Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-12-06
orr AnE,s MasT6R nIND.
The First Sh etch of BincOln's EnaT
cipatian Proclamation.

" ne Fbfaa Sh ekfn OF BIncOlu's EthhatAls
cipation Proclamation.
"Tbe Nicf olay and Hsv Lite Of Lin
oolnn in the December Century gives 40
acsount of the first sketch of the emso.
cipasion proclamation, the original draft
being here printed for the first time. A
cbbinet meeting was held on July 22d,
1862 concerning this meeting the fcl
lowing is quoted Further conference
was had on organizing negro regiments,
but ineoln decided that the moment had
not yet arrived when this policy could
be safely entered upon. Whites Chase:
'The impression left upon my mind by
this whole discussion was, that while the
President thought that the organization,
equipment, and nrning Of negroes like
otner soldiers would be productive OF
more evil than good, he was not unwilling
that commanders should, OF their discre-
ton, arm, for purely defensive purposes,
slaves coming within their lines. But
on the kindred policy OF emancipation
tho President had reached 8 decision
which appears TO have been in advance of
the views OF his entire cabinet. Prob
ably greatly TO their surprise, he read to
them the following draft Of a proclamation
warning the rebels of the pains and
penalties of the Conf ication Act, and
while renewing his tender of compensa-
ton TO loyal states which would adop.
gradual abolisbment, adding a summary
military order, as commander in. chief,
declaring free the slaves of all states
which might be in rebellion on January
1st, 1868. Tie text of this first draft of
the Emancipation Proclamation is here
printed for the first time: In pursuance
of the SIKH section Of the act Of Congress-
entitled, AN act to suppress insured
ton and TO punish treason and rebellion,
to seize ard confiscste property OF rebels
and for other purposes approved July
17th, 1869, and which act and the Joint
resolution explanatory thereof are here
with published, 1, Abraham Lincoln,
President OF the United States, do hereby
proclaim to and warn ali persons within
the contemplation Of ssid sixth section 60
cease participating In, siding, countsnan-
cling, or abeiting the existing rebellion,
| or any rebellion AGAINST the government
of the United States, and TO return to
their proper allegiance to the United
| States, on pain OF the forfeitures and
seizures, as within and by said sixth ESQ.,
| ton provided.
l anu h5EGDN IuHhb AuOWu tu1l ~ 10
my purpose, upon tho next meeting of
Congress, to again recommend the adop
ton OF o practical measure for rendering
pecuniary aid to the free choice or rejec-
tion o: any and all states, which may
then be recognizing and practically sus,
tanning the authority Of the United
States, and which may then have volun-
tariiy adopted, or tht reafter may volun-
tarily adopt, gradual adjustment OF
slavery within such state or states; that
I the object is to practically restore, thence
forward to be maintained, the constitu-
tional relation between the general gov
/ eminent and each aud all the states
/ wherein thas relation in now suspended
or disturbed; and that for this object the
war, as 1T has been, will be prosecuted.
| And as a fit and necessary military meas
| nre for effecting this object, /, as eor1-
mander-iu-chief of tho army and navy OF
| the United States, do order and declare
that on the first day of January in the
| year Of our Lord one thousand eight hun.
ired and sixty-three, all persons held IS
| slaves within any state or states wherein the
constitutional authority of the United
| States shall not then be practically rscog.
| nizad, submitted to and maintaiued
shall, then, thencsforwArd, and forever
be free.'
"0f the cabinet proceedings which fol
lowed the reading OF this momentous
/ document we have unfortunately only
very brief memoranda. Every member @;
/ the council was, We may infer, be wil5ered
by the magnitude and boldness of the
/ proposal. Tho sudden consideration OF
this critical question reveals to us With
| yiyidness the difference in mental reach,
readiness and decision between the Presi.
dent and his constitutional advisers. Only
two Of the number gave the measure
their unYeserved concurrence, even after
discussion. It is strange that one OF
those was the cautious attorney general,
the representative Of the conservative
faction Of the siaveholding state Of Mis-
sou i, and chat the member who opposed
the measure as whole, ana proposed TO
achieve the result Indirectly through 'he
| scattered aud divided action of local
commanders in military departments, was
the enti.slavery Secretary Of the Treasury,
Mr. Chase, representing perhaps more
nearly than any other the abolition fac.
tion Of the free state Of Ohio. AL were
astouished, except the two 10 whom it
had been mentioned week before. Meme
Of the others had even considered suoh q
step. But from the mind and will OF
President Lincoln the determination end
ann auucemeut 70 his cabinet came almos!
81 complete in form and ceEtnin in inien.
tiou on that memorable Tuesday of July
az when, two months later, it was given
to the pablo, or as officially proclaimed
on the succeeding New Years day, ar
irrevocRbie executive act"