25. THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION TAKES FORM
From the outset, the conduct of the war was based
by Lincoln on the principle of saving the Union. Many elements in the
North from the beginning, however, demanded the liberation of the
slaves. This Lincoln resisted. A large part of the North would not have
been willing to support the war if they had thought it was for the
purpose of freeing the slaves; and the effect of emancipation on the
delicate situation in the border States might have been disastrous. By
the middle of 1862, the situation had changed. Lincoln decided on the
Emancipation Proclamation. He now felt that it was necessary for the
successful prosecution of the war. The artist, Carpenter, who spent
several months in the White House in 1864 and had Lincoln's confidence,
relates in Lincoln's own words the story of the events leading up to the
issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
"It had got to be," said he, "midsummer, 1862. Things
had gone on from bad to worse, until I felt that we had reached the end
of our rope on the plan of operations we had been pursuing; that we had
about played our last card, and must change our tactics, or lose the
game! I now determined upon the adoption of the emancipation policy;
and, without consultation with, or the knowledge of the Cabinet, I
prepared the original draft of the proclamation, and, after much anxious
thought, called a Cabinet meeting upon the subject. This was the last of
July, or the first part of the month of August, 1862." (The exact date
he did not remember.) "This Cabinet meeting took place, I think, upon a
Saturday. All were present, excepting Mr. Blair, the Postmaster-General,
who was absent at the opening of the discussion, but came in
subsequently. I said to the Cabinet that I had resolved upon this step,
and had not called them together to ask their advice, but to lay the
subject-matter of a proclamation before them; suggestions as to which
would be in order, after they had heard it read. Mr. Lovejoy," said he,
"was in error when he informed you that it excited no comment, excepting
on the part of Secretary Seward. Various suggestions were offered.
Secretary Chase wished the language stronger in reference to the arming
of the blacks. Mr. Blair after he came in, deprecated the policy, on the
ground that it would cost the Administration the fall elections.
Nothing, however, was offered that I had not already fully anticipated
and settled in my own mind, until Secretary Seward spoke. He said in
substance: 'Mr. President, I approve of the proclamation, but I question
the expediency of its issue at this juncture. The depression of the
public mind, consequent upon our repeated reverses, is so great that I
fear the effect of so important a step. It may be viewed as the last
measure of an exhausted government, a cry for help; the government
stretching forth its hands to Ethiopia, instead of Ethiopia stretching
forth her hands to the government.' His idea," said the President, "was
that it would be considered our last shriek, on the retreat."
(This was his precise expression.) " 'Now,' continued Mr.
Seward, 'while I approve the measure, I suggest, sir, that you postpone
its issue, until you can give it to the country supported by military
success, instead of issuing it, as would be the case now, upon the
greatest disasters of the war!'" Mr. Lincoln continued: "The wisdom of
the view of the Secretary of State struck me with very great force. It
was an aspect of the case that, in all my thought upon the subject, I
had entirely overlooked. The result was that I put the draft of the
proclamation aside, as you do your sketch for a picture, waiting for a
victory. From time to time I added or changed a line, touching it up here
and there, anxiously watching the progress of events. Well, the next
news we had was of Pope's disaster, at Bull Run. Things looked darker
than ever. Finally, came the week of the battle of Antietam. I
determined to wait no longer. The news came, I think, on Wednesday, that
the advantage was on our side. I was then staying at the Soldiers' Home,
(three miles out of Washington.) Here I finished writing the second
draft of the preliminary proclamation; came up on Saturday; called the
Cabinet together to hear it, and it was published the following
Monday."
CARPENTER, Six Months at the White House
with Abraham Lincoln.
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