Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-06-30
History OF the Emancipation Proclama-


one Of ,ntcSse interest -
d u had got to he said Mr. Lincoln,
" midsummer, 1862 Things had gone on
from bad to worse, until felt that we had
reached the end Of our rope on the plan of
operations we had been pursuing: that VIC
had about played our last card, and must
change our tactics, or lose the game | now
ce,ermined upon the adoption Of the eman-
clpatiOn policy and, without consultation
with. or the knowledge of the cabinet, pre-
pared 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. 1862" (rhe exact date
he did not remember.) This cabinet meet
ing took place, think, upon a Saturday
All were present. except Mr.. Blair, the post
master general, who was absent at the open
ing Of the discussion, but came in subse-
quently. said TO the cabinet that ] had re-
solved upon this step. and had not called
them together to ask their advice. but 10 lay
the subject matter OF proclamation before
them suggestions a. 70 which would he in
order after they had heard 1t read. Mr..
LOyelOy. said be, - was In error when he IN
formed YOU that it excited no comment, ex-
cepting on the part Of Secretary Seward
Various suggestions were offered. Secretary
Chase wished the language stronger in IT,
ference TO the arming of the blacks. Mr..
Blair, after he came IN, deprecated the poll
cy, on the ground that it would cost the adj
mini-tration the fall elections Nothing,
however, was offered that had not already
fully anticipated and settled in nv own
mind. until Secretary Seward spoke. said
be &c Mr.. President. approve Of tho pro-
clamation, but question the e1pedIency Of
NJ issue at this iuncture. The depression OF
the public mind. consequent upon our re-
le'tted reyer-.s. l. 80 great. hat ! fear the
effect OF -o important a step. IL may be
viewed - the last measure Of an exhausted
sJyernmcnt-f cry for help the government
stretching forth it, hands % Ethiopia, IN
stead Of Ethiopia stretching forth her hands
10 the government. His idea, said the
President, e was thar it would be considered
our la-t shrek. on the retreat (IhIs wa
lis precise e1pres-iuu.) e Now. continued
Mr.. Seward, " while approve the measure,
] n tges;, sir, that you postpone its issue
until You can give 1t 10 the country support
a by military success instead of issuing il.
Is would be- the case now, upon the greatest
disasters o. the war Said Mr.. Lincoln
&c The wisdom OF the view OF the Secretary
10. state struck me with We great force. IL
was an aspect of the case that. IN all nv
thought upon the subject, had entirely
overlooked. The result was. that put the
draft Of the proclamation aside, as you do
your sketch for a picture. waiting for a VIC
tory. From time to time ADDED or changed
line. touching It up here and there. wait
ing the progress of events. Well, the next
news We bad was Of POpes disaster at Bull /
Run. Things looked darker than ever. Fl
neliy. came the week Of the battle Of Ante
tam ! determined 10 wait no longer The
news came. think on Wednesday. that the
advantage was 90 our eide. was then
staying at the Soldiers Home, three miles /
out q Washington. Here finished writing /.
the second draft of the preliminary procla- I
nation; came up on Saturday called the /
cabinet together 10 hear 1t and it was pub |
lIshed the following Monday. IL was a some I.
what remarkable fact, be continued, THAT 4
there was just one hundred days between .
the dates Of the two proclamations, issued .
upon the 22d OF September and the lst Of .
January. | had not made the calculation at
the time
At the final meeting on Saturday, another
incident occurred IN connection
with Secretary Seward. The president had
written the important part of the proclama-
ton in these wor II That on the first day
OF January, in thSsear Of our Lord one
eight hundred and siIty-three. all
persons held as slaves within any state or
Designated part Of state, the people where
Of shall then he IN rebellion against. the
l nited States. shall be then, thenceiorward
and forever free and the executive govern
IL, nj OF the United States. including the
military and naval authority thereof. will
recognize the freedom Of such uers0ns, and
will DO no act or acts to repress such per
sons. OF any Of them, in any efforts thew
may make for their actual freedom"
' " hen finished reading this paragraph
resumed Mr.. Lincoln. MIR Seward stoned
me. and said i think. Mr. President, that
you should insert after the word ..rrccg-
1iEe. in that sentence, the words "a q
! replied that had already
ully considered the import OF that expres-
non in this connection, but had not in
reduced it because it was not nv way TO
promise what | was not entirely sure that
could perform, and was not prepared to
4 D
maintain this. But, said he, mir. Sc
ward insisted that We ought to take this
ground, and the words finally went in -
In February, a few days after the passage
Il the constitutional amendment, | was in
y sshington, and was received by Mr. Lin
Oln with the kindness and familiarity which
lad characterized our previous intercourse.
said to him one day that was very proud
o have been the artist to have first conceived
I the design of painting picture comment
rative OF the act OF mancipation-that sub
cquent occurrences had only confirmed nv
wn first judgement OF that act as the most
ablIme moral event in our history. Yes"
aid he, and never do remember to have
otlced in him more earnestness of express
ion or manner; ''ss affairs have turned, il
! the central act of my administration. and
be great event Of the nintcenth century"
| remember TO have asked him, on one |
ccasion, if there was not some opposition !
on the part of several members q
the cabinet to the emancipati on t
olicy. He said, in reply; Nothing more S
IAN l have stated TO you. Mr. Blair a
bought we should loee the fall elections,
I'd opposed it on that ground only" Said u
al have understood that Secretary Smith l
as not in favor OF your action. Mr. Blair
I'D me that, when the meeting closed, and
and the Secretary of the Interior went
way tgerher, that toe latter told him. u
the president carried out that policy, he b
ight count on losing Indiana suIe - He q
'ver said anything of the kind to me-" q
turned the president. "And how" said C
does Mr.. Blair feel about it now ~ il
Oh, was the prompt reply, 'he proved G
ght In regard to the fall elections, bus he
satisfied that we have since gained more il
an We lost" 81 have been told" said |, a
hat Judge Bates doubted the constitution o.
lty OF the proclamation. HE never ex- "
essed such an opinion in my hearing" Il
Piled Mr.. Lincoln. .No member OF the il
binet ever disscnted Irom the policy, in n
Y conversation with me-" Mr. Chase Z"
d me that, at the cabinet meeting imme- oil
ltely after the battle Of Antietam, and Just G
Tor to the issue of the September procla- is
Iiion, the president entered upon the e'
siness before them by saving that 1.-THE in
De tor the enunciatiou ul tbr cm IncIysition ".