Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-07-30

the Occoquan, and probably fourth tow.
ard Leesburg.
10 recapituate the most important
points which should engage your ottention
are as follows
l. A strong force, well intrenched in
the vicinity Of Manassas, perhaps even
Centreville, and another force Ia brigade
also well intreDched, near Strasburg.
2. Block-houses at the railway bridges
3. Constant employment of the cavalry
well to the front,
4. Grand guards at Warrenton juno
ton, and in advance as for as the Rappa-
hammock, if possible.
5. Great care to be exercised to obtain
full an early information as to the enemy.
9. The general object is to cover the
line Of the Potomac aud Washington.
We all know how these prudential ar.
rangcments of General Mcclellan were
broken up by the military powers which
undertook the direction of the war after he
had been removed from his previous con-
troll of its operations. And since that date
these prudential measures, as respects the
Shenandoah Valley, have never been re-
established for no other reason, as far as
we can perceive, than that to re.establish
them might be construed by somebody into
a tribute to General McCelan's military
sagacty in selecting a point of obsorva-
ton like Chester Gap, midway on the east.
ern border OF the va!ly, where the ap-
proach of danger would be perceived in
time to meet and check il at Harper 8
Ferry, instead of some point on the
| DAtn ,,hn .,l,
GERS as the military administration habit
uall stations there, the approach of dan.
D ger is known to the country only by a
stampede of our forces from Winchester,
, Williamsport, or Harpers Ferry, and by
t panic of the authorities at Washington,
e who, knowing nothing with regard to the
movements or magnitude Of the invading
n forces, fall an easy prey to every idle and
vagrant rumor which vexes the atmo, phere
!, in time oil alarm and uncertainty. The
v unknown is always portentous. In the ab-
y Sence Of The definite confguratons reveal
e ed to the mind by assured knowledge, the
0 startled Imagination, while blindly Crop
S ing in the dark, peoples all space with
"gorgons hydras and chimeras dire
Even 50 brave heart as that of King
Richard, in the play of our great drama.
l. tist, was appalled, by "shadows,' as he ex
e claims
, by the Apostle Paul shadows to night
Have track more terror to the sonl OF Richard
i ihah eau the substance OF ten thousand soldiers
n, Armed IN proof.
\. And so during tile last few days, W.
!. have seen the administration starting "a
N spectcrs, altering panic cries of alarm, AM
.. with It's hands paIsied by imaginary ter
|. rors, simply because it had neglected t.
ID take the most ordinary precautions 70
of property watching and occludng the Shen
If andoah valley. Incompetent officers hav
er been stationed at points actually occupied
|, and points which should have been occu
ID pied Tor purposes OF observation have bee
n loft without any guard whatever. Militia
" ry Incompetence on the Upper Potoma
n. has been reinforced by military incompe
tence in Baltimore, as illustrated by Nj
~ jor-Gen6ral Lew. Wallace, who is retaine
TO in command just long enough to lose th
G.. battle of Monocacy, and then supersede
h. by a capable officer in the field, while
At is needless y retained in command oi lh
e. department, as if only to multiply th
Z, chances of confusion by the possible il
,it trusion Of his alacrity lor blundering an
nv that too when i, is no secret that in h
in "civil capacity" he has, by his illegal pro
h. ceedi, gs, broush down On his head, as "
nt understand, the gravest censure OF the A
no torney General oil the United States.
~. What wonder that under such an admir-
We istration Of our military affairs paltr
A. squadron of two or three hundred bold r
as ders can with entire impunity, cut raj
Of roads between Harrisburg and Baltimor
and Baltimore and Philadelphia or th
rv mere squad of ten men can approac
~. within four miles of city containing tw
ab hundred thousand inhabitants, garrisont
se by twenty thousand and burn at the
al. leisure the mansion of the governor
N. Maryland or that five hundred N,
,er should, by simply sitting down before OIL
he of the forts of Washington and estubIisl
Int ing a weak skirmish line, succeed in pla
,ut ing the capital Of the nation under sieg
he cutting its lelegraohic communications wi
,as Baltimore, burning the house of cabin
re minister within six miles of the city, al
he reducing the government to the necessl
ted of relying on river and sea navigatiohs
its connections with the great North ?.
of And all this, BIZ it remembered, happens
ses The fourth year Of the war, with men
,ur hundreds of thousands under arms
he And now we ask, the whole nation W
sas ask. sohO IS 'esponsiJle far such hemHi
,cb tion Is it the President, the Secreta
ITS, oil War, the chel OF staff or can it be I'll
lint our military affairs are still left at su
ma. loose ends las we know them 10 have be
of before) that sometimes one and sometn
, to the other of these Iunctionares assumes
oar exercise the direction of the war, seo
up the points of military occupation, and {
lgh signs the officers to their several co
ad mands In the uncertainty resting
ept this subject we think there is no dot
,ses about one thing, aud that is, that if t
yes. President cannot discover and correct t
and source of these bluuders, the people in
,oro aDnroachiup election will mob be slow