The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-01
EMANCIPATION DAY.


times was that of January !, 1853, when
/ al the bells n tie rocking steeples Of the
Z North rang out freedom 20 ths save. fo-
then !: vzs that Lincoln made liberty
New Years gift 20 every negro thai vas Il
bonds. That was great Day for the Ia
1 tion when stolen b.r;arighi was made
! New Years gift 70 z6espissd racs, and the
anniversary Of emancipation vii there
/ fore be to4av n the cups Of or co.o-ed
population freshly remembered, Wherever
/ they car meet foy tia. purpose with I'd
/ oue 70 raoIest them Or max. them afraid.
When Lincoln vas elected president lie
YES n 10 sense : radical anti-slave-y
nan. Il his great debate with Douglas II
+ ISIS Lincoln sustained the fugitive Stare
I law as something the So1th had right %
I demand under the constitution and the
North had 70 right . refuse; he declared
I he was not N favor Ct the abolition q
slavery u tie District Ct Columbia except
TIE majority OF It's peopls wanted i, ard
even then would not vote for i except
under gradual emancipation, associated
with compensation 20 masters; he would
have voted for the admission OF g STATE
With a constitution permitting slavery,
provided the right Of congress 20 exclude
slavery from IFS soil while territory had
been enforced.
In one Of lis speeches II 1853 Lincoln
said sha. !; be believed the right 70 hold
slave IN g territory was IS constitutional
IS the right 20 reclaim fugitive negro ne
would feel bound to support it. Lincoln
even confessed he was for a white mans
government, but held that slavery was Al
evil 20 be tolerated II the states, 10 be ex-
Guided from the territories. where neither
congress, the territorial legislature, nor
the supreme court could rightfalIy author
ize i before il became state. JEFF Davis
held that the constitution carried slavery
everywhere, whether in state OF territories,
and that neither congress nor territorial
legislature could rightfully exclude H.
Douglas held thai slavery, right or
wrong, had right 70 existence in any
territory where the majority OF the people
wanted it, and denied the right Of any
interference Of congress with their will,
subject 20 the federal constitution and the
supreme court. The truth is that Lincoln,
before the war, was only 8 Henry Clay
WING; that is, while IS 2 philanthropist
/ he deplored the existence Of slavery IS
terrible social evil, nevertheless, as poll.
/ tician, he granted the south al the pro-
lection clearly pledged 70 il By the oonsti-
tuition. He would not warp or wrench the
constitution 20 extend slavery nor 20 pro-
hibit il; he would give the South is clear
constitutions rights, and he would insist
on the exclusion OF slavery from new terri
tories, because he believed that congress
was clearly authorized under the constitu-
ton 10 90 this without violating the con-
stirutional rights Of the shareholders.
Lincoln vas not e Republican in the
sense that Seward. Chase. Sumner and
Greeley were Republicans; ne was Henry
! Clay Wing, who handled slavery during
the war as tentatively as Clay could have
done. Patrick Henry and John Quincy
Adams had long ago proclaimed enanci-
patton as among the clear war powers Of
/ the constitution which the president could
invoke, but believing that il could not be
/ constitatioua.ly employed except as an il
/ dispensable military necessity. Lincoln
disapproved and repu2iated the action Of
General Fremont IN August, 1851, and Of
General Hunter as la,e as May, 1852, when
/ they assumed under their local military
/ powers 70 proclaim emancipation.
Mcclellan, in May, 1s51, proclaimed II
West Virginia no interference with
( the slaves, and promised 20 sup
/ press servile instruction. In June, 1851,
the Federal General Patterson eagerly Of
! ferel = suppress q servile ins1rrection If Il
should occur in q state already n rebellion.
General Mansfield refused 70 admit the
fugitive slaves Of rebels - his camps. and
General Hooker. in March. Is52, hunted
them ont and returned them TO rebel
masters. Halleek expelled them; Dix re-
pulsed them IN face Of the act Of congress
Of July -, 1851, eEnaucipa:ing slaves that
/ had been used 70 all rebellion. General
Williams, 81 Baton Rouge. refused fari.
tiyes Of rebel masters, ana Mcclellan, july
:, is62. wrote Lincoln letter strongly
protesting against emancipation Is war
measure.
AS late SIS the ed Of August. 1852. Lin.
coin wrote Greeley that he would save the
Union without freeing slave II he could
save il quickest that way. or he would free
e.. the slaves 70 save Il i he could save Il
best that way. His primary purpose WIS
20 save the Union, and not % save o. de-
stroy slavery. Personally lie wished al
men everywhere nigh; De free. but as
president he only touched slavery to helm
the Union, or fo-bors when 70 touch il
hurt the Union. Finally. thirty days
after the Greeley letter ana I've days after
the battle Of Anrietara. on September -.
Isl The emancipation proclamation was
/ issued rs : war measure, and lincoln %
the ,ast aIways said that his proclamation
was not intended g. al acs Of mora. JUS
tee. but SIS the invocation Of the war
power against the resources OF rebellion.
To Secretary Chase Lincoln wrote:
The original Proclamation has 70 const.t-.
ticr4l @ 4eEAl Justification eXcsp. IS military
measure The exemptions were inside because
tke gsi}stz-y necessity ID not apply - tbs ex-
erspeed localities. Nor does tAaE necessity a.
Ply . them now Any saa-e thaa il did then. L
: ts1s 80 step E2Eks not 90 50 without TIE s.
Euue2t Cf military necessity, Su1 50 wltlc1.
Gay syEGEsat except Gae cue t22E tank tie
measure politically Sxpe1.ept ard morally
right Mcr,t ! not tGGs give Up 81 footing
upon constitution o. l2we
Lincoln always rested the authority of
his great proclaim alton on his war
powers ani IS Justification upon
military necessity, He declared that
his cath Of o.hce forbade him % il.