with mingled feelings of pity and scorn. You have properly appreciated, I have no doubt, his motive both in the first and second instnace. As to your suppositon in relation to the newspaper slips, it is proper that I should give you some evidence against your belief of complicity of Judge W. His political antecendents would not bring him into association with the paper making the publication, and if he be capable of such an assault, which I do not think, he would have selected a different medium. The paper was sent to me with a marginal pencil note, accusing Mr. Yancey as the author of the article headed "The Army at Tupelo." I habnded the paper to the judge; he read it; did not appear to have seen it before; did not dissent from the opinion of the marginal annotationist, and treated it as a scurvy attack on the Administration. To preserve the liberty of the press, yet restrain its license, is possible only where it is controlled by a sound taste and sentiment in its patrons. To give information to the enemy is an injury but little extenated by an improper anxiety to satisfy the curiosity of its readers; and here it has frequently occurred that we have been materially damaged bhy articles, when the purposes to keep within the prescribed limits as to publications concerning army movements, if not real, was at least seeming. YOu have the misfortune of being regareded as my personal friend, and are pursued, therfore, with malignant censure by men regardless of truth, and whose want of principle to guide their conduct renders them incapable of conceiving that you are trusted because of your known fitness for command and not because of friendly regard. Revoluntions develop the high qualities of the good and the great, but they cannot change the nature of the vicious and the selfish. I trust the opportunity will be afforded to you to render the country such service as will compensate you for your oong trials and the sekfdenial with which you have labored to support the cause in which youIn General E. K. Smith you will find one of our ablest and purest officers. He has taken every position without indicating the least tendency to question its advatages to himself, without complaint when his propects for distinction were remote, and with alacrity when dangers and hardships were to be met. His promotions, like your own, have come unsought, and my assureance is complete that the zeal would not have been less had they never been given. Upon your cordial co- operation I can, therfore, confiently rely. If, as reported, the railroad has been effectually broken in rerar of Buell, it may enable you to fight the enemy in detahcments. Buell being crushed, if your men will enable you to march rapidly on Nashville, Grant will be compelled to rtetire to the river, abandoning Middle and East Tennessee, or to follow you. His Government will probably require the latter course, and if so, you may have a complete conquest over the enemy, involving the liberation of Tennessee and Kentucky. We have reports here to the effect that a large force has been transferred from Halleck's army in the West for another attack on Richmond. If so, we will endeavor to give them full employment in this quarter, so as to prevetn any retuirn to the West. General R. Taylor seemed to be required for Southwestern Louisiana. If he saw you, he gave you fully my views and hopes in relation to that region. He appreciated the compliment of your request that he should be sent you as a division commander. General Van Dorn has sent General Breckinridge against Baton Rouge, but reports his command as suffering gretly from the ffects of the climate, and asks for re- enforcements and acclimated troops. We have none to spare from this army, but I will endeaver to send, neverheless,