ghborly sentiment, provided always that the public good is not
suffering by it!

_June 3._--A senator, who urged Mr. Lincoln to dismiss Halleck, was
answered, that "as Halleck has not a single friend in the country,
Mr. Lincoln feels himself in duty bound to stand by him." Admirable,
but costly stubbornness.

_June 3._--Poor Hooker! He is now the laughingstock of Europe. I
wish he may recover what he has lost or squandered. But alas! even
now Hooker makes no attempt to surround himself with a genuine
staff.

I wrote to Stanton, imploring him for the country's and for his own
sake, to compel Hooker to reform his staff, and not to allow science
to be any longer trodden under foot. I implored Stanton that either
the President or he would select and nominate a chief-of-staff for
Hooker, or rather for the Potomac army, as it is done in Europe.
Stanton understands well the disastrous deficiency, and if he could,
he would immediately go at it and change. But, first, the statutes
or regulations, obligatory here, leave it with the commander to
appoint his own staff and its chief. Stupid, rusty, foggyish and
fogyish regulations, so perfectly in harmony with the general
ignorance of what ought to be the staff of an army! Second, Stanton
must yield to another will, and to what is believed here to be the
higher knowledge of military affairs.

_June 3._--"Give to Hooker one chance more," says Mr. Lincoln, and
so say several members of the Cabinet; "McClellan had so
many."--Because they allowed McClellan to waste human life and time,
it surely is no reason to repeat the sacrilegious condescension. A
general may be unfortunate, lose a battle, or even lose a campaign;
all this without being damnable when he has shown capacity, when he
did his utmost, but could not conciliate _fatum_ on his side. But
such is not the case with Hooker, and such _emphatically_ was _not_
the case with McClellan and with Burnside.

_June 3._--During these last fourteen days, the _big men_ have been
expecting a raid on Washington. More fortifications are constructed,
and rifle pits dug. This time the Administration is perfectly right.
All is probable and possible when capacity, decision, and
lightning-like execution are on the one side, and on the other
sham-science, want of earnestness, slowness and indecision.

_June 5._--A very reliable and honorable patriot tells me that
_grandissimo_ Chase _looks down_ upon any advice, suggestion, or
warning. O,