The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-11-29

IJuoS iiSSu nun thO pSiu vi tuO NIc5t
dents own views upon the Emancipation
question, expressed only nine days before
the issuing of his mischievous Proclama
: ton, and which We copy below. The oc
casion was this: On the 18th Of Septem
Der a committee of political priests from
Chicago of the President:
own party-called upon him with a petit
ton asking him to issue an Emancipation
Proclamation. The committee addressed
him and he replied, and other converse
ton ensucd, The committee, unfortu
nately for him, have published report Of
what was said and done at this interview,
and from that report we quote what Mr..
Lincoln said upon the vital matter in is
sue, involving consequences Of fearful i'm
portance.
1t will be seen that he then thought
such proclamation could do no good,
and that he did not see how it could be
enforced, and that he feared it would turn
80, 900 Union tyo0nS IN The Border States
into rebels Yet in nine days nJier ex-
pressing these views he ISSUED the desired
document Why was this? pertinently
asks contemporary. There is but one
answer: she couldn't stand the pressure
which the Abolition demagogues OnA po-
litical preachers were bringing to bear
upon him. He weakly yielded, and in
/ yielding drove from his support every
man who desires the restoration Of the
Union-cvery lover Of the Federal Con-
/ stitution. lie was threatened with being
! depoSed from office, and the "disloyal
Governors Of the loyal States" were about
meeting in secret and reasonable conclave
| to devise and perfect measures Of coercion
upon him-among which were understood
to be the withholding Of troops now being
raised, and organizing an Independent
army to be placed under Fremont in open
defiance of the Government. These
threats evidently alarmed the President,
and he FASTENED to forestall their exccu-
ton by issuing the proclamation before
| their meetinr. There is no doubt that he
! was thus ''coerced" into taking what he
had just a few days previously declared to
be SO needless and dangerous a step
What commentary upon the proclama-
ton! Condemned in advance by the very
man who issued it Its folly and wick
edncsS exposed by its own author! Ev.
cry thoughtful man will see in the meet
ing and threats of the Governors but an
imitation of the doings of the Jacobln
, clubs of FLance, who forced the Executive
Of the Nation in like manner to carry into
effect their secret resolves; and if similar
results follow, they will be the natural
fruits Of past and current facts
The above named committee thus re-
polt the Presidents remarks to them, OH
the 18th Of September, just nine days be-
fore the date of his Emancipation Proc.
lamation:
The subject presented in the memorial
is one upon which have thought much
for weeks past, and may even say for
months. | ain approached with the most
opposite opinions and advice, and that by,
religious men, who are equally certain
that they represent the Divine will.
ain sure that either the one or the other
class is mistaken in that belief, and that
perhaps, in some respects, both. | hope
! 1t will not lie irrevcrent for me to say,
that if it is probable that God would re-
veal his will to others on point so con-
nccted with my duty, it might be sup
posed that he would reveal it directly to
me. For, unless am mere deceived in
myself than often am, it is my earnest
desire to know the will of Providence in
this matter. And if can learn what it
is, | will do it! These are not, however,
the days Of miracles, and suppose it will
be granted that ! am not to expect a di.
rect revelation. ! must study the plain,
physical facts OF the case, ascertain what
is possible, and learn what appears to be
wise and right.
The subje& is difficult, and good men
do not agree. For instance, the other
day, four gentlemen of standing and in.
telligcncc (naming one or two Of the man,
ber) from New York, called as a delcga-
ton, on business connected with the war !;
but, before leaving, two of them earnestly
beset me to proclaim general emancipa.
ton, upon which the other two at once
attacked them! You know, also, that the
last session Of Congress- had a decided
majority of anti-slavery men, yet they
could not unite on this policy. And the
same is true of the religious people. Why,
the rebel soldiers are praying with great
deal more earncstncss, | fear, than our
own troops. and expecting God to favor
their side; for one Of our soldiers, who
had been taken prisoner, told Senator
Wilson few days since, that he met with
nothing so diScOuraging as the evident
sincerity of those he was among, in their
prayers. But We will talk over the mer-
its Of the case.
What good would a proclamation Of
emancipation from me do; especially as
we are now situated? do not want to
.,t
issue document that the whole world
will see must necessarily be imperative,
like the Pope's bull against the comet
Would my word free the slaves, when |
cannot even enforce the Constitution in
the rebel States? Is there single court,
or magistrate, or individual that would be
influenced by it there? And what reason
is there TO think it would have any great,
er effect upon the sl,vcs than the late law
of Congress, which approved, and which
offers protection and freedom to slaves of
rebel masters. who come within our lines ?
Yet cannot learn that that law has caus-
ed a single slave to come over to Us.
And suppose they could be induced by
a proclamation of freedom from me, to
throw themselves upon us, what should
We do with them? How can we feed and