. Washington during war time : a series of papers, showing the military, political, and social phases, during 1861 to 1865. States was, for the purpose ofwar, paralyzed. It had not, practi-cally, an army to maintain its au-thority, and was far from being ableto attack the accessible quarter of an internal enemy, in conspiracyover an area of 733,144 squaremiles connected with a shore lineof 25,144 miles ; a coast line of 3,522miles ; and an interior boundary of7,031 miles. Had the people of the United States, throughCongress, been more thoughtful concerning the object of, andnecessity for, the
. Washington during war time : a series of papers, showing the military, political, and social phases, during 1861 to 1865. States was, for the purpose ofwar, paralyzed. It had not, practi-cally, an army to maintain its au-thority, and was far from being ableto attack the accessible quarter of an internal enemy, in conspiracyover an area of 733,144 squaremiles connected with a shore lineof 25,144 miles ; a coast line of 3,522miles ; and an interior boundary of7,031 miles. Had the people of the United States, throughCongress, been more thoughtful concerning the object of, andnecessity for, the military arm, paralysis would have beenavoided through the availability of a suitable force to crushthe initial of the Rebellion, and the State, in combat withits own children, would have been spared a great sacrificeof human life—including that of the Commander-in-Chiefof the Army and Navy—aside from a debt of $2,718,656, to, and arising from the war. All this independentlyof a pension debt, from 1861 to 1875, of $279,791,,since increased about $150,000,000 ; thus aggregating $429,-79i, SECRETARY STANTON [ IO7 ] WASHINGTON DURING WAR TIME Early in the struggle, the question was not : What will itcost ? but, Can the Government be saved, at any cost? The magnitude attained by the Rebellion is most instructive,for the public debt and the money paid to pensioners—$3,148,-447,—would support our present* (1881) military force,costing, say $30,000,000 yearly, for one hundred and five , however, as a result of temporary expedients coupledwith shameful neglect, the people have to pay the debt; expendsay $30,000,000 yearly for pensions,! and support an armycosting yearly $30,000,000. That is to say, we have lost, bynot having an available force to prevent rebellion, $3,148,447, Powerless, however, as the Government then was to over-come the gigantic attack, there was, fortunately, a grand latentpower, awaiting for its developmen
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