untry, spends less money for
manufactured products than he netted clear profits by the rise in
gold. If the farmer sold now his wheat for six shillings, without
inflation the price might have been four shillings, and then the
farmer would have been bankrupt, unable to pay the taxes. The
inflation saved the greatest interest in the country. And thus
agriculture and industry flourish, the country is not ruined, is not
bankrupt, as the European wiseacres took great pleasure in
foreboding that it would be. So much for _absolute_ laws of
political economy.

_August 27: L. B._--The New York Republican papers insinuate that a
Mr. Evarts, who was sent to Europe by Mr. Seward, has given
assurances to European governments that slavery will be abolished.
If such declaration was needed, why not make it through the regular
representatives of the country, as are Mr. Adams and Mr. Dayton? Mr.
Seward is incorrigible. I am curious to know where he learned this
original mode of _diplomatizing_. Such unofficial, confidential,
semi-confidential agents confuse European governments. They inspire
very little, if any respect for our statesmanship, and are offensive
to our regularly appointed ministers. What must the crown lawyers in
England have thought of Mr. Evart's great mastery of international
laws?

_August 30._--Our military powers in Washington, led on and inspired
by Halleck, cannot put an end to guerrillas, or rather to those
highwaymen who rob, so to speak, at the military gates of
Washington. Lieber-Halleck-Hitchcock's treatise frightened not the
guerrillas, but most assuredly the gallows will do it. Everywhere
else the like banditti would be summarily treated; and these
would-be guerrillas here are evidences of the uttermost social
dissolution. They are no soldiers, no guerrillas, and deserve no
mercy.

_August 31: L. B._--According to the _Tribune_, Mr. Lincoln deserves
all the credit for General Gilmore's success before Charleston.
There we have it! Mr. Lincoln, outdoing Carnot for military sagacity
and capacity, Mr. Lincoln approved Gilmore's plans. Mr.
Lincoln-Halleck aiding--at once understood the laws of ballistics,
and other _et ceteras_ which underlay the plan of every siege. And
now to doubt that Lincoln, with his Halleck, are military geniuses!
O _Tribune_!

_August 31: L. B._--I learned that Grant most positively refused to
accept the command of the Potomac Army. They cannot ruin Grant--they
will neutralize him.