His administration had been embarrassed for funds. It was found next to
impossible to float a loan of a paltry seven million dollars for war
purposes. He borrowed one hundred and fifty million dollars next day at
a fraction above the legal rate of interest in New York. He asked
Congress for 400,000 more men and $400,000,000 to support them. Congress
voted a half million men and five hundred millions of dollars--a
hundred million more than he had asked.
While Washington's streets were thronged with the mud-smeared,
panic-stricken rabble that was once an army, the Federal Congress
eagerly began the task of repairing the disaster. When they had done all
and much more than their President had asked, they calmly and
unanimously passed this resolution:
"_Resolved_, That the maintenance of the Constitution, the
preservation of the Union, and the enforcement of the laws, are
sacred trusts which must be executed; that no disaster shall
discourage us from the most ample performance of this high duty;
and that we pledge to the Country and the world the employment
of every resource, national and individual, for the suppression,
overthrow and punishment of rebels in arms."
To the dismay of the far-seeing Southern leader in Richmond the press
and people of the South received this resolution with shouts of
derision.
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