Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/442

404 and entered actively upon measures to meet the formidable invasion. But by successive advances the confident Federals pressed their advantages, notwithstanding the checks they received and their signal repulse at Big Bethel on the 10th of June. The war cry &quot;On to Richmond&quot; was started by the Northern press to arouse enthusiasm in that section, and the meeting of the Confederate Congress at the Virginia capital was to be prevented, or if it should assemble the Confederate government must be dispersed. A quick crushing of the Rebellion was declared to be the policy of the Federal administration.

The Confederate government now presented to the world the aspect of a well-organized nation attacked by another nation seeking its subjugation. Its people had expressed their will by unconstrained ballot in favor of secession the States had acted in accordance with this popular expression the written Constitution evidenced the wisdom of their Statesmen and the organization of all departments of civil government was complete. The change from association with the United States to the Confederate States had produced no popular outbreak, nor embarrassed the administration of justice in the courts. Commerce was interrupted only on account of the hostility of the United States to the withdrawal of the seceded States, but in all other respects the great event was unattended by any circumstances that occur in violent revolutions.

The Confederate Congress assembled in the hall of the House of delegates, Richmond, Virginia, on Saturday, July 20th, 1861. President Davis message was read and referred to appropriate committees. The secretary of war asked for the call of three hundred regiments additional to the one hundred and ninety-four regiments and thirty-two battalions already accepted, which Congress met by providing for 400,000 additional troops, and the issue of $100,000,000 in bonds, and the same amount in