Evening star., 1940-10-06
AMONG THE STAMP COLLECTORS
News Phatec World Its Interests and of
The Stamp Press-List of Local Meetings
By James WSIdo Fasccsff.

By Jsmss W1Ido FasDesff.
Once again, as during the CAM
paign Of 1876. President Roosevelt
Is charged With making use Of
postage stamp to advance his
political fortunes. Widespread
criticism already has developed in
philatelic circles following the an
nouncement On Wednesday last that
he has ordered the printing Of q
so-called commemorative" for the
18th anniverSary Of the adoption Of
the 18th Amendment to the Con-
stitution, abonshing chattel slavery
in the United States.
The psopasandistic character of
the projected adhesive, 1t Is declared,
becomes plain when 1t s noted that
1t is to 90 on sale on Sunday, Octo-
Der 20. Just Is days prior to the
election which Mr.. Roosevelt hopes
will give him q third term in ONCE.
Also, 1t Is evident that the stamp
is intended to appeal to . particular
class of voters-the descendants Of
the slaves made free In 1865.
But the President, 1t Is argued,
has taken liberties with history
which may result in the 18th
Amendment commemorative" hav-
ing . boomerang effect. The actual
anniversary which the stamp is
supposed to mark does not occur
until December 10. Furthermore,
the circumstances under which the
Constitution was supplemented in
behalf Of those who had been held
In involuntary servitude" reflect
credit upon the party to which Mr..
Roosevelt's principal rival belongs.
The facts concerning the anti
slavery amendment are reported by
Dr. Henry Wilson Elson in his
History Of the United States of
America" For more than go years, +"
he writes. "the supreme law OF the
land had remained unchanged.
Nothing short Of q great national
upheaval could bring about consti-
tutional changes. and this was fur
nished by the Civil War, whose per-
manent results are registered in
three amendments to the Constitu-
ton. The first Of these, the 18th.
Is very short and deals only with
removing slavery forever from the
United States. When President Lin
colin issued his Emancipation Proc
lamation. he intended 1t only as .
preliminary measure. and 1t applied
only to slaves of disloyal masters.
He knew that to be effective and
universal 1t must be followed by an
amendment to the Constitution
When the saving Of the Union
seemed assured. the great subject on
the mind of the President was that
Of removing slavery His later mes
sages are full of the subject. In
his annual message Of December.
1864. referring to the blacks who
had been set free by the proclama-
ton Of 1853. or by acts Of Congress,
he declared that If the people should
make 1t an executive duty to re-en-
slave such persons. another and not
I must be their instrument to per-
form it, This was . notice that
he Gincoln would resign his ofice
rather than become an instrument
in re-enslaving the blacks already
set free.
"As early as April. 1864. the
Senate adopted an emancipation
amendment, but 1t failed IN the
House. As the summer and autumn
passed, the Union armies made no
table progress; Lincoln was re-
elected and the Republican major
ity increased in Congress. Mary
land had emancipated Of her own
accord, and other border States
were moving in the same direction.
It seemed certain that If the 38th
Congress refused to reconsider and
pass the amendment, the seth
would pass it. But the 38th did not
wait. A few Democratic votes were
needed to make the two-thirds ma
jority, snd these President Lincoln
secured by an adroit use IF Tire
patronage. After some weeks de-
bate. the measure was passed Ql9
to So amid the greatest excite
ment. The members OF the House
then sang the Doxolosy and ad-
journed." January 81. 1855, was the
date. Alabama, Arkansas. Florida.
Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi,
North Carolina. South Carolina.
Tennessee, Texas and Virginia were
unrepreSented.
The actual language of the
amendment followed the model Of
the Wilmot proviso. first proposed
by Representative David Wilmot of
Pennsylvania, 3 Northern Demo-
crat who became one Of the found
ers Of the Republican opposition.
August 8, 1846. 1t provided that
neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude, except rs 4 punishment
for crime whereof the party shall
have been duly convicted, shall exist
within the United States or any
place subject to their jurisdiction
At flrst meant to bar slavery from
territory acquired from Mexico, the
law when finally passed by both
branches OF Congress and rati-