The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1865-07-11
The Emancipation Proclamation
AN INTERESTING SKETCH OF ITS HIsTo'
- L RY ~,

Mr.. r. B. Carpenter, the artist, con.
tributes to the Independent sketch OF
the history of the Emancipation Proc
lamation, as given to himby Mr.. Lin.
coin himself, while he was painting the
picture illutrative Of its consideration
hy the Cabinet. In the course OF this
paper" Mr.. Carpenter says; -
: / now take up the history of the
proclamation itself, as Mr.. Lincoln gave
It to me, on the occasion of our first
interview, as, written by myself soon
afterward: g. ~
"Ithad got-to be-" said he, "midsum-
mer, 1862. Things had gone on from
bad to worse, until Ifelt we had reach.
ed the end of our rope on the plaa-of
operations we had been pursuing; and
that VIC had about played our last 0ard,
and must change the tactics, or lose
the game! l now determined upon
the adoption of the emancipation proc-
la,nationn; and without consultation
with, or the knowledge of tho Cabinet,
/ 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; 1862
THE exact date he did not remember)
This Cabinet meeting, ! think, took
place upon Saturday. All were
present, excepting Mr. Blair, the Post
master General, who was absent atthe
opening of tho discussion, but came IN
subsequently. ! said to the Cabinet
that had resolved upon this step. and
had not called them together to ask
their advice, butte laysthe subject mat
ter OF a proclamation before them
sugeestions as to which would be in
order after they had heard 1t read
Mr.. Lovejoy,. said he, was in error
when he informed you that it excited
no comment, except on the part OF Sec
retary Seward, Various. Suggestions
were offered. Secretary Chase wished
the language stronger in rcference to
the arning of the blacks. Mr.. 'i5iail
after he came in. deprecated the policy
on the ground that it would cost the
administrations the fall eloctions.y Moth
I ing, however, was offered that had
not already fully anticipated and set
tied in my own mind, until Secretary
Seward spoken Said he: Mr.. Presl
dent, approve of7the proclamation
but I question the expediepcy OF it'
issue at this juncture. The depression
of the public mind consequent upor
our repeated revcrscs Is so great that J
1 fear tile effect of SO important step
4 1t NAV be viewed as the last measure
of an an exhausted governmental CRY
for helps; the government stretchln!
forth its hands to ETHIOPIA, instead 9
ETHIOPIA stretching forth her hands Il
4 the government, His idea, said Jth
l President, was tiiatit would be consitl
cred our last shrek, on the retrcat.--
This was his precise expression. Now
continued Mr.. Seward, while / approx
. the measure, l suggest, sir, that'yo
postpone its, issue, until You can CIV
I, II to the country supported by ms'itar
T success, instead or issuing it, as woul
be the case now, upon the creates
disasters Of the war. Said Mr., Llr
coin: The wisdom Of the view OF tn
Secretary of State struck me with yer
!. great force. 1t was an aspect OF tn
= case that, in all my thought upon Oh
subject, | had entirely overlooked
The result was that put the draft
the proclamation aside, rs you do yor
picture, waiting for victory. Fro
:, time to time added or changed q lin
Ii touching it here and there, waiting I'll
progress of eyeats. We'll, the ne me-
news We had wasiof> >Pope's disaster
Bull Run. Things looked darker tha
r ever. Finally, came the week of IL
!. battle Of Anlictam. / determined
\. u wait 10 Aongcr.1 The news came,
think on Wednesday, that the adva
" tace was on ourside. | was then sta
ing at the Soldiers Home, three mil
h. out of Washington. Here / fihish'
= writing the second draft of. the prelii
=. inary proclamation come up on 81
70 urday; called thelCabinet together
hear it, and il was published the folio
ing MoiiiAy9Sks -aHntst1tetiA
III WAS sOlucWH HdL lSih1 N's'
fact" be continued, that there was jr
: one hundred, more days between.t
- dates of the two proclamations, issu
T. upon the 22d Of September and the
: OF January.'o'I had not made the c
culation at the timc.o
- At the final meeting on Staurd'
|. another interesting incident 'occurr
in connection with Secretary Sewa
The President had written the imp
;, tar,t part of the proclamation in th'
words: .s-' ls "a ..is,.rf
-.That on the first day Of January,
the year of our Lord one thousa
- eight hundred and 'sixty.thrce, all p
s,s sons held, as slaves within ,Qny State
n. designated part Of d State, the peq
W whereof shalT then be rebellion agai
the United States, shall be then, then
: forward md forever FREE; and
ExecutiyeG Government Of United Sta
including the military and naval auth
= tiles thereof, willrecogpize the freed
the of euch persOus. or 0uy of them. in