ife of the secesh. How imprudent!
Chattanooga is still in the hands of the rebels, and if we ever take
it, it will cost streams of blood and millions of money. Down with
Mitchel and Turtschin. Mitchel's _excrementa_ were more valuable than
are Halleck's heavy, but not expanding, brains. Mitchel revealed at
once all the qualities of an eminent, if not of a great general.
Quickness of mind, fertility of resources. An astronomer, a
mathematician, Mitchel's mind was familiar with broad combinations.
Such a mind penetrated space, calculated means and chances, balanced
forces and probabilities. Not to compare, however, is it to be borne
in mind that Napoleon was a mathematician in the fullest sense, and
not an engineer, not a translator.

_January 18._--Mr. Lincoln's letter to McClellan when the hero of
the Copperheads was in search of mud in the Peninsula. The letter
rings as sound common sense; it shows, however, that common sense
debarred of strong will remains unproductive of good. Mr. Lincoln
commonly shows strong will, in the wrong place.

----ein Theil von jener Krafft,
Die stehts das Guthe will, und stehts das Boese schaff.

_January 18._--The emancipation proclamation is out. Very well. But
until yet not the slightest signs of any measures to execute the
proclamation, at once, and in its broadest sense. Now days, even
hours, are equal to years in common times. Had Lincoln his heart in
the proclamation, on January 2d he would begin to work out its
expansion, realization, execution. I wish Lincoln may lift himself,
or be lifted by angels to the grandeur of the work. But it is
impossible. Surrounded as he is, and led in the strings by Seward,
Blair, Halleck, and by border-state politicians, the best that can
be expected are belated half measures.

Stanton comprehends broadly and thoroughly the question of
emancipation and of arming the Africo-Americans. As I intend to
realize my plans of last year and organise Africo-American
regiments, I had conversations with Stanton, and find him more
thorough about the matter than is any body whom I met. He agreed
with me, that the cursed land of Secessia ought to be surrounded by
camps to enlist and organise the enslaved, as a scorpion surrounded
with burning coals. Such organizations introduced rapidly and
simultaneously on all points, would shake Secessia to its
foundations, and put an end to guerillas, _alias_ murderers and
robbers. We will again think and talk it over