Speech #560092089

That war had been protracted for three years. All the energies of the Republic had been stftnmoned for a final struggle. The United States had throughout that entire intermountain and Pacific coast regiom 18.000 regular troops engaged in keeping open the overland mail route. in protecting the immigrant routes. and in maintaining a sufficient show of force to prevent the Indian uprisings which had been so frequent prior to that time. and which were so serio40us subsequent to the war. Those troops were needed at the front. Pursuing the ordinary course. it would have been necessary for the Government to have enlisted troops in the East and sent them to the West.