Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-01-04
LINCOLN'S PROCLAMATION.
Original Draft of the Document Dec1ars
ing the Slaves Free.

Original Draft of the Document Declar4
ing the Slaves Free.
Further conference (by the cabinet was
held on organizing negro regiments, but
Lincoln decided that the moment had not Yer
arrived when this policy could be safeIg
entered upon. Writes Chase: "The i'm
preston left upon my mind by the whole dis.
cussion was that while the president though
that the organization, equipment and arm
ing of negroes like other soldiers would be
productive of more evil than good, he was
not unwilling that commanders should, st
their discretion, arm, for purely defensive
purposes, slaves coming within their lines.
But on the kindred policy of emancipation
the president had reached 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 a proclamation warning the rebels OK
the pains and penalties of the confscation
act, and while renewing his tender
of compensation to loyal states which
would adopt gradual adjustment, add
ing summary military order, as
commander-in chief. declaring free the
slaves of all states which might be in rebel
lion on Jan. 1, 1862 The text of this first
draft of the Emancipation proclamation is
here printed for the first time: SIN pursr-
ance of the sixth section of the act Of con-
gress entitled AN act to suppress insured
ton and to punish treason and rebellion, to
seize and confiscate property of rebels, and
for other purposes approved July II, 1869.
and which act and the joint resolution eXs
planatory thereof are herewith published (.
Abraham Lincoln, president of the United
States, do hereby proclaim to and warn all
persons within the contemplation of sad
sixth section to cease participating in, add
ing, countenancing or abetting the existing
rebellion, or any rebellion against the gov
eminent 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 section provided,
"And I hereby make known that it is my
purpose, upon the next meeting of congres
to again recommend the adoption of prae-
tical measure for rendering pecuniary aid 10
the free choice or rejection of any and All
states, which may then be recognizing and
practically sustaining the authority of she
United States, and which may then have vol
UNFAIRLY adopted, or thereafter may voluns
tarily adopt, gradual adjustment Of slavery
within such state or states; that the objecc 10
to practically restore, thsnceforward to Be
maintained, the constitutional relation hs-
all the states wherein that relation is now
suspended or disturbed; and that for this OBJ
ject the war, as it has been, will be prose
cuted. And as fit and necessary military
measure for effecting this object, I, as CONS
mander-in-chief of the army and navy of The
United States, do order and declare that On
the first day of January, in the year of ouT
Lord one thousand eight hundred and six tY-e
three, all persons held as slaves within ely
state or states wherein the constitutional
authority of the United States shall not then
be practically recognized, submitted to and !
maintained, shall then, thenceforward sn3 {
forever be free.n
Of the cabinet proceedings which followed
the reading ofsthis momentous document we ]
have unfortunately only very brief me1no-s
randa. Every member of the council was,
we may infer, bewildered by the magnitudes
and boldness of the proposal. The sudden
consideration of this critical question reveals
to us with vividness the difference in mental
reach, readiness and decision between tie
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 general, the rep-
resentative of the conservative faction of the
Save nolulng sua0e vi Mlssoufi, aAu ouao we
member who opposed the measure as 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 treas
ury, Mr. Chase, representing perhaps more
nearly than any other the abolition faction
Of the free state Of Ohio. All were aston
ished except the two to whom it had been
mentioned week before. None of the Others
had even considered such step. But FROM
the mind and will of President Lincoln the
determination and announcement to his
cabinet came almost 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 officially proclaimed
on the succeeding New Years day. an ire
YQcahle executive act Century