Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-09-19

life OF the nation itself.
From the New York Times
A WEEKS CAMPAIGN IN MARYLAND.
The rebels eight days military occupancy
Of maryland does not serve to develop, in ether
than hazy outline, the programme which they
aim to carry out in this audacious raid on the
soil Of the loyal States Indeed, without more
definite knowledge than we at present possess
Of the magnitude Of the invading army, it is
impossible to form precise idea Of the lead
ing object Of the movement. II the force
we're but limited one, the motive at first
assigned to the raid would be al-suflicient-
namely, that the army which crossed the river
were to act as puryeyors sending over sup
plies to the main body on the other side Of
the Potomac, VINO should keep guard while
the others rihed the house. This notion is
not borne out by the facts For, first, it is
known that though supply trains Of the reb-
els have for days continued to cross into
Maryland, none are known to return. And
secondly the rebel army have pushed their
advance so far north, and left their rear so
ungusrded, as to preclude the possibility,
even if they had the desire, of keeping their
lines Of communication open with force on
other hand, the rebel army in Maryland be
really of the formidable proportions now rep
resented-if it number anything ike a hun
dred thousand men--it is vain to blink the
inference to which their audacous advance
leads up. They have, in that case, given up
all care for communication with the Potomac ;
and having, as Cortes did when he burned his
ships, voluntarliy cut themselves off from re-
fls.f .. -
invasive march on to the great State of Penn
sylvania.
The probability is, however, that in this
invasion the rebel leaders we're moved. not
by one motive but by complex Of motives.
To obtain supplies and subsistence for their
needy and naked troops, to draw off so large
force from the defense Of the capital as to
make an attack feasible, to cut the line Of
communication between the Northern states
and Washington, to threaten Harrisbutgh
and Philadelphia with view to cut the con-
centration Of forces along the Ponnsy lvania
border, and hinder their being sent South
ward-all these objects may have entered in
to the calculation. But the supreme motive,
We imagine, was not so much Of d military as
Of polit cal nature. They counted on gen
eral uprising of sympathizers in Maryland
"a
session of Baltimore, the great artery Of com
munication between the Free States and the
Capital and eventually enable them to die
tate peace either in Washington Of Pbilade-
phia. Thus far this scheme has signally fail
ed, and i, promises no better success than the
like attempt in Kentucky met with. We
make no doubt the rebel army has been rein
forced to some extent with recruits from
flr ,,r
there has been nothing like general revon-
tionary movement. HeT people have not
rushed to embrace that autonomy which
Gen. Lee so alluringly offered them, and
which, as they pretty well know, con,ists
practically in the liberty to give good pro-
vender in return for worthless confederate
script. In spite the poison Of secession that
iniects the event has proved that there is still
sufficient loyalty in Maryland to keep her
from either dissolution or suicide
SO long as the ground thus remains firm
beneath our feet, the problem in Maryland is
reduced to purely military one the Ma
tional army is to follow up, attack, rout or
capture the rebel force. Without possessing
any precise information as to the localities.
movements and strategic combinations of the
respective armies, the most general observa-
NDh NaH udlull ldll 10 RAISE tue conviction
that no Commander could desire the enemy to
be in situation more favorable to secure his
utter humiliation. The rebels still push on
to Pennsylvania, while the Union army fol-
lows in their rear. Unhappily, there is, we
fear, nothing to prevent their effecting lodR-
ment in the southern counties of Pennsylva-
MIA; but we may at least hope that they can
be prevented rom reaching any vital point
and held in check until the National army
can come up with them Then, attacked on
flank and rear. all the inherent weakness of
their position must appear, and unless they
are very fortunate, the bulk of their amy
ought never to go back over the Potomac.
1t is singularly auspieious for vigorous
movement of this kind that there is good
reason to believe the present equinoct al rain
storm which has prevailed in Virginia also for
the past two days, will have rendered the
Potomac impossible. The river, which, in
its upper part from Adwards Ferry to Har-
per's Ferry-the locality where the rebels
crossed-is, in the dry season, perfectly for
dable but a freshet such as we have had
floods the Shenandoah with the accumulated
rains from the slope Of the Blue Ridge, and
this, pouring into the Potomac, swels il to
twelve or fifteen feet-thus rendering it who'll
ly impossible save by bridge or boat If this
has been the case in the present instance, tho
rebel force on the south side of the Potomac
is completely isolated from that in Maryland,
and can neither join il nor make an attempt
against Washington. If, however, any adj
vantage Is to be taken of this movement, it
must be taken Immediately, for few days will
bring the Potomac down to its old level, and
again render it easily trayersabe by the reb
els Is not the present moment indeed one
Of those tides in the affairs of men which.
taken at the food, lead on to fortunei