Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-01-19
LINCOLN's VOW.
AN IMPORTANT CHAPTER OF THE
REBELLION.
The Promise Lincoln Made and Its
Fulhllment In Issuing the Eman-
cipation Proclamation.

cipation Proclamation.
From Hay-Nicolay articles in January Century ]
Three days after this interview the great
battle of Antietam was begun. which re-
suited in victory for the Union forces.
The events of war had abruptly changed
political conditions, and the President
seized the earliest possible opportunity to
announce the policy which he had decided
upon exactly two months before His
manner and language on this momentous
occasion have been infinitely recorded in
the diaries of two members of the Cabinet,
and liberal quotations from both will form
the most valuable historical presentation
Of the event that can be made. The diary
of Secretary Chase reads as follows
| MONDAY, September %, 1862.
"To Department about 9. State Depart
ment messenger came with notice to heads
| of Departments TO meet at u. Received
sundry callers. Went to the White House.
| All the members of the Cabinet were in
attendance. There was some general talk,
and the President mentioned that Artemus
| Ward had sent him his book Proposed
to read chapter which he thought very
| funny. Read it, and seemed to enjoy it
| very much; the heads also Except STAN
tom, of course. The chapter was High
handed Outrage at Utica The President
| then took a graver tone, and said: Gen
| tlemen, have, as you are aware, thought
| great deal about the relation of this war
to slavery, and you all remember that, sew
eral weeks ago, / read to you an order |
had prepared on this subject, which,
on account of objections made by some
of you, was not then issued. Ever since
| then my mind has been much occupied
! with this subject, and | have thought
all along that the time for acting on it
might probably come. | think the time
| has come. | wish it was better time |
wish that we we're in better condition.
The action of the army against the rebels
| has not been quite what l would have best
liked. But they have been driven out of
Maryland, and Pennsylvania is no longer
in danger of invasion. When the rebel
| army was at Frederick | determined, as
land, to issue proclamation of emancipa-
ton, such as | thought most likely to be
useful. l said nothing to anyone; but
made the promise to myself and [hesitat-
| ing httle] to my Maker. The rebel
army is now driven out, and am going to
fulfill that promise. have got you to
gether to hear what | have written. l do
not wish your advice about the main mat
ter, for that have determined for myself.
! This say without intending anything but
respect for any one of you. But | already
know the views of each one on this ques-
ton. They have been heretofore ex-
pressed, and | have considered them as
| thoroughly and carefully as | can. What
/ have written is that which my reflections
have determined me to say. If there is
anything in the expressions | use. or any
minor matter which any one of you thinks
had best be changed, | shall be glad to re-
ceive the suggestions One other observa-
ton ! will make. | know very well that
any other might, in this matter, as in
| others, do better than | can; and if | was
satisfied that the public confidence was
more fully possessed by any one of them
than by me, and knew of any constitu-
tional way in which he could be put in
my place, he should have it. ! would gladly
yield it to him. But, though | believe
| that have not SO much of the confidence
of the people as / had some time since, |
do not know that, all things considered,
any other person has more; and however
this may be- there is no way in which |
can have any other man put where | am.
/ AIN here | must do the best | can, and
bear the responsibility of taking the
course which / feel | ought to take"
! The foregoing account written by Mr..
Chase is fully corroborated by the follow
ing extract from the diary Of Secretary
| Welles, in which the same event is de-
scribed:
September 22d.-A special Cabinet
meeting. The subject was the proclama-
ton for emancipating the slaves, after
certain date, in States that shall then be
in rebellion. For several weeks the sub
| ject has been suspended, but the President
says he never lost sight of it. When it
was submitted, and now in taking up the
procla ration, the President stated that
the question was finally decided-the act
and the consequences were his-but that
he felt it due to us to make us acquainted
with the fact and to invite criticisms on
the paper which he had prepared. There
were, he had found, not Unexpectedly,
had, after ascertaining in his own wa7 the
views Of each and all, individually and
collectively, formed his own conclusions
and made his own decisions. In the course
of the discussion on this paper, which was
long, earnest, and, on the general princi-
pie involved, harmonious, he remarked
that he had made a vow-a covenant
that if God gave us the victory in the APP
preaching battle he would consider it an
indication Of Divine will, and that it was
his duty to move forward in the cause of
emancipation. 1t might be thought strange,
he said, that he had in this way submitted
the disposal of matters when the way was
not clear to his mind what he should do.
: God had decided this question in favor of
the slaves. He was satisfied it was right
was confirmed and strengthened in his
action by the vow and results. His mind
was fixed, his decision made, but he wished
his paper announcing his course as correct
in terms as it could be made without any
change in his determination"
The Cabinet discussion of the procla-
nation being completed, Mr.. Seward car
ried the document with him TO the State
Department, where the formal phraseology
of attestation and the great seal were
added. The President signed it the
same afternoon, and it was published in
full by the leading newspapers of the
country on the morning of September 23d.
As elsewhere, the reading of the official
/ announcement created profound interest
in Washington, and a serenade was organ
5 lied the next evening, which came to the
' Executive Mansion and called on the
| President for a speech. He said:
~ appear before you to little more
e than acknowledge the courtesy you pay
/ me, and 10 thank you for it. / have moi
S been distinctly informed why it is that on
: this occasion you appear to do me this