Met General Thomas
of the Army of the Tennessee at the President's. He has a fine, soldierly
appearance, and my impressions are that he has, intellectually and as a
civilian, as well as a military man, no superior in the service. What I saw of
him to-day confirmed my previous ideas of the man. He has been no courtly
carpet officer, to dance attendance at Washington during the War, but has nobly
done his duty.
Little was done at
the Cabinet. Three of the assistants being present instead of the principals,
there was a disinclination to bring forward measures or to interchange views
freely. Stanton took occasion before the President came in to have a fling at
my circular against party assessments, which seems to annoy him. I told him the
principles and rule laid down in that circular were correct; that the idea
which he advocated of a tax upon employés and office-holders was pernicious and
dangerous, would embitter party contests and, if permitted to go on, would carry
the country to the devil. Stanton said he then wished to go to the devil with
it; that he believed in taxing officeholders for party purposes, compelling
them to pay money to support the Administration which appointed them. Weed and
Raymond are in this thing, and mad with me for cutting off supplies.
