receive your commission as lieutenant-general, certainly. There is a general desire here for the transfer to this side of the Mississippi of a portion of the Trans-Mississippi forces. I have done and shall continue to do all that I can to prevent this, as I believe that these troops can be more usefully employed there than here, but I fear that General Smith's inactivity will result in the loss to him of his troops. It is, however, most likely that the Missourians will not be ordered hither in any contingency and I hope that none others will be. But they will be ordered hither unless they are employed there. There is a strong effort being made on the part of the Louisianians to supersede Smith with Bragg, but most of the other Trans-Mississippi representatives are violently opposed to this. Many of them, probably the majority, would be glad to go, but I do not think there is much probability of the change being made. The opinion that I express uniformly is that General Smith is greatly over tasked, and that the way to remedy the difficulty is to create the office of Assistant Secretary of War for the Department of the Trans-Mississippi, and to devolve upon that office the administrative and political duties of the department, leaving to the commanding general only the purely military duties of his office. Whilst I am sure that this ought to be done, I am equally sure that nothing will be done. The truth is the people of the South have very little administrative ability, and the President has less of it than almost any other man in the South. He cannot learn the art of using other men's brains and hands. It is this want of administrative ability and the removal of Johnston, with all its disastrous consequences, which have brought us to the very verge of ruin. I cannot venture to explain to you the dangers which now threaten us. They are very great and have appalled many who have been hitherto hopeful, but they are not by any means insurmountable, and Congress is addressing itself earnestly to the task of removing or overcoming them. Both Houses were in secret session to-day upon questions of the gravest importance, and in open sessions we are perfecting bills for the through reorganization of the Army. The opposition to the employment of negro troops is growing weaker daily, and I think it almost certain that at least 100,000 of them will be put in the Army next spring. General Lee, whose opinions on all subjects are omnipotent on all subjects are omnipotent, advocates the measure warmly, and the army here seems to be anxious for the experiment to be made. The simple truth is that there is no alternative for it, in the opinion of General Lee and many of our wisest men.

I inclose a copy of the consolidation bill as it passed the House to-day and also of the amendments which I proposed to it. My first section failed by only three votes. My second was amended so as to remove all restrictions upon the eligibility of officers and I then voted against it myself. I do not like the bill and voted against it. I think the Senate will materially modify it. The currency seems to be past cure, but we have adopted a measure which may re-establish it. Vest received his credentials yesterday as Senator. General Clark and Conrow denounce the appointment bitterly as unjust to the people on the north side of the Missouri. Vest has not yet offered to take his seat. He may be refused admission, but I do not think that likely. We are all well and generally vote together and are looked upon as supporters of the Administration. They are all friends to you. I kept very quiet until the military bills came up, but have talked a vast deal upon them. Fortunately we have no reporters. Six weeks ago gold