▁communication ▁between ▁officers ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁▁ ▁This ▁was ▁shown ▁in ▁national ▁rec ruit ment ▁efforts ▁as ▁well . ▁ ▁While ▁Congress ▁author ized ▁the ▁War ▁Department ▁to ▁rec ruit ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁one - year ▁volunte ers , ▁only ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁could ▁be ▁found , ▁and ▁the ▁Army ▁never ▁reached ▁half ▁of ▁its ▁author ized ▁strength . ▁ ▁A ▁national ▁cons cription ▁plan ▁was ▁proposed ▁in ▁Congress , ▁but ▁defeated ▁with ▁the ▁aid ▁of ▁Daniel ▁Web ster , ▁though ▁several ▁states ▁passed ▁cons cription ▁policies . ▁ ▁Even ▁Kentucky , ▁the ▁home ▁state ▁of ▁the ▁best - known ▁war ▁ha w k ▁Henry ▁Clay , ▁was ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁only ▁ 4 0 0 ▁rec ruits ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 2 . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁the ▁war ▁was ▁concluded ▁that ▁its ▁ret ros pective ▁popular ity ▁shot ▁up ▁again . ▁ ▁Back l ash ▁ ▁Many ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Democratic - Rep ublic an ▁Party ▁viewed ▁opposition ▁as ▁tre ason ous ▁or ▁near - tre ason ous ▁once ▁the ▁war ▁was ▁declared . ▁ ▁The ▁Washington ▁National ▁Int ell igen cer ▁wrote ▁that , ▁" W AR ▁IS ▁DE CLA RED , ▁and ▁every ▁patri ot ▁heart ▁must ▁un ite ▁in ▁its ▁support ... ▁or ▁die ▁without ▁due ▁cause ." ▁ ▁The ▁August a ▁Chron icle ▁wrote ▁that ▁" he ▁who ▁is ▁not ▁for ▁us ▁is ▁against ▁us ." ▁ ▁This ▁sentiment ▁was ▁especially ▁strong ▁in