weather be fair, after the labors of the day, and he is a regular
attendant at St. Paul's Church. I am rather inclined to credit the rumor
that he intends to join the church. All his messages and proclamations
indicate that he is looking to a mightier power than England for
assistance. There is a general desire to have the cabinet modified and
Christianized upon the inauguration of the permanent government.

JANUARY 11TH.--We have three candidates in the field in this district
for Congress: President Tyler, James Lyons, and Wm. H. McFarland. The
first will, of course, walk over the track.

JANUARY 12TH.--Gen. Wise, whose headquarters are to be fixed at Nag's
Head on the beach near Roanoke Island, reports that the force he
commands is altogether inadequate to defend the position. Burnside is
said to have 20,000 men, besides a numerous fleet of gun-boats; and Gen.
Wise has but 3000 effective men.

JANUARY 13TH.--The department leaves Gen. Wise to his superior officer,
Gen. Huger, at Norfolk, who has 15,000 men. But I understand that Huger
says Wise has ample means for the defense of the island, and refuses to
let him have more men. This looks like a man-trap of the "Red-tapers"
to get rid of a popular leader. I hope the President will interfere.

JANUARY 14TH.--All calm and quiet to-day.

JANUARY 15TH.--I forgot to mention the fact that some weeks ago I
received a work in manuscript from London, sent thither before the war,
and brought by a bearer of dispatches from our Commissioner, Hon.
Ambrose Dudley Mann, to whom I had written on the subject. I owe him a
debt of gratitude for this kindness. When peace is restored, I shall
have in readiness some contributions to the literature of the South, and
my family, if I should not survive, may derive pecuniary benefit from
them. I look for a long war, unless a Napoleon springs up among us, a
thing not at all probable, for I believe there are those who are
constantly on the watch for such dangerous characters, and they may
possess the power to nip all embryo emperors in the bud.

Some of our functionaries are not justly entitled to the great positions
they occupy. They attained them by a species of _snap-judgement_, from
which there may be an appeal hereafter. It is very certain that many of
our _best_ men have no adequate positions, and revolutions are mutable
things.

JANUARY 16TH.--To-day, Mr. Benjamin, whom I met in the hall of the
department, said, "I don't grant any