The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1905-04-28
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President Roosevelt's ofhand decla-
,ation in u Lincoln's birthday speech
Fat Lincoln fought to abolish slav-
cry" has been followed by spirited
discussion in the press as TO the date
of the Issuance of the emancipation
proclamation and the military situa-
lion at the time. 1t has been assumed
by some that becG use the proclamation
went into effect Jan. /, 1863, it was
issued at that time. Had the proc
lamation been deLyed until that date
it probably would not have been issued
until after Gettysburg, July, 1858. At
least this is the conclusion to be draws
from the history of the proclamation
Lincoln's atttuCe toward slavery is
a part of authentic history. since il Is
well known that he declared that he
would save that institution or destroy
it. according us the fate of slavery
might determine tie fate of the Union.
He placed. the salvation OF the Union
above all else. The facts are that dur
ing the summer of 1852 Lincoln pre-
pared the proclamation and said that
he would issue it upon the heels OF Il
substantial victory. lie visited the bat
tletield at Antietail, Md. fougAt Sept.
II, 1862, on the 10Th Of September,
returned to Washington and on Sept
% issued the proclamation, which, by
the way, did not abolish slavery or
profess to do so.
BY the terms of the proclamation
slavery would cea }e to exist on Jan. |.
1Sc"2, in t,3sse St rs of the Confederacy
which did not lay down their arms and
return to the allegiance to the constitu-
ton before that cate. Those slave
holding states not then separated from
the Union. as Maryland, Kentucky.
Missouri and parts of Tennessee, Vir~
gina ani North Carolina, were not
affected by the proclamation and con
tinued to ma;ntain slavery until they
abolished the institution by SKATE en-
actnent. Thus ii happened that after
"
held in bondage nursed, fed and other
wise befriended Federal soldiers.
1t will be seen that the proclamation
applied solely to territory within the
encny's lines, and it remained for the
FEDERAL armies TO G.ve force to the act
by invading and suhjug1ting the slave
holding territory. Eefore there was
reasonable prospect that the northerh
armies could and would invade and
sub bjugate the sldycholdng tcrritorj
the issuance of the proclamation would
have uean vain buncombe For that
reason Lincoln awaited IL substantial
success at arms.
Whether Antctam was Il substantial
military success has been disputed.
General James Longstreet, who at the
time was Lees most trusted lieuten-
ant, said that Antietam sprang the
key of the arch upon which the Con
federacy rested. 1t took place upon
northern soil, the same as Gettysburg,
and, like Gettysburg, was repulse or
an invading force. On Jan. l, 1868,
when the proclamation became law
of the land, the north apparently had
/ the worst of the conflict. The Confed-
crates had recovered a portion of Ten
nessee and established foothold at
Murfreesboro as the result Of drawn
battle at Stone river Jan. 81, 1862.
Two campaigns of the Federal armies
against Richmond had been repulsed,
the last by the disaster to Burnside's
army at Fredericksburg Dec. 10, 1862.
For Sale.
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