The Aberdeen examiner. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1866-current, 1884-05-29
Address Of Hon. NJ. NJ. Mcleod,
(cOiOred(, ut the Recent Eman-
cipatiOn Celebration in
Aberdeen.

the 9th OF May has been prepared at
our request, and will be read with
interest by intelligent men of both
races:
After the address of Mayor Love,
Hon. NJ. NJ. Mcleod, of Kinds county,
who had been chosen as the Orator
of the Day, was introduced, he said
in substances that the event COM
memorated to day, has completely
changed the status of race, and
entirely altered the policy and politi
cal action of the greatest Republican
Government that ever existed in the
world. In what he would say on thisoc-
casion,he would not attempt to follow
in the beaten path of those who have
delivered orations and written essays
on the great theme of the emancipa-
ton of the slave; and while not wish
ing in the least to abate the praise
and gratitude due to Mr.. Lincoln,
and the great men whose advice and
counsel supported him in issuing that
great State paper, that made free
four millions Of slaves, vet by the
light of the history just prior to that
act and by the events which had
transpired, he would assert and by
citations Of history sustain the asser-
ton, that the cause of the issuance of
| The proclamation of emancipation
was MILITARY NECESSITY. Authors
and speakers, too, had with much OF
sentiment and eloquence, claimed
that philanthrophy and humanity
generally had much to do with it,but
the history of the events of that day
and time, fatty contradicted them,
and if that history proved anything it
was that, at WAS never dreamed of"
that an emancipation, sudden, COM
plete and without pecuniary compcn-
sation to the owners of slaves, would
ever take place. The speaker then
went on to show that the secession of
the States that went into the Con-
federacy in fact changed the relations
of the Federal Government towards
the institution of slavery; he read
extracts from the first inaugural ad-
dress of Abraham Lincoln, also the
plank in the platform of the Repub-
lican party in 1860, stating the exact
position of the party, and the Presi-
dent elected by it in reference to
slaves, showing them to be pledged
to the enforcement of the fugitive
slave law and protection of. slave
property in States where it then ex-
listed. Referring to the history of the
war during the time prior to the
issuance Of the proclamation Of warn
ing-September 22nd 1862, which
gave 100 days notice to all concern
ed--he read extracts from the message
of the President; Report of Secretary
of War to Congress; General Orders
in the field by army officers, such as
Butler, Fremont, Hunter, etc., also
the orders of Lincoln modifying and
repeating the military idea on the
subject of emancipation, together
with the reply of President Lincoln
to public letter Of Horace Greeley
about the attitude of the administra-
ton in the matter of emancipation,
the speaker argued that some graft
tude was due to those on the other
side who fought with Lee, Jackson,
Hood and Johnston, so bravely and
determinedly for right they believ-
ed they had, and thus created mill
tary necessity, which forced the issu-
ance Of proclamation to free the
slave, as a war measure. The idea of
the South that the freedom of the
slave was in the nature of calamity,
had been lived down. The prosperity
OF the race numerically, materially
and 10 an intellectual view we're then
advanced. The prosperity Of our
State and the peaceful relations be-
tween the races here, was said to be
the task left to the sons of the old
master and the old slave. The con-
trast between free labor and its re-
suits as of to-day, and slave labor of
a generation ago was made and pre-
sented deliberately. The educational
needs and the work done in that be-
half by his race was referred to and
glowing compliment paid to those
of the North, who were contributing
money to advance education of ne
groes in the South, in this connec-
ton the speaker referred to the Blair
bill which recently passed the SEN
ate and eulogized the Senators from
this State, not only for their votes,
but for their eloquent and mastery
speeches in advocating it. The Ora
ton was concluded with a forcible
appeal for the two races to work to-
gether in the material upbuilding of