The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-06-28

| however, was onereo that had not al.
ready fully anticipated and settledin my
own mind, until Secretary Seward spoke.
Said he: Mr. President, T. approve Of
the, proclamation, but / question The: ec:
pedieaey Of its issue at this juhcsurc. The
depression Of the public mind, couse
quent upon our repeated reverses, is SO
great thatI fear tho effect Of 80 import.
ant a step. 1t may be viewed as the
last measure of an exhausted Govern.
mcut-.a cry for help; the Government
stretching forth its hands to Ethiopia,
instead Of Ethiopia stretching forth its
hands to the Government His idea"
said tho President. "was that it would
be considered our last shrek, on the re.
treat" (This was his sprecisc exprcssion.)
"'Now," continued Mr.. Seward, "while
approve the measure, I suggest, sir,
that you postpone its issue until you
can give it to the country supported by
military success, instead of issuing it, as
would be the case now, upon the great.
est disasters Of the war; Said Mr..
Lincoln: "The wisdom of the view Of
the Secretary Of State struck me with
very great force. 1t was an aspect Of
tho case that, in all my thoughts upon
the subject, I had entirely overlooked.
The result was that I put the draft Of
the proclamation aside, as you do your
sketch Of a picture, waiting for victory.
From time to time I added or changed
a line, touching it up here and there,
waiting the progress Of events. We'll,
the next news We had was Of Pope's dis.
aster at Bull Run. Things looked
darker than ever. Finally, came the
week Of the battle Of Antietam. I dc.
termincd to wait no longer. The news
came. think on Wednesday: that the
advantage was FOUR side. was then
staying at the Soldiers Home. Qhree
miles out of Washington.) Here I
finished writing the second draft Of the
preliminary Proclamation ; came up on
Saturday called the Cabinet together to
hear it, and it was published the follow
ing Monday.
:" 1t was . somewhat remarkable fac:.
he continued, that there were just cre
hundred days between the dates Of the
proclamations. issued upon the 22d Of
September aud the 1st Of January. |
; had not made the calculation at the
time"
At the final meeting on Saturday, an
other interesting incident occurred in
connection with Secretary Seward. The
President had written the Important
part of the proclamation in these words: !:
-,"That on the first day Of January, in
the year Of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and sixty.three, all persons
held us slaves within any State, or de-
sisnated part Of a State, tho people
whereof shall then be in rebellion against
the United States, shall be then, thence
forward and forever FREE; and the
Executive Government OF the United
States. including the military and naval
authority thereof, will recognize the
| freedom of such persons, and will do no
uct or acts to reprcss such persons, or
any Of them, in any efforts they may
make for their actual freedom" "Whn
flushed reading this paragraph" re-
sumcd Mr.. Lincoln, "Mr. Seward stop
pcd me, and said 4 think, Mr.. Presi.
dent, that you should insert after the
words recognize in that sentence, the
words 'and maintain I replied that
had already fully considered the i'm
port of that expression in this connec'
ton, but I had not introduced it because
it was not my way to promise what was
not entirely sure that could perform,
and was uot prepared to say that |
! thought we we're exactly able to main: &:
tain this. But" said he, MIR. Seward
! insisted that We ought to take this
ground, and the words finally went in.'
In February last, few days after the
passage Of the " Constitutional Amend
neut," was in Washington, and was
received by Mr.. Lincoln with the kind
ness and familiarity which had character
lied our previous intercourse. l SAID to
him one day that was very proud TO
have been the artist to have first con-
ceivcd the design Of painting picture
commemorative Of the Act Of Emanclpa ):
,ion-that subsequent occurrences, mad
''only confirmed my own first JudG-
mcnt Of that act. as the most suollm G
moral event in our history. Yes,
said he, and never do remember to
have noticed in him more carnestness OF
expression Of manner, /" AS affairs have
turned, it is the central act of the Ad.
ministratiou, and the great event OF the
nineteenth century"
remember to have asked him, on
one occasion, if there was not some op.
position manifested on the part of sew
eral mem bcrs Of the Cabinet to the eman
cipa,ion policy. lie said, 10 reply
Nothing more than I have stated to
you. Mr. Blair thought We should lose
the fall elections, and opposed it % that
ground only" Said l, II have under
stood that Secretary Smith waa not in
favor Of your action. Mr.. Blair toll me
that, when the meeting closed, he and
Secretary Of the Interior went away to.
eethcr, and that the latter told him, if