Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-06-29
ANINTEREsTING LEAF OF HISTORY.


.
B. Carpenter, giving the history of how the
emancipation proclamation was written.
Lincoln gave the history to Mr.. G., and the
latter quotes Mr.. Lincoln's words as fol-
lows
1T had got to be-" said he, "mid-sum-
mer, 1862. Things had gone on from bad
to worse, until felt that we had reached
the end of our rope on the plan of opera
tiOns we had been purusing that we had
about played our last card, and must change
our tactics or lose the game | now de-
tcrmined on the adoption Of the Emancipa-
ton Proclamation and, without consulta-
ton with, or the knowledge of, the Cabi-
net, | prepared the original draft of the
proclamation and, after much anxious
thought, called Cabinet meeting upon the
subject This was the last of July, or the
first part of the month Of August, 1852"
(The exact date he did not remember -
I" This Cabinet meeting took place, | think,
upon a Saturday All were present excep-
ting Mr. Blair, the Postmaster General who
was absent at the opening of the discus
sion but came in subsequently. | said to
| the cabinet that | had resolved upon this
step, and had not called them together to
ask their advice, but to lay the subject
matter of a proclamation before them, sug
gestions as to which would be in order, af
ter they had heard it read Mr.. Lovejoy,"
said he, twas III error when he informed
you that it excited no comment, excepting
on the part Of Secretary Seward Various
suggestions were offered. Secretary Chase
wished the language stronger III reference
| to the arming Of the blacks. Mr. Blair, af-
ter he came in, deprecated the policy, on
the ground that it would cost the Admins
! tratiOn the fall elections. Nothing, how
/ ever, was offered that | had not already
/ fully anticipated and settled i'll my own
mind, until Seward spoke. Said he; MIR.
President, | approve of the proclamation,
but | question the expediency of its issue
at this iuncture. The depression of the
pubic mind, consequent upon our repeated
reverses, is so great that | fear the effect
of so important a step. 1t may be viewed
as the last measure of an exhausted Gov
ernment stretching forth its hands to Ethi-
opia, instead of Ethiopia stretching forth
her hands to the Government His idea,"
said the President was that it would be
considered our last shrek on the retreat"
| (This was his precise expression Now"
continued Mr. Seward, " while | approve
the measure, | suggest, sir, that you post
pone its issue, until you can give it to the
country supported by military success, in
stead of issuing it, as would be the case
now, upon the greatest 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 as
pect of the case that, that in all my thought
upon the subject, had entirely overlooked.
The result was, that put the draft of the
proclamation aside, as you do your sketch
| for picture, waiting for a victory. From
| time to time | added or changed line,
touching it up here and there, waiting the
progress Of events Well, the next news
we had was of Pope's disaster, at Bull Run.
! Things looked darker than ever. Finally,
came the week of the battle Of Antietam. |
determined to wait no longer The news
came, | think on Wednesday, that the ad-
vantage was on cur side. | was then stay
ing at the Soldiers Home, (three miles
out Of Washington. Here | finished
writing the second draft of the preliminary
proclamation came up ON Saturday call
ed the Cabinet together to hear it, and it
was published on the following Monday"
1t was a somewhat remarkable fact"
he continued, that there was Just one hun
dred days between the dates of the two
prOclamations, issued upon the 22d of Sep
tember and the lst of January ] had not
made the calculation at the time"
At the final meeting on Saturday, anoth-
er interesting incident occurred in cOnnec-
ton with Secretary Seward. The Pres-
dent had written the important part of the
proclamation, III these words:
"That on the first day of January, in the
year of our Lord one thousand eight hun
dred and siXty-three, all persons held as
slaves within any State or designated part
of State, the people whereof shall then be
in rebellion against the United States, shall
be then, thenceforward and forever free
and the executive government of the United
States, including the military and naval
authority thereof, will recognize the free
dom of such persons, aud will do no act or
acts to repress such persons, or any of them
in any efforts they may make for their ac-
tual freedom" "When | finished reading
this paragraph" resumed Mr.. Lincoln, "Mr.
Seward stopped me and said think, Mr.
President that you should insert after the
word recognize in that sentence the words
and maintain l replied that | had al
ready fully considered the import of that
expression in this connection but ! had not
introduced it, because it was not my way
to promise what | was not entirely sure
that could perform, and ! was not pre-
pared to say that | thought we were exact
ly able to maintain this.
"But," said he, Mr.. Seward insisted
that we ought to take this ground and
the words finally went in !"
Mr.. Lincoln then proceeded to show me
the various positions occupied by himself
and the different members of the Cabinet
on the occasion of the first meeting. "As
nearly as ! can remember" said he, the
Secretary of the Treasury and the Secrc-
tary Of War were here at my right hand
the others were grouped at the left"
Mr. Chase told me that at the Cabinet
meeting, Immediately after the battle of
Antietam and just prior to the issue of the
September proclamation, the President en-
! tered upon the business before them by
saying that the time for the enunciation
of the emancipation policy could no longer
be delayed Public sentiment" " he thought,
would sustain it, many of his warmest
friends and supporters demanded it-and
he had promised his God he would do it !"
The last part of this was uttered in a low