Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-01-09

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Sstnrday. = % Il vas. tkinf =
= r. assa nosth-ths Presid(e ID
. Isl Wptting Of the Cab1. he
mss6ag vae b the library Of - exeeu-
live Aenaiso. I'D not in the eouu sehsA-
bsf. where The regular sessions wee -.
SLY eonvcoed. AN we're present except
NJ. RiaissUa6 had gone to his country
residence in Montgomery county. II I
am not mistaken. Mr.. Chase vas alss.from
some cause absent from the arss meeting.
The President thsn stated thss Ne object
for which be hsd sal1sd = tcesGhse ssa
10 submit the roagh DRAFT Of proelama-
lion 10 emaneipste. asser . certain day, all
slaves, j. Tie elssss vAish shosld thea -
IN rebellion. There wore. he remarked.
difIersnees iEtke Csbisst on the slavery
question. and On emancipation. bot Be H.
,vitsd fFes discussion on the Important
step hs g1as about to take; and 70 relieve
each one from embarrassment, be wished
il understood that the question vas set
tied il his mind that be had decrecd
emancipation in acersain contingency. and
the responsibility Of the measure vas his |;
but he desired to hear the views Of bis A.
sociates and recsive any Suggestions. pro
or con. which they might make. He had.
be said. dwclt much aud long on the sub
ject. and formed his own conclusions. and
had mentioned the matter in confidence 10
one Or two Of the members. Little was
said by any ono but the President. Mr..
Bates expressed bis very decided sppro-
val. but wished deportation to be coupled
with emancipation. He vas. il was we'll
known. opposed n slavery. Though born
in a slave State. always residing in slave
State and among slaves. he nevertheless
wished them free. and that the colored
race should leave the country. It was inn
possible. he said. for the two races to as
simulate but BY amalgamatiou, and they
could not amalgamatc without degrade
ton and decentralization to the white race.
The whites might bs brought down. 'bu.
the negroes could not be lifted to much
higher plane than, they now, occupied -
he had been close .obScsser Of the infu-
ence Of slavery on the enterprise ;sad vel
fare sf the country Through p long ffe,
had. dcp!orsd il. effects. and lnself had
giren frcedom q his, Own. slayes. and
Hishcd them and their fellows in Africa.
Or elsewhere TIA, ip. The United States. -
Hc MAS fully convinced that the two races
could not live and thrive in social ,prox-
unity. The, result Of any attempt to place
them on terms Of equality would be strife.
eoutoniion. and . vicious population. 40 in
Mexico. The whites might be debasod.
but the blacks could not be elevated. even
BY the disgusting process Of mixed breeds.
which was repugnant 10 nature and to our
moral and better instincts. He therefore
wished q system Of depor: zion 70 accom-
pany any scheme Of emancipation. These
were also the Presidents views,
Mr.. Seward, without expressing an Spin.
ion on the merits Of the question, though.
i. would be we'll to, postpone the whole
subject to more auspicious period, II
the proclamation were issued now, it would
be received and considered, as despair
ing cry--a shrek from and fer tIie .Ad-
n,inistration. rather than for freedom
Tbs P Iss iSIse instantly l and sPprss
gestion. We had experiepcsd serious
disasters. Important results were in the
Immediate future; high hopes we're en-
teriained from army operations under
Halleck and Pope. who bad Just taken the
direction of military affairs. The Prcsi-
dent at once closed bin portfolio and sgs-
pended his proclamation and all farther
proceedings or the subject Of emaucipa-
ton. / do not recolleet that Il was again
alluded to in Cabinet until after tie battle
of Antie.am, which took place on the 18th
Of September-six weeks later. = -.
Before reading the proclamation tic
President again said be felt the great re-
spousibility Of the step he was taking.
both to himself and the country. Il had
oppressed him. and not till all other meas
urea and expedients failed bad he come to
the conclusion that this element, which
was arbitrarily used against NJ. must be
brought into the Union cause. Having
reached that conclusion. bis decision was
6xed and unalterabIe. The act and all
it, responsibilities were his alone. He
had prepared the paper which he was
again about to read without advice or as
sistancc-had popdrred over it for weeks.
and been more confirmed in the rectitudc
of the measure A. time passed on. There
had been moments when he felt awed and
overwhelmed BY the gravity and magni.
tude of the subject and Of what might fol-
low, but his way was now clear-he knew
be was right. Among other things. he
said in subdued tone. he had looked to