.
GEv. PoPE,s NEW COMMAND.

Elsewhere In this afternoons Star, the reader
will And brief 'atement Of the change made In
The command OF the several army corr % recently
operating against Jackson aud Ewell In the VAL
Icy OF tos Shenandoah. 1t was doubtless to this
end that Msjor General John Pope was sum-
Tuoned h.tner, rom the West, fortnight ago;
aud the ssct thai the announcement ofthe change
IL made immed lately after President Lincolns
return from his recent journey TO consult the
vcle-sn Scott with reference 20 critical points In
toe condnct OF ire wsr satisfied Us that the policy
Of concentrating the three commands in General
pope's hands meets BIS emphatic approval
Ttst ten P. ia emlnen,ly qualified FOR the noe
20 Important .fcst committed to him, the history
Ct his services n the war up 10 this time, proves
colc. uslyeiy. We may odd thst within the past
week his army has been greatly strengthened
With inflatry, artillery and cavalry, until II is
already More fSrmid IDLE force than when first
concentrated In the Valley under It's three late
distinct heads In order to intercept Jackson's
reira, after bis attack on Kenley at Front Royal,
and Banks a St-asburg aud winchester since
wh n tiine IL had suffered greatly.
We cdn promise tue public that II Will very
shortly drive Ewell and jackson out Of the Val.
Ier, compelling tbsm to fall entirely back into
tie rebel lines near Richmond.
THE KEY TOIT.
Messrs. Joseph Holt and Robert Dale Owen
deserve unstinted thanks from the country, II
bat for ,neir exposure Of the practice OF Govern
Bent contract brokerage on the part Of members
Of the legislative branch Of the Cover ment in
volved in their report on the echubarth case,
now before the public. The practice itself is
at re bottom Of most Of our defeats in this war
which members Of Congress are 30 famous for
charging upon the Executive branch Of the Gov
eminent and our Generals in the field. 1t 10 In
reality the source of nearly all the shortcomings
on the part Of our army and navy contractors
which result; In the failure Of our soldiers ard
sailors TO win battles when they do so fail. II Is
neither mere nor less than shameless robbery o.
the treasury of The United States, and murder of
the country's defenders who bare their breasts to
the traitors In arms, by the sworn defenders of
both IL Is impossible for the Government to
snow whether advice from Senators and Repre-
-entatives To make particular contracts springs
from single minded public spiTit on their part,
or from desire TO realize the Ave Per centum
brokerage which, Il reen: by his testi mony,
Mr. Senalor SinEGls regards as fair busi-
ness Transaction. In that way millions Of
dollars, to be wrung from the labor Of the coun-
ty In the shape Of TIE war tax, Is TO 90 into the
packets Of corrupt national legislaors-tbis case
prooeby being bu; one Of many similar cases
not vet brought to light.
We regret - have t. say that we have little
hope that Congress will punish the Schubarth
transaction az 1t should be punished or that they
will pass ary Inv likely {" put stop to the infa
nous and 50 destructive practice, which having
in every conceivable way embarrassed the pros
ecut'on CT the war, bid, fair to procras.inete the
conte,. indefinitely, unless an Indignant public
opinion speedily drives these virtual pecula-
tors out from under their disguise Of Official
guardians of the public veal
THE ARMY OF VIRGINIA.
The forces under Major Generals Fremont,
IA Mn han haap I1,ta al