made the change of commander
for the department. I now learn that soon after this change Mr. Dick was
removed, and that Mr. Broadhead, a gentleman of no less good character,
was put in the place. The mere fact of this change is more distinctly
complained of than is any conduct of the new officer, or other consequence
of the change.

I gave the new commander no instructions as to the administration of
the system mentioned, beyond what is contained in the private letter
afterwards surreptitiously published, in which I directed him to act
solely for the public good, and independently of both parties. Neither any
thing you have presented me, nor anything I have otherwise learned, has
convinced me that he has been unfaithful to this charge.

Imbecility is urged as one cause for removing General Schofield; and
the late massacre at Lawrence, Kansas, is pressed as evidence of that
imbecility. To my mind that fact scarcely tends to prove the proposition.
That massacre is only an example of what Grierson, John Morgan, and many
others might have repeatedly done on their respective raids, had they
chosen to incur the personal hazard, and possessed the fiendish hearts to
do it.

The charge is made that General Schofield, on purpose to protect the
Lawrence murderers, would not allow them to be pursued into Missouri.
While no punishment could be too sudden or too severe for those murderers,
I am well satisfied that the preventing of the threatened remedial raid
into Missouri was the only way to avoid an indiscriminate massacre there,
including probably more innocent than guilty. Instead of condemning, I
therefore approve what I understand General Schofield did in that respect.

The charges that General Schofield has purposely withheld protection from
loyal people and purposely facilitated the objects of the disloyal are
altogether beyond my power of belief. I do not arraign the veracity of
gentlemen as to the facts complained of, but I do more than question the
judgment which would infer that those facts occurred in accordance with
the purposes of General Schofield.

With my present views, I must decline to remove General Schofield. In
this I decide nothing against General Butler. I sincerely wish it were
convenient to assign him a suitable command. In order to meet some
existing evils I have addressed a letter of instructions to General
Schofield, a copy of which I enclose to you.

As to the enrolled militia, I shall endeavor t