Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-07-21

previous control Of it, operations And since
that date these prudential measures, as respects
the Shenandoah Valley, have never been re-es-
tablished. for no other reason. as far we can
perceive. than that TO re-establish them might be
construed by somebody into a tribute TO Gen.
McClellan's military sagacity in selecting point
of observation like Chester Gap. midway on the
eastern border Of the valley. where the approach
Of danger would be perceived in time 10 meet
and check it at Harper's Ferry. instead of some
point on the Upper Potomac, where. With such
officers as the military administration habituaily
stations there. the approach OF danger IS known
10 the country only BY stampede of our forces
from Winchester. Willamsport. or Harper's
Ferry. and by a panic of the authorities in
Washington. who knowing nothing with regard
to the movements or magnitude Of the invading
forces fall an easy prey 10 every idle and vagrant
rumor which vexes the atmosphere in time of
alarm and uncertainty The unknown is always
portentous In the absence OF the definite con-
fguaratOns revealed to the mind by assured
knowledge. the startled ina gination, while blind
ly cropping in the dark, peoples all space with
''gergons. hydras, and ehimeras dire" Even so
brave heart as that of King Richard. in the
play of our Great Dramatst, was appalled, by
shadows" as be exclaims:
by the apostle Paul. shadows tonight
Have struck more terror to the soul OF Richard
man can the substance OF ten thousand soldiers
Armed in proof
And so, during the last few days, We have seen
the administration starting at spectres. utterinG
panic cries OF alarm, aud with its hands palsied
by imaginary tetrors, simply because il had neg
lected to take the most ordinary precautions for
properly watching and occluding the Shenan-
dOah valley incompetent officers have been
stationed AZ points actually occupied, and points
which should have been occupied for purposes
Of observation have been left without any guard
whatever. Military incompetence on the Upper
Potomac has been reinforced by military inc0m-
petence in Baltimore as illustrated by Major
General Lew. Wallace, who is retained in COM
mand just long enough to lose the battle of Mo
nocacy. aud then superseded by capable officer
in the field. while he is needlessly retained in
command OF the Department as If only to null
tiply the chances of confusion by the possible in
trusion of his alacritv for laundering, and that
too when it is secret that in his ''ciyil capac
ity' he has, BY his illegal proceedings. brought
down on his head, as we understand, the gravest
censure of the Attorney General of the United
Safes
What wonder that under such an administra-
ton of our military affairs paltry squadron of
two or three hundred bold riders can. with entire
impunty, cut railroads between Harrisburg and
Baltimore, and Baltimore and Philadelphia; or
a
within four miles of a city containing 200 900
inhabitants, garrisoned by 30 900 men, and burn
at their leisure the mansion of the Governor Of
Maryland or that five hundred men should, by
simply sitting down before one of the forts of
Washington and establishing weak shirmish
line, succeed in placing the capital of the nation
under siege. cutting its Geographic communica-
tons with Baltimore, burning the house of a Ca
bnet minister within six miles of the city, and
reducing the Government to the necessity of re
lying on river and sea navigation for its eOnnec-
tons with the great NORTH And all this, be il
remembered, happens in the fourth year of the
war, with men by hundreds of thousands under
arms
And now we ask. the whole nation will ask
lrho is responsible for such humiiiations? Is il
the President, the Secretary of War, the Chief
of Staff, or can it be that our military affairs are
still left at such loose ends (as We know them 90
have been before that sometimes one and some
times the other of these funclionaries assumes to
exercise the direction of the war. selects the
points of military occupation, and assigns the of
ficers to their several commandsI In the uncer-
tainty resting on this subject we think there is no
doubt about one thing, and that is that il the
President cannot discover and correct the source
of these blunders. the people, in the approaching
elections, will not be slow TO discover one method
by which they can put end to this reign OF
military incompetence i'm Washington No res
pect for the Presidents honesty of purpose, y
and no admiration for the purity, intelligence and
administrative skill, which they may recognize
in the other Executive Departments of the Gov
eminent, will stand in the way OF Kidding the War
Department of the incubus which now visibly
rests on it under its present management-mak-
ing it shame and reproach to the nation. And
in so saying we intend no particular personal al
fusion to Mr.. Stanton, for We do not know to day
that he is responsible for these things Ii may
be that he confines himself strictly to the civil
details of his Office and does not NEEDLE in ,he
matters which somebody under him or above
him brings to such confusion. But we do know
that somebody is responsible for the late gross
malfeasance, which must ever stand in our mill
tary annals as a national disgrace, so long as pos
terity shall revert to the time when five hundred
men laid Washington under siege for two days,
with ten twenty thousand men behind its de-
fencesl Such is the penalty which a nation pays
for being ruled, in any department. by its igno-
rance rather than its intelligence.
Nor does the evil end with the disappearance OF
the late fright Who, after such an exhibition OF
military incompetence in our cOunsels can repose
any confidence in the military administration so
long as il shall remain subject to its present d
rectorsl What security can any man feel when
the watchmen from the walls of our national
capltal lllt up tnelr voices only 10 expose tnelr
own ignorance of the nature and extent of the
peril from which they call the people to save
them? What Governor of what State will be
prompt hereafter to respond to the tap of the
drum in Washington if lis alarms beaten
with most vehemence when there is the least
known about the necessity for disturbing the
country. An immense clamor has been raised
without cause during the last few days. Who is
sure that while the conditions of our ignorance
remain they are, the next clamor may not
come with cause, and find the War Department
an little prepared To meet real danger as it has
proved little prepared TO face an imaginary onel
Let all loyal people lay these things to heart, but
above all, and first Of all, let the President of the
United States be assured that for these things
his cOuntrymen will hold him to a strict account
and that they will exact full atonement Tor the
great ndignity which the Nation has just suffered
in the eyes of the world.
The President, we know, is ambitious to carr
not only the good opinions of his fellow-citizens
but also 90 receive their votes at the next cleo
ton. 1t he would receive them be must be care
ful to deserve them: and if he should IN this way
vindicate his claim TO the renewed confidence oil
the country, We are sure that we could sincerely
rejoice in his success, not from any interest we
take in his personal fortunes any more than il
those of any other man of any other party, but
because desire the best welfare of the Repub
I lie in this day. when she requires the highest
craftsmanship and the most exalted capacity e
conduct 10 wise conclusion the affairs OF th'
State. His merits and his preten>ions are now
trembling in the balance, held by the hands ot q
confiding and much enduring people. VINO have
continued long to hope against hope under thu