UNITED STATES. 



719 



On the 20th of June an o.-der was issued 

 from the department, requiring nil passports 

 issued to persons about to proceed beyond the 

 lines of the United States forces, or to a foreign 

 country, to be countersigned by the Secretary 

 of State. 



Orders were also issued on the 8th of July 

 that the telegraph would convey no despatches 

 concerning the operations of the army not per- 

 mitted by the commanding General. 



Congress had now convened in extra session 

 under the call of the President. It was prompt 

 and efficient to furnish the means to carry on 

 the Avar, and placed at the command of the 

 President whatever amount of money or num- 

 ber of men he desired. (See CONGRESS, UNITED 

 STATES, also ARMY AND NAVY.) The course 

 pursued by the Government to extricate itself 

 from financial embarrassment was very success- 

 ful. (See FINANCES OF THE UNITED STATES.) 

 The position taken by the Federal Government 

 relative to the Confederate States, was to regard 

 them still as a part of the United States, whose 

 inhabitants were in a condition of insurrection 

 against the Government. Those carrying on 

 active hostilities were to be subdued by military 

 force. "When all vestiges of military power on 

 the part of the insurgents were destroyed, it 

 was expected that the good sense of the people 

 of those States would convince them of the 

 great blessings of the Union, and induce their 

 hearty return to its support. From the outset 

 the Government was confident of its ultimate 

 success. This was founded upon the peculiar 

 character of the insurgent people, being that 

 of masters rather than laborers, and upon their 

 commercial inability to sustain a long war. 

 The policy of the Government, therefore, was 

 to blockade all the ports, and thereby shut out 

 all foreign manufactures and all foreign aid 

 from a people exclusively devoted to agricul- 

 ture, and almost entirely dependent upon other 

 States or nations for their market, and for all 

 the comforts and luxuries of life. The military 

 conquest was expected to be very easy and 

 rapid, until the disaster at Bull Run taught the 

 Government that success would result only 

 from the most extensive, careful, and thor- 

 oughly organized military preparations. 



On the other hand, the people of the Con- 

 federate States had, at first, looked upon seces- 

 sion as hopeless if it should be powerfully op- 

 posed by the Federal Government and North- 

 ern people ; but within a short period they had 

 become convinced that the North would not 

 fight, and therefore flattered themselves that 

 certain success was within their grasp. Their 

 amazement at the valor, bravery, and vigor of 

 the Northern troops has been inexpressible, 

 and with the loss of all hope of foreign assist- 

 ance, they have seen their prospects of success 

 entirely fade away. 



Congress, at its extra session in July, passed 

 an act entitled " An Act to increase the pay of 

 the privates in the regular army of the volun- 

 teers in the service of the United States, and 



for other purposes," The third section of the 

 act contains these words : 



That all the acts, proclamations, and orders of the 

 President of the United States, alter the -Itli uf March, 

 1861, respecting the army and navy of the United 

 and calling out or relating to the militia or vol- 

 unteers from the States, are herehy approved, and in 

 all respects made legal and valid, to the same intent 

 and with the same eflect as if they had been issued and 

 done under the previous express authority and direc- 

 tion of the Congress of the United States. 



A reference to the debates of Congress will 

 explain the occasion for this section, and the 

 object intended to be accomplished by it. This 

 was to approve of the extraordinary acts and 

 proceedings which President Lincoln author- 

 ized or executed prior to the assemblage of that 

 body. The question of the constitutionality of 

 this section was brought before the Circuit 

 Court of the United States at Washington, 

 when Judge Wayne expressed this opinion : 



It is my opinion that Congress has constitutional 

 power to legalize and confirm Executive acts, procla- 

 mations, and orders done for the public good, although 

 they were not, when done, authorized by any existing 

 laws ; and such legislation by Congress may be made 

 to operate retroactively to confirm what may have been 

 done under such procfamations and orders, so as to be 

 binding upon the Government in regard to contracts 

 made, and the persons with whom they were made ; 

 and that the third section of an act of Congress of the 

 6th day of August, 1861, legalizing the acts, proclama- 

 tions, and orders of the President, after the 4th of 

 March, 1801, respecting the army and navy, and call- 

 ing out and relating to the militia and volunteers of 

 the States, is constitutional and valid. 



The course of the Government relative to the 

 slave property in the Confederate States was 

 designed to be in strict conformity with its 

 views of the Constitution and laws. (See 

 SLAVES.) The foreign policy of the Govern- 

 ment was conducted on the principle that the 

 troubles of the country formed a domestic affair 

 of its own, and the interference of foreign na- 

 tions was neither desired nor would be allowed. 

 (See DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE.) The 

 prompt manner in which the Confederate 

 States were acknowledged as belligerents by 

 France and England is a proof that not a doubt 

 was entertained by the Governments of those 

 nations of the ultimate independence of the new 

 Confederacy. 



After the adjournment of the extra session 

 of Congress, theplan of the Government was 

 to make the most ample and perfect prepara- 

 tions to recover and repossess the strongholds 

 in the Confederate States. In its progress, due 

 regard was had to the will of Congress, and the 

 requirements of the emergency With a sur- 

 prising unanimity among the people, its meas- 

 ures were steadily sustained. 



The army around Washington was reorgan- 

 ized, greatly increased in numbers, and brought 

 up to the highest state of discipline. In its 

 front the camps of the flower of the Confeder- 

 ate States were spread, and the year closed 

 with the two armies watching each other. The 

 one was growing more formidable and better 

 prepared for the approaching strife, while the 



