he policy of abolishing
the Bureau of Conscription, the office of provost marshal outside of our
military lines.

Gov. Smith's salary is to be increased to $20,000, and he is still
exempting young justices, deputy sheriffs, deputy clerks, constables,
etc.

FEBRUARY 14TH.--Bright and cold. Very cold, and fuel unattainable.

The papers speak of heavy raids in process of organization: one from
Newbern, N. C., against Raleigh, and one from East Tennessee against
Salisbury and our communications.

The news from South Carolina is vague, only that the armies are in
active motion. So long as Sherman keeps the initiative, of course he
will succeed, but if Beauregard should attack, it may be different.

Yesterday some progress was made with the measure of 200,000 negroes for
the army. Something must be done--and _soon_.

Gen. Wise sent me a letter of introduction to Gen. Breckinridge
yesterday. I sent it in to-day. I want the system of passports changed,
and speculation annihilated, else the cause is lost. I expect no action,
for impediments will be interposed by others. But my duty is done. I
have as little to lose as any of them. The generals all say the system
of passports in use has inflicted great detriment to the service, a fact
none can deny, and if it be continued, it will be indeed "idiotic
suicide," as Gen. Preston says.

The weather is moderating, but it is the most wintry 14th of February I
remember to have seen. Yet, as soon as the weather will admit of it, the
carnival of blood must begin. At Washington they demand unconditional
submission or extermination, the language once applied to the Florida
Indians, a few hundred of whom maintained a war of seven years. Our
cities may fall into the hands of the enemy, but then the populations
will cease to subsist on the Confederacy. There is no prospect of peace
on terms of "unconditional submission," and most of the veteran troops
of the enemy will return to their homes upon the expiration of their
terms of enlistment, leaving mostly raw recruits to prosecute the work
of "extermination."

Meantime the war of the factions proceeds with activity, the cabinet and
the majority in both Houses of Congress. The President remains
immovable in his determination not to yield to the demand for new men in
the government, and the country seems to have lost confidence in the
old. God help us, or we are lost! The feeble health of the President is
supposed to have enfeebled his i