The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-05-26
Lincoln on Slavery.



The indianapolis Journal, Of the
10th, contains the following contri-
button from Mr.. Carpenter, the
artist:
"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 entered
upon the business before them by
saying "that the time .or the annun-
citation of tho emancipation policy
could lie no longer delayed. 'Publi:
sentiment, he thought, would sustain
it-many of his warmest friends and
supporters demanded it--and he had
promised his God that he would do
it, The last part of this was uttered
in a low tone, and appeared to be
heard by none but Secretary Chase,
who was sitting near HIM. lie asked
the President If he correctly under
stood him. Mr.. Lincoln replied 4
made a solemn VOW before God, that
if General Lee was driven back from
Pennsylvania I would crown the re.
suit by the declaration of freedom to
the slaves
"When informed that certain min
listers in Springfield would not vote
for him, he drew forth pocket New
Testament, and said /: 'These men
will know that l am for freedom in
the territories, freedom everywhere,
as free as the Constitution and laws
will permit, and that my opponents
are for Slavery. They know this /;
and yet with this book in their
hands in the light OF which human
bondage cannot live a moment, they
are going to vote against me; l do
not understand it at ALL
"Here Mr.. Lincoln paused-paused
for long minutes-his fcaturee sur
charged with emotion. Then he
rose and walked up and down the
reeeptlon room in the effort to retain
or regain his selfpossession. Stop
ping at last, he said, with a trembling
voice, and his check wet with tears !:
Il know there is a God, and that He
hates injustice and slavery. I see
the storm coming, and I know that
His hand is in it. If He has place
and work for me-and I think He
has-I believe am ready. l am
nothing; but truth is everything. l
know that am right, because I
know that Liberty is right; for Christ
teaches it, and Christ is God. I have
told them that house divided
against itself cannot stand; and
Christ and Reason say the same,
and they will find it SO. Douglass
don't care whether slavery is voted
up or down, but God cares, and hu-
manity cares, and / care, and with
Gods help l shall not fail. 1 may
not see the end but it will come, and
| shall be vindicated; and these mon
will find that they have not used
their Bibles right
"Much OF this was uttered as if he
was speaking to himself, and with a
sad, earnest solemnity of manner
impossible to be described. After q
pause, he resumed: Does it not
appear strange that man can ignore
the moral aspect OF this contest? A
revelation could not make it palmer
to me than that slavery or the gov
ernment must be destroyed. The
future would be something awful, as
| look at it, but for this rock on
which | stand, (alluding to the New
Testament which he still held in his
hand), especially with knowledge
of how these ministers are going to
vote. 1t seems as if God had borne
with this thing slavery until the
very teachers of religion had come
to defend it from the Bible, and to
claim for it divine character and
sanction, and now the cup ofiniquity
is full, the walls OF wrath will be
poured OUT"