made a pretty severe attack on Judge Campbell, Assistant
Secretary of War, for the great number of persons he has "allowed" to
pass into the enemy's country. It does not attribute the best motives to
the Judge, who was late coming over to the Confederacy.

The British consul here, it seems, has been meddling with matters in
Mississippi, the President states, and has had his exequatur revoked.

Gen. D. H. Hill recommends the abandonment of the line of the
Blackwater, for Gen. Martin informs him that the enemy are preparing
their expeditions to cut our railroads in North Carolina. Gen. Hill
fears if the present line be held we are in danger of a great disaster,
from the inability to transport troops from so remote a point, in the
event of a sudden emergency. Gen. Lee refuses to let him have Ranseur's
brigade.

There are rumors of picket fighting near Fredericksburg, and Davis's
(the President's nephew) brigade, just from North Carolina, proceeded
through the city to-day in that direction. Shall we have _another_
great battle on the Rappahannock? I think it a ruse.

JUNE 7TH.--I saw yesterday a specimen of the President's elaborate
attention to the matter of appointments. Lieut.-Gen. A. P. Hill having
asked for a military court to his corps, and having recommended the
officers, the President, with his own hand, laid down the rule of
selection for the guidance of the Secretary, viz.: the State which had
the greatest number of regiments would be entitled to the choice of
positions, to be taken from the candidates of its citizens according to
qualifications, recommendations, etc. It appeared that North Carolina
stood first on the list, Virginia next, Georgia next, and so on.

Oh that we could get something decisive from Vicksburg! If Grant's and
Banks's armies should be destroyed, I think there would be some prospect
of peace at an early day. For, if Lincoln should persist in a
prolongation of the war, the probabilities would be the expulsion of the
enemy from the Mississippi Valley and the recovery of New Orleans. After
the fifteenth of this month, operations must cease on the Carolina and
Georgia coasts--Charleston and Wilmington being still in our possession.
But we should not be idle. Lee, in disdaining the sheltered army of the
invaders, would be likely to invade in turn; and the public demand of
retaliation for the cruelties and destruction of private property
perpetrated by the enemy could not be resisted. His men