Show CL M 0 1 T DRAHAM BRAI LINCOLN called hla his cabinet together on september 22 1862 to read to them his bis first proclamation of emancipation in the diaries of two of 0 f tho the mem bers bera of that council aro are given wa vivid v running accounts of that 1 1 meeting telling of Lincol ns 41 dmn vow and its ita consummation N aff this ls Is tho the story ot of that day yas as V HM told b by salmon P chase secre seara 09 tary of the treasury to department about nine state department messenger neer came with notice to at heads of departments to meet at twelve re za calved sundry callers went to the white house ml all the members of the cabinet were in attendance there was some eoma general talk and the president mentioned that altomus ward had sent 7 him hla his book proposed to read a chapter which tie he thought very ivery funny read it and seemed to N enjoy it very much the heads beads also except stanton of course the chapter was highhanded outrage at utica the president then took look a graver tone and said gentlemen ent lemen I 1 have as you are aware thought A a great deal about the tha relation of at this war to 10 slavery and you all remember that several weeks ago I 1 read to you an order that I 1 prepared on this subject which on account of objections made by some of you was not issued ever ja 0 49 BY alk W made but he wished lite his paper announcing his 1 course its as correct in terms as it could be made ma without any change in tho the determination ile read the document one or two t amendments suggested by seward were approved approve it was then handed banded to the secretary ot of state to publish tomorrow after this blair remarked that he considered ta it proper to say he be did not concur in tho the ex ped lency of the measure at this time though he approved of tho principle and should therefore wish to file his objections ile he stated at so some ra length his views which were substantially that tl he ought not to put in greater jeopardy tho the pit element clement in the border states that the to suits ot of this proclamation would bo to carry 0 those hose states en ell masse to the secessionists as 00 as it was rend read and that there was alei i class of partisans in the treo free states endeavoring endeavor endea voi to revive old parties who would have a club put into their hands of which they aboy tb solves to beat the administration 10 i the president said ha fie had considered the dan t ger to bo be apprehended from the first object which was undoubtedly serious but the tha objection was certainly as great not to act as regarded since then my mind has been much occupied with this subject and I 1 have thought all along that the time tor for acting on it might probably come I 1 think the time has come now I 1 wish it was a better time I 1 wish that we were in a better condition the action of the army against the rebels has not been quite what I 1 should have bare best liked when the rebel army was at frederick I 1 doter determined ter mined as aa soon as it should be driven out of 0 maryland to issue a proclamation ot at emancipation such as aa I 1 thought most moat likely to be useful I 1 said nothing to any one but I 1 mado made the promise to myself and hesitating a little to my maker linker the rebel army Is now driven out and I 1 am going to fulwil fulfil that promise 1 I have got you together to hear what I 1 have written down I 1 do not wish your advice about the main matter for that I 1 have determined for myself this I 1 say without intending anything but respect tor for any one of you but I 1 already know the views ot of each on this question they have been heretofore expressed and I 1 have considered them As aa thoroughly and carefully as I 1 can what I 1 have written la Is that which my reflections flet lons have determined me to say it 11 there la Is anything in tho the expressions I 1 use or in any minor matter which any one of you thinks had bad best be changed I 1 shall be glad to receive tho the suggestions one other observation I 1 will make I 1 know very w well ell that many others othera might in this matter as aa in others do better than I 1 can and if I 1 was satisfied that the public confidence was more fully possessed by any one of them than by me and knew of any constitutional way a which ho he co could uld be put in my place he should have it it I 1 wo would uld gladly yield it to him but though I 1 believe that I 1 have not so EO much the confidence of the p people as I 1 had some time since I 1 do not know that all things considered any other person r oil has more and however this may bo be there Is no way in which I 1 can have any other men man put where I 1 am I 1 am here I 1 must do the nest best I 1 can and bear the responsibility of taking tho the course which I 1 feel I 1 ought to take the president then proceeded to read his bla emancipation proclamation making remarks on the several parts as he went on aud and showing that he had fully considered the whole subject in all the lights under which it had been presented to him after he hai had closed ard said eald the general question having been decided nothing can be said farther about that would it not however make the proclamation more claar and decided to leave out all reference to the net act being sustained during the incumbency of the present pres president ident and not merely say bay that the government recognizes but that it will maintain tho the freedom it proclaims I 1 followed paying what you have said oaid mr president fully satisfies me that you yon have given to every proposition which has been made a kind and candid consideration and you have now expressed tho the conclusion to which you have arrived clearly and distinctly this it was your right and under