The life and public services of Abraham Lincoln ... together with his state papers, including his speeches, addresses, messages, letters, and proclamations, and the closing scenes connected with his life and death. By Henry J. Raymond. To which are added anecdotes and personal reminiscences of President Lincoln, by Frank B. Carpenter.

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THE LIFE, PUBLIC SERVICES, AND

stronger than before. Without disparaging any, I affirm with confidence
that no commander of that department has, in proportion to his means,
done better than General Schofield.
The first specific charge against General Schofield is, that the enrolled
militia was placed under his command, whereas it had not been placed
under the c(ommand of General Curtis. The fact is, I believe, true; but
you do not point out, nor can I conceive how that did, or could, injure
loyal mnen or the Union cause.
You charge that General Curtis being superseded by General Schofield.
Franklin A. Dick waas superseded by James 0. Broadhead as ProvostMarshal General. No very specific showing is made as to how this did
or could injure the Union cause. It recalls, however, the condition of
things, as presented to me, which led to a change of commander of that
department.
To restrain contraband intelligence and trade, a system of searches,
seizures, permits, and passes, had been introduced, I think, by General
Frenlont. When G(;ne.ral Halleck came, he found and continued the system, and added an order, applicable to some parts of the State, to levy
and collect contributions from noted rebels, to compensate losses, and
relieve destitution caused by the rebellion. The action of General Fremont and General Iadlleck, as stated, constituted a sort of system whiclJ
General Curtis found in full operation when he took command of the department. That there was a necessity for something of the sort, wat;
clear; but thl:t it could only be justified by stern necessity, and that it
was liable to Xr'eat abuse in administration, was equally clear. Agents to
execute it, contrary to the great prayer, were led into temptation. Some
might, Nwhile othlers would not, resist that temptation. It was not possible to iold any! to a very strict accountability; and those yielding to the
temptation wotulld sell Iermits and passes to those who would pay most
and most readily tor them, and would seize property and collect levik.
in the aptest way to fill their own pockets. Money being the object, tll
man having money, whether loyal or disloyal, would be a victim. This
practice doubtless existed to some extent, and it was a real additional
evil, that it could be, and was plausibly charged to exist in greater extent
than it did.
When General Curtis took command of the department, Mr. Dick,
against who,m I tnever knew any thing to allege, had general charge of this
system. A controversy in regard to it rapidly grew into almost unmanageable pro)portions. One side ignored the necessity and magnified the
evils of the systein, while the other ignored the evils and magnified tle
necessity; and etacl bitterly assailed the other. I could not fail to see
that the controversy enlarged in the same proportion as the professed
Union men there distinctly took sides in two opposing political parties.
I exhausted ny wits, and very nearly my patience also, in efforts to convince both that the evils they charged on each other were inherent in the
case. and could not be cured by giving either party a victory over the other.