The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-07-08
FRIDAY, July 8, 1864.
THE REBEL RAID.


nified by the fears Of the people of the region
that is threatened. No reports yet received
have agreed as to the number Of the invading
forces, their commander, or their probable
purpose and destination. We have had the
strength Of the enemy stated, at one time, as
being only about one hundred cavalrymen,
under the marauder MCsEBY, while at an
other, Il has been described as consisting Of
infantry, cavalry, and artillery, amounting in
the aggregate to thirty thousand soldiers A.!
Now, In the midst Of such confused and con-
Trajectory news, what are we to believer 1t
Is quite evident that somebody is grossly in
error, and the probability is that nobody is
entirely right. One thing, at least, we think
is certain, and that is, that large part of the
story, as to the formidable character of the
invasion, is purely imaginative, and must be
credited to the excited apprehension, rather
than to the positive knowledge, of those who
furnish the public with intelligence.
1t occurs to US, however, as quite renarlla-
BILE that a raiding party which has been for
several days past within a few miles only of
Washington, and in direct conflict with GER
tain bodies of our troops at Martinsburg, Har-
per's Ferry, and other neighboring points,
should not before this have had its full
strength and actual composition and charac-
ter accurately ascertained, and reported to the
War Department. If the men who are making
the foray are really small in number, and
incapable of doing any serious damage,
the people ought to be advised Of the
fact, 30 that they may not be unneces-
sarily alarmed. II. on the other hand,
their force is indeed large and their evil
anqnt purpose more serious than a simple
pfCSdstory excursion, got up to secure few
hortes, shoes, groceries, and the like, from the
defenseless communities in the valleys OF the
Potomac, the public should be promptly in
formed of the fact, in order that suitable pre-
paratlons may be made to meet the emer-
gency. Nothing, in time of war, is mere i'm
portant than reliable intelligence with re-
spect to the movements and intentions of the
enemy. They should, under no circum-
stances, and for no purposes, be either con-
cealed or exaggerated, or unreasonably de-
spised or pooh-poohed. Safety lies in know
ing quickly the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth. But in this instance
we have for days together, apparently known
very little, If anything, certainly. The whole
people have been in a thick fog of doubt,
through which all that was seen, or supposed
to be seen at all, was distorted and magniaed
If EwELL or EARLY are on this or the
other side of the Potomac, above Washington,
with thirty or even twenty thousand well ap-
pointed veterans, we cannot too speedily send
a sufficient force to repel the enemy and crush
him If possible. But this is not the time to
incur the enormous expense Of raising, equip
ping, and transporting considerable body Of
troops from the remote east to the Potomac,
only 10 meet an army in buckram. Such ex-
petitions require the expenditure of fearful
amount of money, which is justified afterwards
by no compensating results. Hence, in order
to avoid unnecessary public agitation and use
less waste Of resources which ought TO be
carefully husbanded, it is of the highest i'm
portance that our military intelligence should
be, at all times, as complete, authentic, and
promptly communicated as possible.
--~.---
A NEEDED REFORM IN OUR POLITICS.
We copied into our columns recently an
editorial from the New York Tribune which
contained some very wise and opportune re-
Elections on the decline in the intellectual and
moral character Of the members Of our Ma
tional Congress. That paper said:-
"The Thirty eighth Congress- which has just
" closed its longer session, was an uncommJnly
" green one. We believe not more tn IA hllf its
" members ever before held seats in-either House,
A very considerable proportion Of he member;
are men o. quite moderate abilities, about equal
. a
Z" them bought their nominations outright Others
" traded for them perhaps fifty in all got in be-
" ,ause they were really iit for legislators, and
=" tho people knew II,
1t is a solemn fact that we do not send as
" able men relatively to Congress rs were sent
A' orty TO sixty years ago; and our detesable
system OF pi imary meetings and regular noml-
- nations are the main cause Of the falling oil,
q Tough our wretehed practice of cOniding the
/" choice OF each district 10 residents therein-a
" practice founded neither in law nor in reason-
" II partly respon-ible for il.
Neither Clay, Webster, nor Calhoun could
I" remain in the House eight years under the
prevailing system. What district Will set the
" ,xample Of calling some able aud upright
" staiesu an 10y public requisition 10 serve IL IN
" the next III use? We ought % have Edward
Everett Salmon Z. Chase Henry Carey,
" Hauiron Fish, GeTit Smith, John p. Ken
" redy, etc, ETC., In that House while our poiti-
" cal opp uts should likewise send 30 1t Mil
" lard Fillmore, G. O'COnor, Judge woodward,
George nj. Dallas, etc, ETC., if they cam"
There is boldness, as well as iustness, in
the above remarks, which must command the
respect of candid and intelligent men Of all
political parties and opinions.
How sad ii is to reflect that a man cannot,
In our country, get nomination for public
Office unless he buys it, and cannot be elected
without resorting to all manner of dlshonora-
BILE tricks and expedientsl One who is above
such base practices is precluded from political
life, no matter how eminent he may be In all
those talents and attainments which qualify
him for any station in the glft Of the people.
Indeed, his very virtues are positive barrier
70 his advancement, and what ought to be re-
Qarded as the strongest reason for placing and
keeping him in the service Of the State, is
made disqualification by those who frame
our party tickets and determine for whom we
shall vote.
1t is notorious that most nominating con-
veptlons are accessible to the worst possible
influences, and that their action is governed
by anything in the world but a disinterested
concern for the public welfare. Why they
should be SO patiently tolerated, when their