The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-07-08

essential change Whisky was irregular In prices with
liberal business The grocery market was more or less
excited and general marking up OF prices was the 70
result.
A new Phase In the Struggle for Rich
mond-Ths Rebel Advance Down the
shenandOah Valley.
Our army still maintains at Petersburg the
our operations 60 forward slowly, as they
necessarily must. At present the most i'm
portant topic is the rebel raid Rebel cavalry,
infantry and artillery are on the Upper Potomac
once more. and rebel cavalry and mounted
infantry were levying money contributions in
Hagerstown yesterday, aud driving off cattle
near Sharpsburg.
What is the real significance Of this whole
movement? We perceive that Generals Sigel
aad Stahel have been relieved of their COM
mands and ordered to report to General Hun
ter. Does this imply that Hunter has reached
Cumberland.
General Grant. with a large army in posi-
ton south of Richmond, is no greater trouble
to General Lee than he would be north of that
city, except under one condition. Under that
one condition his position south Of Richmond
absolutely destroys Lee if he does not 90
come out and fight. That one important con-
dtion is, therefore, a very necessary part of
tho plan for the destruction of Lees army and
that condition il that Lees communications
should be cut. With his communications with
supplies cut off, General Lee, staying in Rich
mond, must starve, and Grant can destroy him
nv CT ali koc hoo 70
out this part Of the plan. Hunter and Sheridan
destroyed the Virginia Central road; Grant is
on the Weldon road, and Wilson has cut the
road to Danville
These were the lines Of supply for Lees
army; but their destruction has put him upon
his resources. We now find that he has opened
a new line down the Shenandoah valley In
that valley the harvest is ripe, and Lee has sent
column to gather it. This is the whole and
simple significance Of the present movement
down the valley. Such a movement ought not
to excite any surprise. II would, indeed, be
very surprising thing IL such o movement were
not made. Lee is Ia Richmond with sixty
thousand men aud nothing to est. He cannot
expect cracker by his ordinary lines, and
rich valley Is open to him. Can we conceive
that he would be possessed Of such stupidity
rs not TO forage there?
But the movement only tells us what despe.
rate straits he Is reduced to; for there is wtha
gres. hazard in 1t. When the Consul Nero
marched to the Metaurus he left Hannibal in
ignorance Of his departure, and Hannibal
remained in ignorance until Hasdrubal
was beaten and Nero had returned to
camp. But in an age Of railroads and !,
telegraphs the movement could not have
been crowned with success. Hannibal would
have crushed the shell in his front and perhaps
taken part In the main battle; and the present
position is analogous to that. General Grant
now knows that considerable part of Lees
army is In the valley Though two-thirds of
Lees army could doubtless hold his mere lines
as well Is the whole army, yet two-thirds
would be very inadequate force in view OF
any suddenly developed change in Grants
operations. THUS Lee hazards Richmond, his
army and his cause to forage in the Shenan-
dosh valley. We must judge by this OF the
imperative necessity be is under to get supplies
If il be true, as one account states, that the
rebel force on the Upper Potomac numbers
thirty thousand, we have no doubt that Gene
raj Grant will come through Petersburg and
Richmond on the rear OF the raiders: for he is
not the man to be held at bay by the force
that in that event would be left on his front
But there Is no probability that the rebel force
that came down the valley 10 so large. II
doubtless makes q great appearance through
the guerilla auxiiiaries that Il has gathered Oh
its way; but II brought to battle 1t will GER
tainly not concentrate over ten thousand men
Ii is most important that il should be brought
to battle: for otherwise it will have accom-
plished its object. II is very important
matter to prevent the supplies that this column
will gather from reaching Lee. II the column
gets safely back TO Richmond with all it came
for il will delay the fall Of thai city for weeks,
perhaps months Our most earnest hope Is
that General Hunter may prevent such . result.
In this raid We see another evidence OF the
bad management of the War Department.
General Grants right flank should have been
covered with seventy thousand men, and there
ought to have been that many also in the
column under Butler. Senator Wilson stated
recently that we had in our armies seven hum
bred thousand men. There was no scarcity OF
men, therefore, but'only q want Of ability aud
will to use them.
MARTIAL LAW IN KESTucKY.-Presidept Lin.
csln has declared the State OF Kentucky under
martial law. What does this mean. We had
supposed that Kentucky was true TO the Union.