in 1864 to ride into the White House on such
reconciliation. What a good time then for the Weeds, and for all the
Sewardites!

_March 15._--Persons who seemed well informed, assured me that Weed
got hold of Stanton, and secretly presides over the contracts in the
War Department. If so, it is very secretly done; as I investigated,
traced it, and found out nothing. At any rate, Weed would never get
at a Watson, a man altogether independent of any political
influences. Watson is the incarnation of honest and intelligent
duty.

Wilkes' _Spirit of the Times_ is unrelenting in its haughty
independence. It is the only public organ in this country of like
character; at least I know not another.

_March 15._--It is so saddening to witness how all kinds of
incapacities, stupidities, how meanness, hollowness, heartlessness,
all incarnated in politicians, in trimmers, in narrow brained; how
all of them ride on the shoulders of the masses, and use them for
their sordid, mean, selfish and ambitious ends. And the masses are
superior to those riders in everything constituting manhood, honesty
and intellect!

_March 16._--Halleck wrote a letter to Rosecrans, explaining how to
deal with all kinds of treason, and with all kinds of traitors. It
looks as if Halleck improved, and tried to become energetic. What is
in the wind? Is Mr. Lincoln becoming seriously serious?

_March 16._--Genuine, social and practical freedom, is generated by
individual rational freedom. If a man cannot, or even worse, if a
man understands not to act as a free rational being in every daily
circumstance of life during the week, then he cannot understand to
behave on Sunday as a free man; and act as a free man in all his
political and social relations and duties. The North upholds that
law of freedom against the slavocracy, and fights to carry and
establish a genuine social organism where at present barbarity,
oppression, lawlessness and recklessness, prevail and preside.

_March 18._--I sent Hooker Schalk's _Summary of the Science of War_.
It is the best, the clearest handbook ever published. About six
months ago, when Banks commanded the defenses of Washington, I
suggested to him to try and get Schalk into head-quarters, or into
the staff. The ruling powers proffered to Schalk to make him captain
at large, and this was proffered at a time when altogether
unmilitary men became colonels, etc., at the head-quarters. I never
myself saw Schalk, but he refused