The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1874-06-27
THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMA.
TlON

From Proceedings Of Old Aboutlon1StS--jteF. WIN.
Goodell's Address
Ny last interview with the President
was on the
EVENING BEFORE THE PROCLAMATION
of freedom, III company with three 9th
ers, sa subcommittee appointed for the
purpose Several committees from cltl
zens of New York City and elsewhere
had visited The President in the autumn
of 1862, i'll special reference to his pro
posed proclamation of emancipation on
the 1st of january, 1868, unless the re-
bellion should be preyiousl y terminated
by the submission of the rebels; or (as
was UNDERSTOOD by some mutual set
Element of existing difficulties, several
projects of pacification having been pro-
posed III various quarters, yet without
success.
As the time drew near, the agitation,
the anxiety, and the suspense was in
tensitied, especially as it was known
that every possible influence was inces-
sanity at work to draw or drive the
President from his purpose, OF to delay
or essentially to modify his proposed
action. The claims of the 50 called loyal
states to exemption were confidently
pressed, on the score OF their loyalty,
aud vet it was discovered that they were
earnestly intent on securing the same
immunity for the rebel states, well
knowing thatif their slaves were set free,
their own slaves could not be retained in
bondage.
OF these anti-slavery committees from
New York city (and indeed from the
Il 10 IL, IN
hearing was che appointed by public
meeting Of ministers and christians, es-
pecially charged with the mission of
pressing upon the President the COM
mands of Gods word, and TO "let the
oppressed go free; to proclaim liberty
through all the land, to AL the inhabi
tants thereof" without exception or
discrimination.
By the committee there appointed, a
subcommittee of three, namely, DIR.
George b. Cheever, DR. Nathan Brown,
editor of the American Baptist, and my
self, were deputed to visit the President
in person. We arrived, as intended, III
season to have
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT
on the evening Of the 3lst ofDecember,
1862, Just previous to the morning of
January 1st 1868, which was to witness,
us we believed, either the deliverance
Of the slave or the ruin of the nation.
But we were not the only committee III
prompt attendance. The ro-slavery
Committee had entered the White
House before us, and after a long inter
view they went out, doubtless with the
comfortable impression that they had
the last words with the President. But
as they passed ont we passed i'll, after
nine o'clock. and remained till late
hour. Our address written and read by
DR.. Cheever. was listened to by the Presi
dent with fixed and solemn attention.
\ deep sigh now and then attested his
emotion, and once or twice IN audible
groan escaped him. A long, free and
serious conversation followed, in which
the various topics brought TO our
attention by the President left us Ill
no doubt as to the line Of argument to
which he had Just been listening from
the Shareholders. A more characters
tic and exhaustive plea on that side of
the question could not easily be i'm
agined While the fulscrum of the
argument rested on the claims of the
''lOval' slave states. the lever was made
to bear against emancipation in any Of
the states This gave US good oppor-
tunity, III answer, to reverse the pro
cess, making a fulscrum of the obvious
necessity, Of the Presidents promise to
emancipate the slaves III the slave
states, and thence urging the necessity
of emaucipating all the slaves every
where The most influential of their
arguments, however, was that not oven
the people of the North would sustain
proclamation of emancipation. The
burden of our argument was
THE EXPLICIT COMMANDS or GOD,
i'll His word, an argument for which
the President found no answer.
Having delivered the message, we
rose to take our leave. The President
politely rose also. We had put on our
cloaks when the President surprised us
by suddenly renewing the conversation
in the most familiar style. He had
seemingly rallied TO defend his position
and briskIy piled us with ingenious
questions aud anecdotes. The colloquy,
as we continued standing, was quite
prolonged Our utteranceS We're often
rcpetitions Of appropriate scriptures.
till, ut length, Strengthening himself
up
=" Gentlemen said he, 81 think
this is the first time that | ever had the
honor of receiving a delegation from
/ the Almighty.
:. President Lincoln, said /, ''believ-
est thou the prophets | know that
! thou believest."
This closed the colloqlly.
The President stood missing for q
moment, when,
''TO MORROW AT NOON,
said he, "you shall know-and the
country will know-my decision.
As we passed out we were surrounded
| by numbers of newspaper reporters
! from all quarters, who knew of our hav.
| ing gone in, and had waited to enquire
of us the prospects. All we could say
was to repeat the promise of the Presl-
! dent You shall all know tomorrow
/ at noon. This, rs a telegram. ap
peaed i'll the morning papers of oul
/ principal cities. At the hotels i'll Wash
! ington the same story was told. On the
morrow great WAS the suspense, the
anxiety, the speculation. Betting was
rifle. and wagerS were decided at noon
! Among politicians there was many Joy
Gus faces, and many were sullen anC
! sad.
> Yet such was the pressure brought t,
bear upon the President that, al
/ . L. ! 1,