“The rebels … could not at the same time throw off the Constitution and invoke its aid. Having made war on the Government, they were subject to the incidents and calamities of war.” The border states “would do nothing” on their own; indeed, perhaps it was not fair to ask them to give up slavery while the rebels retained it. Therefore “the blow must fall first and foremost on [the rebels]. … Decisive and extensive measures must be adopted. … We wanted the army to strike more vigorous blows. The Administration must set an example, and strike at the heart of the rebellion.”28
