The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-07-25
ANOTHER SCARE IN MARYLAND.

ANOItkh NNAAE IN MARYLAND.
The people Of Maryland were 30 badly
scared by the last Rebel raid, that they have
remained ever since In painfully nervous
condition. They cannot, Il seems, disabuse
their minds Of the idea that the woods aud
mountains all about them are filed with que.
rillas, or that some new band of mara1ders
are meditatiug fresh foray upon their fields,
their hoeks and their herds.
II this state Of extreme apprehension were
not 80 serious matter in It's consequences,
II would be highly ridiculous. Late accounts
report that the farmers In the region of
Hagerstown, fancying that the raiders under
EARLY and BRECKIsRIDGE were returning up
the Valley, were gathering up their horses and
cattle, and driving them for protection within
the defenses Of Washington.
Some person or persons, who were worse
frightened than others, are said TO have started
a rumor that seventy thousand or eighty thou
sand Rebels, under the command Of LEE him
self were crossing the Potomac and marching
upon the National Captall This story found
many ready believers, and produced Of course
a widespread panic.
Later and more authentic intelligence shows
how easily o community may be alarmed, and
what harmless Incidents may be magnfed
and transformed by an excited Imagination
into danger Of the most terrible character.
II appears that the farmers on the Potomac
mistook their friends for their foes, and ran
away without taking time to distinguish the
uniform Of the Union troops from the soiled
and faded garments Of JEFF. DAVIS raga-
mufins They must have forgotten that
when the Rebels made off with their plunder,
they were pursued by certain detachment
Of our forces and It Is quite probable that it
was part Of that detachment that was, on
It's return TO Washington, mistaken by the
panic-stricken people of Maryland for LEE
and his legions.
While, however, this last scare seems to
have been without reason, that fact does not
lessen the probability Of an incursiOn by the
Rebels at any moment into the districts they
have so recently despoiled. Indeed, their
success in their last enterprise Of the kind Is
fitted to inspire them with courage to attempt
another In the same quarter. This very ex-
posure of the border to these lnvasions sug-
gests the expediency of making all possible
haste to repel them when they occur, or to
avert them altogether simply by being pre-
pared for them. The lessons of the past
should not go unlmproved We have been
taught repeatedly by sad experience the ne
cessity OF having strong defensive militia
| force maintained along the border, either to
repulse an invading army, or to hold it, at
least, in check, until sufficient reinforce
ment of veterans can be despatched to the
scene of danger.
And just here we would respectfully ask the
people who inhabit the line of country that is
so especially exposed to the marauding inroad,
Of the Rebels, whether it would not be muct
more to their credit and much more econom
ical, to organize and drill for the defense, upor
emergency, of their homes and property, thar
to abide, in indolent and stupid helplessness, tht
successive visitations Of their enemies, anC
then run away from them like
pack of cowardsP The Government it l
true, owes them protection, and will give then
all it possibly can. But the people who liv
in the southwestern border counties of Mary
land and Pennsylvania should do whatever
is in their power to do to protect themselves
and to that extent relieve the Government
from the necessity of detachlng any consider
able portion Of the national army from its mai
operations against the Rebellion to the defens
OF particular localities remote from the centrs
theatres OF the war.