The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-12-05
THE History of LincOln's Emancipation Proc
,IamatiOn. ,s,s.it4 81

...,.:.,s-f :. As s. sAaniati"n' 9'siz -
The December number of the Galaxy con-
tains q paper written by Hon. Gideon Wefies'
a member of Mr.. Linooln's Cabinet-which
piYess ssthe history ofLincoln's Emancipation
Proclamation. Mr.. Welles was Secretary of the
Navy, and speaks from personal knowledge.
The Richmond Dispatch thus epitouaizes the
article of Mr.. Welles:
). .seThe contrabands'' were, from the beginning
of the war, q source of great trouble to the
truly loyal. By the Constitution, property IN
slaves was fully guaranteed, and United States
laws required the Federal authorities to restore
to their owners all fugitive negroes. AS the
war was waged by the Washington functiona,.
ries with the loud professions to maintain and
preserve the Constitution, any interference
with the property in, or the status OF, the negro
would be fat and patent contradiction OF the
ayowed objects of theswar. Many OF the Fed
eral Generals deemed it their duty to respect
the Constitution and laws, and they did so by
sending back to their masters the slaves that
fed to their camps But this proceeding excl
ted violent protestations from the fanatics
t'The orders (says Mr.. Welles) of such officers
as Generals Mcclellan, Halleck, Dix, and 9th
ems, prohibiting the fugtives from coming with
in the army lines, caused great dlssansfaction
at the North, without appeasing any at the
Sonth-n Stimulated by this fanatic feeling,
Gen. Hunter took it upon himself to proclaim
the freedom of the slaves in South CaroiI-
ma Georgia and Florida. President Lincoln
promptly 10Th May 1852 issued a counter.
5roclamation annulling that of Hunter, saying
that the question of freeing the slaves II re-
serve to myself" and cannot feel justified in
leaving to the decision of commanders In the
field.
q Lincoln. who had scruples of conscience,
appreciated the difficulties of his position. he
had taken no oath to defend the Union. The
oath he had taken was simply "to protect, pre-
serve and defend the Constitution of the uni
ted States" To his plain, practical mind, 1t
was rather an odd way of preserving the Con,
stitution by disregarding its provisions, ana
trampIing it under foot. be sought TO ge,
the border States, Maryland, Kentucky ana
Missouri. to decree emancipation OF their
slayes. for which the Government should pay
them. For he again and again confessed that
mo- authority but that of the States could touch
the subject. A part of his scheme was the ex-
portation of the negroes; for he was thorough
iy convinced that the two races, both free,
tSceuld not dwell together in unity and as
eouaIs in their social relations. There was, ne
thoneht. natural antagonism between the
whites and blacks, which could not and ought
SSot tn he overcome. He, therefore, at an early
neriod of his Administration, some time before
his emancipation proclamation was projected,
devised plans for the deportation and coionlz-
ing of the eoiored population. In tnese Vari-
ous projects of deportation and coionization ne
syas earnestly sustained by the Attorney zen
eral, Bates, the Postmaster Generai, S1r' 6iaii'
ana. the Secretary of the Interior, hr. Gaieo
Smith" Even when his emancipation procia-
nation was issued, deportation continued 70 DE
. favorite idea with him. and he never aban-
doned If. 4 5c
AS to the motive which prompted his eman-
cipation proclamation, we are told n.y. MT.
WelIes. she was governed not by sympathy for
fine slave. but by sense of duty, and the ooll'
cations which, as chief magistrate, he owed to
II was not until after McClellan's failure on
the Peninsula that Mr. Lincoln recognized the
necessity of abolition to save the Govern ment.
He came to Harrison's Landing to visit denef"
al Mcclellan and see for himself the condition
of the army. The next Sunday, after his re-
turn, on his way to 81 funeral with Mr Weiies
and Mr.. Seward in the carriage he, tor the nrst
time, indicated his purpose to proclaim eman-
cipatiou. "He saw no escape" And, IN the
language of Mr.. Welles, this humiliating con-
"We must free the slaves or be ourselves SUBJ
dued.n
That is. the great Federal authority, backed
hv twenty five millions, would be subdued BY
tbe six millions rebels, if they did not bring
fbe negroes to their aid! We suppose, as Mr.
WelIes records it, this must be the verdict OF
history. 4L
tto protect. preserve and defend the Constitu-
tom is thus given:
"If there was no constitutional authority in
the Government to emancipate the slaves,
neither was there any authority, specified or
deserved. for the shareholders to resist the Gov
erument or secede from it ~ They. could net
at the same time throw of the Constitution ana
invoke its aid. Having made war upon the
Government, they were subject to the incidents
and calamities of war, and it was our duty 60
avail ourselves of every necessary measure 10
maintain the Union. If the rebels did not
cease their war. thew must take the consequent
res of war. He dwslt earnestly on the gravity,
;mnortance and delicacy of the movement
which he had approached with reluctance, but
he saw no evidence of q cessation OF hostliltles ;
said he had given the subject much thought
and had about come to the conclusion that IL
was a military necessity, absolutely essentia! TO
tbe preservation of the Union. We must free
the Slaves or be ourselves subdued."
Having thus satisfied his conscience, that a
wrong by the rebels justified him in violating
ISis oath. he called q meeting of his Cabinet.
Mr.. Welles gives the following account OF the
proceedings:
aEarly in August-it has been said on Sat,
urday, and if so, it was, l think, the End OF i
that month-the President called special
meeting of the Cabinet. The meeting was N
the library Of the Executive MANSON, on anu r
sessions ss ion were usually convened. All were
present except Mr.. Blair, who had gone to his
country residence in Montgomery County.
IF am not mistaken, Mr.. Chase was also,
from some cause, absent from the first meeting.
The President stated that the object for which
he had called us together was to submit the
49, "a Il = rrooIom alton tn emancinata.