duties of Assistant Secretary of War, which are as
thorny as can be imagined. Watson was, and I hope will be for the
future, the terror of lobbyists, of bad contractors, of jobbers--in
one word, the terror of all the leeches of the people's pocket. And
it honors Stanton to have brought into his Department such a man as
Watson. I heard and hear, and read a great many accusations against
Stanton; but I never found any proofs which could virtually diminish
my confidence. To use a classical, stupid, rhetorical figure:
Stanton is not of antique mould. And who is now? But he is a
sincere, devoted and ardent patriot; he broadly comprehends the task
and the duty to save the country, and he sees clearly and distinctly
the ways and means to reach the sacred aim. Stanton may have, and
very many assert that he has, numerous bristles in his character, in
his deportment. Let it be so. It is the worse for him, but not for
the cause he serves.

_August 16. L. B._--Are the people again to receive a President from
the hand of intriguers, from politicians, or from honest imbeciles?
If the people will stand it, then they deserve to be kept in leading
strings by all that medley.

_August 16. L. B._--Rosecrans wants mounted infantry. The men of the
day, the men who understand and comprehend the exigencies, the
necessities of the war, they pierce through the rotten crust of
fogyism. That is promise and hope. The great organizers of the
army--the McClellans and the Hallecks--could never have found out
that mounted infantry is necessary, and will render good service.
Mounted infantry was not considered a necessity in the West Point
halls, and Jomini mentions it not. How should a Halleck do so?

_August 17. L. B._--A defender of slavery, a Copperhead, and a
traitor, differ so little from each other, that a microscope
magnifying ten thousand times would not disclose the difference. A
proslaveryist, a Copperhead, and a traitor, are the most perfect
_tres in unum_.

_August 18. L. B._--General Meade is absent from the army, and
Humphreys, his chief-of-staff, is temporarily in command. I notice
this fact as a proof that a more rational, intelligent comprehension
prevails in the military service. A chief-of-staff is the only man
to be the _locum-tenens_ of the commander. At Williamsport Humphreys
voted for fight. It would be well if Meade should not return to
again take the command.

_August 18._--A patriotic gentlewoman asked me why I write