Mr. Lincoln being found fault with for making another “call,” said that
if the country required it, he would continue to do so until the matter
stood as described by a Western provost marshal, who says:
“I listened a short time since to a butternut-clad individual, who
succeeded in making good his escape, expatiate most eloquently on
the rigidness with which the conscription was enforced south of the
Tennessee River. His response to a question propounded by a citizen ran
somewhat in this wise:
“‘Do they conscript close over the river?’
“‘Stranger, I should think they did! They take every man who hasn’t been
dead more than two days!’
“If this is correct, the Confederacy has at least a ghost of a chance
left.”
And of another, a Methodist minister in Kansas, living on a small
salary, who was greatly troubled to get his quarterly instalment. He at
last told the non-paying trustees that he must have his money, as he was
suffering for the necessaries of life.
“Money!” replied the trustees; “you preach for money? We thought you
preached for the good of souls!”
“Souls!” responded the reverend; “I can’t eat souls; and if I could it
would take a thousand such as yours to make a meal!”
“That soul is the point, sir,” said the President.