otomac. But Loring does not
deem it safe to move all his forces (not more than 6000) by that route;
he will, however, probably send his cavalry into Pennsylvania.

And Gen. Lee does not want any more raw conscripts. They get sick
immediately, and prove a burden instead of a benefit. He desires them
to be kept in camps of instruction, until better _seasoned_ (a term
invented by Gen. Wise) for the field.

Senator Brown, of Mississippi, opposed the bill increasing our salaries,
on the ground that letters from himself, indorsed by the President,
applying for clerkships for his friends, _remained unanswered_. He did
not seem to know that this was exclusively the fault of the head clerk,
Mr. Randolph, who has the title of Secretary of War.

And the _Examiner_ denounces the bill, because it seems to sanction a
depreciation of our currency! What statesmanship! What logic!

OCTOBER 14TH.--Congress adjourned yesterday at five o'clock P.M. I have
heard nothing of Mr. Brooks and the Passport Bill I drafted. The truth
is that, with few exceptions, the members of this Congress are very
weak, and very subservient to the heads of departments.

Congress has given him (the President) power to suspend the writ of
_habeas corpus_ anywhere, until thirty days after the reassembling of
Congress--and they have failed to pass the joint resolution declaring no
power exists under the Constitution to institute martial law. They voted
it separately, but _flinched_ when put to the test to act conjointly;
and martial law still exists in this city.

We have Northern accounts of a dash into Pennsylvania by Gen. Stuart and
1500 of his cavalry. He went as far as Chambersburg, which surrendered;
and he was gathering horses, etc., for the use of the army, paying for
them in Confederate notes. They say he did not disturb any other
description of private property without paying for it. I hope he is
safely back again by this time. The Northern papers claim a victory in
Kentucky--but I shall wait until we hear from Bragg.

Gen. Magruder has been assigned to duty in Texas. What Gen. Johnston is
to do, does not yet appear. A great many new assistant adjutants and
inspector-generals are to be appointed for the generals,
lieutenant-generals, majors, and brigadier-generals, having rank and pay
of colonels, majors, captains, and lieutenants of cavalry. Like the
Russian, perhaps, we shall have a purely military government; and it may
be as good as any other.