The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-05-20
The Question Of Declaring Slaves
Free Reserved by the Pre-
Sident to Himself.
Appeal to Shareholders to Adopt the Compen.
satOry Emancipation Policy.
Action Of the Senate ON the
COnlisCatiOn Bill.
Trouble Relative to the Execution of the
$50 Fugitive Slave Law.
&C.. &C., DC.


&C., &C.. &c.
A PROCLAMATION
BY TEE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
Whereas, there appears in the public prints
what purports to be a proclamation of Major
General Hunter in the words and figures fol-
lowing, to witt
GENERAL oRDERs-No. H.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT or TIE SOUTH. =
HILros HEAD, Sc, May o, 1862.
The three States Of Georgia. Florida and South Carolina,
comprising the Military department Of the South having
deliberately declared themselves longer under tho
protection the United States OF America and having
taken up against the said United Staes It becomes
military necessity TO declare them under martial law
This accordingly done the 25th day OF April 1853
Slavery and martial law in free country altogether
incompatible. The persons in these three States-Geor
gia south Carolina and Foridahcetofore held slaves,
therefore declared forever froe.
Onicial DAVID HUNTER,
Major General Commanding
En-. W. SMITH, Acting Assistant Adjutant General.
And, whereas, the same is producing some
excitement and Misunderstanding,
Therefore I, Abraham Lincoln, President or
the United States, proclaim and declare that
the government of the United States had no
knowledge or belief Of an intention on the
part Of General Hunter to issue such .
proclamation, nor has it yet any au-
thentic information that the document IL
genuine; and, further, that neither Generaa
Hunter nor any other commander or person
has been authorized by the government Of the
United States to make proclamation declaring :
the slaves of any State free, and that the
supposed proclamation now in question,
whether genuine or false, is altogether void.
so far as respects such declaration.
further make known that whether, It be
competent for me, as Commander in Chief Of
the Army and Navy, to declare the slaves Of
any State or States free, and whether at any
time, or in any case, it shall have become ne
cessity indispensable to the maintenance of tho
government to exercise such supposed power.
are questions which, under my responsibility,
reserve to myself, and which l cannot feel
justified in leaving to the decision of command
ers in the field. These are totally different
questions from those of police regulations in
armies and camps.
On the 9th day of March last, by special
message, I recommended ts Congress tho
adoption OF joint resolution, to be substan-
TALLY as follows
Resolved That tho United States ought 70 cooperate
with any state which may adopt gradual aboIishmsns
Of slavery giving to such state, In It's discretion
psnsaon for the public and private pro-
duccd by such change Of system.
The resolution, in the language above quoted.
was adopted by large majorities in both
branches of Congress, and now stands an au-
thentic, definite and solemn proposal Of tho
nation to the States and people mos.
immediately interested in the subject mat
ter. To the people OF these States now
earnestly appeal. do not argue. / beseech
you to make the arguments for yourselves.
You cannot if you would, be blind to the signs
Of the times. l beg of you calm and en-
larged consideration Of them, ranging, if it may
be, far above personal and partisan politics.
This proposal makes common cause for COM
mon object, casting no reproaches upon any.
II acts not the Pharisec. The change 1t con-
templates would come gently as the dcws Of
heaven. not reniing or wrecking anything.
Will you not embrace it, So much
good has not been done by one effort in all
past times as in the Providence of God it Is
now your high privilege to do. May the vast
future not have to lament that you have ne
elected it.
In witness whereof have hereunto set my
hand and caused the seal of the United States
to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington, this 10th day OF
May, in the year Of our Lord one thou-
sand eight hundred and sixty two. and Of
the independence Of the United States the
eighty-sixth.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
BY the President--WM. H. SEWARD. Secreta-
ry of State.
GENERAL NEWS.
-~>>.~>>-~~O~~~~Oo,O>~~.~
WASHINGTON, May 10, 1904.
EFFECT OF THE PRESIDENTS PROCLAMATION.
The proclamation OF the President, indcAsed id the
dispatches the HERALD last night reference TO the