Starting a war with the South certainly kept a lot of people employed on borrowed money who would not otherwise be employed.
The uniforms got rather hot as the Southern temperature warmed up.
No doubt it was equally uncomfortable for the Union soldiers during the war. They endured a lot to do their master's bidding.
But what matter human suffering to invaders?
We had a compulsory ROTC requirement at my college too, all apparently dating back to something done by Congressman Morrill, he of the Morrill Tariff.
Sometimes bad pennies keep turning up.
It is known that the recession of 1857 impacted the approval voting of the Morrill tariff.
Just as important to the business community as was the protectionist tariff, so was the tariff to the federal government.
In discussions of the Morrill Tariff, the condition of the US Treasury is forgotten.
Public Debt of the Federal Government 1857-1860
(Source: Historical Statistics of the US, Series Y-493-504, page 1118)
1857 ........$28,701,000
1858 ........$44,913,000
1859 ........$58,498,000
1860 ........$64,844,000
Lots of pesky typos, but I fixed them for you.
No problem, you're welcome.