At the Cabinet to-day the President read letters from
certain Louisiana planters and from General Banks and others, urging the
admission of cotton within our lines. He also read the rough draft of a letter
prepared by himself, designating New Orleans and Baton Rouge as depots for
cotton to be brought thither, sold for “greenbacks,” etc., etc. It had been
submitted to Chase and Stanton previously, who both indorsed and perhaps
advised, if they did not first suggest, it. Seward and Blair thought it might
operate well. Stanton said General Grant was opposed to action in his command,
but as Banks favored it, he thought it might be well to let the matter go
forward as the President proposed. I suggested that the effect would be good to
open the whole country west of the Mississippi above New Orleans. But the
President said it might disturb General Grant.
The present demonstration of factious grumblers and
interested knaves against the Navy Department is alleged want of speed in our
boats. Mr. Fox, Isherwood, and others are not able to submit to this abuse with
as much composure as myself, and to stop their clamor Fox desires to challenge
the Chamber of Commerce to a trial of speed. I told him that nothing would be
made by it. If we were to have a trial and they were beaten, they would at once
abuse the Navy Department for wasting time and money in boat-racing. Governor
Dennison was present and thought the effect of a race would on the whole be
well. The Naval Committee are detaining the Eutaw here, and that boat might be
used. Somewhat reluctantly and doubtingly I assented to his writing a letter to
G. W. Blunt, who I suspect first proposed it.
Have a strange letter from C. B. Sedgwick, who is under pay,
revising the Navy laws, but spends much of his time in advocating suspicious
claims from scheming contractors. He advises, with some tact and ability, an
abandonment of the trials now in progress in Philadelphia for malfeasance.
SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles,
Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 1: 1861 – March 30,
1864, p. 511-2
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