roving an order dismissing about a dozen generals, or
accepting his own resignation, and Mr. Lincoln once more had before him
the difficult task of finding a new commander for the Army of the
Potomac. On January 25, 1863, the President relieved Burnside and
assigned Major-General Joseph Hooker to duty as his successor; and in
explanation of his action wrote him the following characteristic letter:

"I have placed you at the head of the Army of the Potomac. Of course I
have done this upon what appear to me to be sufficient reasons, and yet
I think it best for you to know that there are some things in regard to
which I am not quite satisfied with you. I believe you to be a brave and
skilful soldier, which, of course, I like. I also believe you do not mix
politics with your profession, in which you are right. You have
confidence in yourself, which is a valuable, if not an indispensable
quality. You are ambitious, which, within reasonable bounds, does good
rather than harm; but I think that during General Burnside's command of
the army you have taken counsel of your ambition and thwarted him as
much as you could, in which you did a great wrong to the country, and to
a most meritorious and honorable brother officer. I have heard, in such
a way as to believe it, of your recently saying that both the army and
the government needed a dictator. Of course it was not for this, but in
spite of it, that I have given you the command. Only those generals who
gain successes can set up dictators. What I now ask of you is military
success, and I will risk the dictatorship. The government will support
you to the utmost of its ability, which is neither more nor less than it
has done and will do for all commanders. I much fear that the spirit
which you have aided to infuse into the army, of criticizing their
commander and withholding confidence from him, will now turn upon you. I
shall assist you as far as I can to put it down. Neither you nor
Napoleon, if he were alive again, could get any good out of an army
while such a spirit prevails in it; and now beware of rashness. Beware
of rashness, but with energy and sleepless vigilance go forward and give
us victories."

Perhaps the most remarkable thing in this letter is the evidence it
gives how completely the genius of President Lincoln had by this, the
middle of his presidential term, risen to the full height of his great
national duties and responsibilities. From beginning to end it speaks