Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-07-30
TilELliEST ,ATiOyi!. HUMILIATION
Review of the Recent Invasion.
Stinsing Article from the Ma
tiOnai kn.c.IigenCcr.
What il Costs 10 disregard Gen. Nc
tkilaH'S Advice.
Arrangement OF the Admins
tratiOn.


The Valley Of the Shenandoah has more
than once becu the valley of our national
humiliation. Alter more than three years
OF gigantic war, our military adr inlstra.
ton has not learned to appreheud the re-
lat Oh OF this valley to the defense OF Wash
ington, and tue enemy, safely presaming
OH the ignorance and shitlessness of that
administration, has learned to practice in
this quarter wearisome monotony of
movement which only serves to show that
he deems it safe at any time 10 hope for
success by counting Oh our Official stolidiiy
as standing substitute fer bis poverty Of
invention.
Talleyraud was won, to say that it is
always better TO rely on the folly of your
antagonist than on your own sagacity, and
II is certain that the enemy, in the use he
periodically makes OF the valley OF the
Shenandoah, has 81 own his own sagacit v
only IN rcsumIng always on our official
want OF that qua,i:y in the conduct of the
war. Physical geography has ordained
that the occiusion, or at least the viglent
observation of this side approach to the
city OF Washington, shall be prime ele-
mcnl in any campaign which starting from
Washington, has the city OF Richmond for
its objective point And yet, with want
of foresight which, in the absence of all
conceivable motive for the wlllul betrayal
of grave public trust, confounds the rea-
son of ordinary mortals by its magnitude
and by its invetelacy, our military au-
thorities have for four successive summers
permitted this valley to be used by the en-
emy at bis pleasure for the purpose OF
bringing confusion on the well-ald plans
o! all our generals operating against Rich
mond. Whether it be at one time from
failing to station in this valley capable
commanding officer; or at another from
not retaining IA sufficien. force under his
3ommsnd or at stll another from no
occupying the proper points of observation
to descry the approach of danger in tim'
to guard against positive mischief ol
whether, rs at some times it be from com
hitting all those blunders at onre, certain
it is that the military administration, il
giving the country much sad experience o
ineficiency, has nowhere made that ineff
cheney more egregious and dep'orable thar
. in this quarter.
The first battle of Bull Run was turuet
from victory into disaster by the failure o
General Paterson to prevent the junction
5 of General Joseph Il, johnson, througI
this valley, with General Beauregard il
! The very crisis Of the conRct-a failur
which, whether resulting from the incom
potency of General Patterson, as som
, charge or from the inadeqnncy of his az
gressive force, as others represent, is on
J. ofwhich the responsibility must equal
rest on the central power which appoint
our commanders and directs the opera
- tions of the war.
The campaign of General McClella
arrested and frustrated by the incursio
General Jackson into this valley in ii
latter part of May, 1869, compelling Il
- abrupt retreat of General Banks thrown
our military authorities here into mo
,e atject panic. and preventing the contel