The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-05-08
LINCOLN KNEW
HOW TO WAIT :

through legislation for the abolition
OF slavery in the United States. This
bill made law of Senator Henry Will
sons measure for compensated aboli-
ton in the District of Columbia Mr.
Wilson introduced the bill into the
senate on the 10th of December in
the year previous, but the bill itself
and the various amendments that
were proposed excited discussion
which caused delay. There was OBJ
lection coming from congressman
from the border states, who vaguely
foresaw that here was a significant
precedent, though they do not seem
TO have realized how it would be
worked out. Even Republicans from
that section strenuously opposed
emancipation in any form, circum-
stance which now seems strange,
though it was not at all strange con-
sidering that the Republican party,
as a party, had gone no farther than
declaring that slavery should not he
allowed to extend beyond the states
in which it existed. Lincoln himself
was then no farther than the accept
ance of the idea of compensated
emancipation, which he had recon-
mended in a special message to con-
gress, on the 9Th of March, 1862.
Both branches of congress had adopt
ed a resolution approving the idea,
against the opposition of the Union
lists of the border slave states and the
Democrats of all the, states. Nothing
ether than the sentimental endorse
ment ever came of that proposition.
No state ever accepted the offer. The
Wilson bill for emancipation in the
District of Columbia, however, did eff
feet the emancipation of the slaves
within that area. 1t not merely pro.
vided for immediate emancipation, but
also ''for the payment to their loyal
masters of the average sum of 5000
for the appointment of commission
to assess the sum to be paid, and the
appropriation of $1,0O0,00O" Mr. Lin
coin, though approving the bill, stated
several objections, such as that mar
ried women, minors, and persons fb-
sent from the district, were not suffi-
GENTLY protected and provided for.
His suggestion that these defects
should be remedied by additional leg
islation was adopted. In carrying
the law into effect, the officials had
experiences which now seem odd. One
of these was lately related by writer
in the Boston Transcript as follows:
"A free negro resident in Wash
ington had purchased his wife in or
der to marry her. It was a natural
assumption that the wife's civil sta
tus was that of the husband, but
though the latter was free it was found
that legally the wife was not. Con-
sequently the thrifty husband demand
ed that the United States should pay
for the freedom of his wife and for
the children she, a slave, had borne
him, and after much investigation it
was found that his claim must be
allowed, and consequently the treas
ury of the United States paid for the
of this negros wife and
While Mr.. Wilson's bill was under
consideration, Mr.. Arnold of Illinois
introduced into the house of repre-
sentatives "a measure providing that
freedom should be the fundamental
law of the land, and that slavery
should no longer exist in all places
under the direct and exclusive control
OF the United States government.
Constitutional and other difficulties
arose, and the bill finally emerged
slavery in the territories.
In this form it passed both houses
Of congress and was approved by the
president on the 10th of June, 1862.
The record is cited to impress the
truth that the abolition of slavery in
the United States was not effected by
a single spectacular act, as many per-
sons apparently believe. It is easy to
see that the Emancipation Proclama-
ton, which was to come months later
was then forming in the mind of
Abraham Lincoln, and that the APP
prevail of the Union men was forming
too With neither, however, had that
course reached definite and final ac-
ceptance Compensated emancipation
In limited areas, and the prohibition
Of slavery where it did not prevail,
were as far as they were ready to go.
Practically, at the moment, that was
IS far as they could go, There were !
hose, as there are always those, who
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