d? when a Franklin is still sustained, when a Seward and a
Halleck remain firm in their high places as the gates of hell?

_January 20._--Wrote a respectful letter to the President on
Halleck's military science, his book, and capacity. Told
respectfully to Mr. Lincoln that not even the Sultan would dare to
palm such a Halleck on his army and on his people.

Mr. Lincoln in his greatness says that "he will stand and fall with
his Cabinet." O, Mr. Lincoln! O, Mr. Lincoln! purple-born sovereigns
can no more speak so!

Mr. Lincoln! with the gang of politicians, your advisers and
friends, _you all desire immensely, and will feebly_. You desire the
reconstruction of the Union, and you almost shun the ways and means
to do it. And thus this noble people is dragged to a slaughter
house.

Parumne campis atque Neptuno super
Fusum est--[Yankee] sanguinis?

_January 21._--Deep, irreconcilable as is my hatred of slavocrats
and rebels, nevertheless I am forced to admire the high intellectual
qualities of their chiefs, when compared with that of ours. Of
Lincoln _versus_ Jeff Davis I spoke in the first volume. But now
Lee, Jackson, Hill, Ewall, _versus_ Halleck, McClellan, McDowell,
Franklin, etc.

_January 22._--Wendell Phillips's _Amen_ oration to the Proclamation
is noble and torrent-like oratory. Greeley is the better Greeley of
former times. I heartily wish to admire and speak well of Greeley,
as of every body else. Is it my fault that they give me no occasion?

_January 23._--General Fitz-John Porter, McClellan's pet, told me
to-day, that after the battle at Hanover Court House, he supplicated
McClellan to attack Richmond at once--which in Porter's opinion
could have been taken without much ado,--and not to change his base
to James River; and even Fitz-John could not prevail on this demigod
of imbeciles, traitors and intriguers.

_January 24._--Here is one of the thousand flagrant lies with which
Seward entangles Lincoln, as with a net of steel. Lincoln assured
General Ashley that the public is unjust toward Seward in accusing
him of having worked for the defeat of Wadsworth. That they have
been the best friends for long years; that, when Military Governor
of Washington, Wadsworth was a daily visitor in Seward's house; and
that, during the canvass, Wadsworth consulted with Seward concerning
his (Wadsworth's) actions.

Mr. Seward knows that every one of those assertions which he or
Thurlow Weed pushed down the thro