a diary?
"To give conscientious evidence before the jury appointed by
history."

_August 20._--On the first day of the draft, I had occasion to visit
New York. All was quiet. In Broadway and around the City Hall I saw
less soldiers than I expected. The people are quiet; the true
conspirators are thunderstruck. Before long, the names will be known
of the genuine instigators of arson and of murder in July last. The
tools are in the hands of justice, but the main spirits are hidden.
Smart and keen wretches as are the leading Copperheads, they
successfully screen their names; nevertheless before long their
names will be nailed to the gallows. The _World_--which, for weeks
and weeks, so devotedly, so ardently poisoned the minds, and thus
prepared the way for any riot--the _World_ was and is a tool in the
hands of the hidden traitors. The _World_ is a hireling, and does
the work by order.

_August 21. L. B._--The final destiny of the Potomac Army seems to
be to keep Lee at bay but not to attack him. Oh! the disgraced
soldiers and officers! Chickahominy, Antietam, Fredericksburgh,
Gettysburgh, are the indestructible evidences of the mettle of the
army, and of the poverty or total eclipse of generalship.

_August 21._--Impressionable, excitable, wave-like agitated as are
my dear American countrymen, they altogether forget _the yesterday_,
and shout the last success. Further: the people cannot see clearly
through the stultifying or the dirty dust blown in the peoples'
eyes; 1st, by the politicians of all hues, from the Woods, Weeds,
Forneys, to the Greeleys, by the simon-pures or the lobby-impures;
2d, by the press of all parties and shades of parties. The people
may again make a mistake. Is not Lincoln hailed as the new Moses? as
the man for the times, as the only one God sent to direct the
people, and to grapple with the stern, earnest emergencies and
perils? Emancipation is not Lincoln's, is not Sumner's, is not
anybody's personal special work. The necessities, the emergencies of
the times and of the hour did it. Their current drifted Mr. Lincoln
irresistibly along, and to a shore where he must land or perish.

_August 23. L. B._--From the tone of certain papers, and from
private letters, I perceive that Weed-Seward are hard at work to
pacify, to reunite, to save slavery and to leave unnoticed humanity
and national honor. The unterrified Democrats become Weed's allies,
and the alliance is to carry Seward into the White