your oath of office your duty to do the proclamation does not indeed mark out exactly tho tha course I 1 would myself prefer dut but I 1 am ain ready to td take it just juist as it Is written and to stand by it with all my heart I 1 think however the suggestions of governor seward very judicious and shall be ba glad to have them adopted the president then asked us ua severally our opinions as to the modification tto n pr proposed saying that he be did not care much about the phrases ho he had used every one favored tho the modification and it was adopted governor seward then proposed that in the passage relating to colonization somo some language should be introduced to show that the tha colonization proposed was to be ba only with the bonsen consent t of the colonists and tho the consent of the states in which colonies might be attempted this too was agreed to and no other modification was proposed s gideon welles secretary ot of the navy also recorded in his diary the events of that day lie fie too alluded to the solemn covenant lincoln had made mada to free the slaves in the event of a victory the victory had come and lincoln bad made up hla his mind this Is welles narrative written under date of september 22 A special cabinet meeting the subject was waa the proclamation for emancipating tho the slaves after a certain date in states that shall then be in rebellion for several weeks the subject has been suspended but the president says never lost eight of when it was submitted and now in taking up the proclamation the president stated that tho the question was finally decided the act and the consequences were ills his but that he felt it duo due to u ua a to make us acquainted with the ano fact and to invite criticism on the paper which he be had prepared there were he ha had found not unexpectedly some sonne differences dlf feren es in the cabinet but he had after ascertaining in hla his own way the views of each and all individually and collectively formed his ov n conclusions and made hla his own decisions in the course of the discussion on this paper which was waa 1 ang ng earnest and on the general principle involved harmonious he remarked that he had made a vow a covenant that it if god gave us the victory jn in the approaching battle he would consider it an indication of divine will and that it was ni hl duty to move forward in the tha cause of emancipation it might be thought strange he said that he had in this way submitted the disposal of matters when tho the way was wait not clear to his mind what he should do god had decided this question in favor of the slaves lie ile was satisfied it was right was confirmed and in his action by the vow and the results le aults ills his mind was fixed his decision the last tt it had not much weight with him tho the question of power authority in tho the government to set free the slaves was not much dis cussed at this meeting but had been canvassed by the president in private conversation with the members individually some thought legislation ady advisable isable before the step was waa taken but congress was waa clothed with no authority on this subject nor la IS the executive except under the war power military necessity martial law when thero there can be ba no legislation tula was tho view which I 1 took when the president first presented the subject to seward boward and myself last summer as we were returning from the funeral ot of stan tons abild chelda a rado of two or three miles from beyond georgetown seward beward was at that time not at nil all communicative and I 1 think not willing to advise though ho he did not dissent from the movement it Is momentous both in its immediate and remote results and an exercise of extraordinary power which cannot be justified on more mere humanitarian mani marit tartan principles and would never have been attempted but to preserve the national existence the slaves must be with us or against us in the war let us have them those these were my convictions and this the drift of tho the discussion the effect which the proclamation will have on the public mind Is a matter of some soma uncertainty in some respects it would I 1 think have been better to have issued it when formerly first considered there Is an impression that seward has opposed and la Is opposed to the measure I 1 have not been without that impression myself chiefly from hla his hesitation to commit himself and perhaps because action was sur suspended dod on hla his suggestion gent lon dut but in the anal discussion he has na as cordially supported support fd thu measure ns as chast for myself the subject has from its and its consequences oppressed me ma aside frow from the ethical features of the question it Is a step in the progress of this war which will extend into the distant future A favorable termination of this terrible conflict seems seema more remote with every movement and unless the rebels hasten to avail themselves of the alternative presented of which I 1 see little probability the jar ar can scarcely arcely Bc be other than one of emancipation to the slave or subjugation or submission to their rebel owners thero there la Is in the freo free states a very general impression pres slon that this measure will insure a speedy peace I 1 cannot say that I 1 so eo view it no one in those states dare advocate peace as a means of 0 prolonging slavery elavery even it if it Is his honest opinion slid and the pecuniary industrial and social sacrifice impending will intensify the tha struggle before us ua while however these dark cloudt clouds are above and around us I 1 cannot see how the tha subject can avoided ps it Is id not do desirable it should be it Is however an arbitrary and despotic measure in the cause causa of freedom |