Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-12-27
a BIT OF HISTORY.
me FIRST Sketch of PRESIDENT Lincoln,s
emancipation Proclamation

ooiu Ia Inc century gives an account
OF the hrst sketch of the Emancipation
Proclamation, the original draft being
mere printed for the first time. A Cab
met meeting was held on July %, 1862:
concerning this meeting we quote as
Iolows: Further conference was had
on organizing negro regiments, but
Lincoln decided that the moment had
not yet arrived when this policy could
be safely entered upon. Writes Chase:
The impression left upon my mind by
the whole discussion was, that while
the PRESIDENT thought that the oreani-
cation, equipment and arming of
negroes like other soldiers would
be productive of more evil than good.
he was not unwilling that command ers
should, at their discretion, arm, for
purely defensive purposes, slaves COM
ing within their lines. But on the
kindred policy of emancipation the
President had reached a decision
which appears to have been in advance
OF the views of his entire Cabinet
Probably greatly to their surprise, he
read to them the following draft of
proclamation warning the rebels of the
pains and penalties of the Confiscation
act, and while renewing his tender of
compensation to loyal States which
would adopt gradual adjustment, adj
ding summary military order, as
commander-in-chief, declaring free
the slaves of all States which might be
in rebellion on January 1, 1861.
The text of this first draft of the
Emancipation Proclamation is here
printed for the first time: In pursu-
ance of the sixth section of the act of
Congress entitled, IAN act to suppress
instruction and to punish treason and
rebellion, to seize and confiscate prop
erty of rebels, and for other purposes"
approved July IL, 1862. and which act
and the joint resolution explanatory
thereof are herewith published, l,
Abraham Lincoln, President of the
United States, do hereby proclaim to
and warn all persons within the con-
temptation of said sixth section to cease
participating in, aiding, countenancing,
or abetting the existing rebellion, or
any rebellion against the Government
their proper allegiance to the United
States, on pain of the forfeitures and
seizures, as within and by said sixth
section provided.
sc And l hereby make known that it
is my purpose. upon the next meeting
of Congress, to again recommend the
adoption of a practical measure for
fnn6ncinrr old RI fran
choice or rejection of any and all
States. which may then be recognizing
and practically sustaining the author
ity of the United States, and which
may then have voluntarily adopted, or
thereafter may voluntarily adopt,
gradual adjustment of slavery within
such State or States; that the object
is to practically restore, thenceforward
to be maintained, the constitutional
relation between the General
Government and each and all
the States wherein that relation
is now suspended or disturbed;
and that for this object the war, as it
has been, will be prosecuted. And as
a fit and necessary military measure
for effecting this object, /, as Com
mander-1n-Chief of the Army and Navy
of the United States, do order and de-
clare that on the first day of January,
in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three, all per-
sons held as slaves within any State Or
States wherein the constitutional au-
thority of the United States shall not
then be practically recognized, sub
mitted to and maintained. shall then,
thenceforward. and forever be Free
''Of the Cabinet proceedings which
followed the reading OF this momeptous
document we have unfortunately only |
very brief memoranda. Every men,
Der of the council was, we may infer, |
bewildered by the magnitude and bold |
ness of the proposal. The sudden con- |
sideration of this critical question re-
veals to us with vividness the differ |
ence in mental reach. readiness and |
decision between the President and his |
constitutional advisers Only two of |
the number gave the measure their |
unreserved concurrence, even after |
discussion. 1t is strange that one of /
these was the cautious Attorney-Gen-
eral, the representative of the con-
sentative faction of the slave-holding
State of Missouri, and that the men,
Der who opposed the measure as a
whole, and proposed to achieve
the result indirectly Through the
scattered and divided action ,of local
commanders in military departments.
was the anti-slavery Secretary of the
Treasury, Mr.. Chase, representing
perhaps more nearly than any other
the Abolition faction of the free State
OF, Ohio. All were astOnished, except
the two to whom it had been mentioned
O week before. None of the others
had even considered such step. But
from, the mind and will of President
Lincoln the determination and an
to his Cabinet came al
nests as complete in form and certain
in intention On that memorable Tues
day,of. July as when, two months later,
It was given to the public. Or as Off
cially proclaimed on the succeeding +
New Years Day, an irrevocable execu-
lire act"