Abolition of Slavery in the District of Columbia

For many years the anti-slavery men of our country have been trying to prevail upon congress to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia.  Slavery had never been legalized there, it existed only by virtue of a law of Maryland, which in fact had no force over territory that she had ceded away; still as slaves had been held under that law, and as Virginia was a slave State, the institution was countenanced in the Federal Metropolis, to the scandal of the nation.  Southern members of Congress, who brought with them their slaves, of course opposed any measure that might have a tendency to deprive them of that privilege.  Thus has slavery continued to be tolerated in the very heart of the nation, giving to strangers from all parts of the world who visited the Federal seat of Government, false impressions of our institutions.

As the war has called off the Southern members, and their allies being too feeble to successfully oppose such measure, the Republicans have embraced the opportunity to introduce a bill for the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia.  On Thursday last it was put to a vote in the Senate, and passed by the decisive vote of 29 against 14, or more than two to one.  Every vote in the affirmative was Republican, and all the anti-Republicans present voted nay!  Thus demonstrating exactly where the two parties will be found on every question in which slavery is interested.  We apprehend no difficulty in passing this bill through the House, while it will be one of the proudest acts of Old Abe’s life to approve it with his signature.

By the provisions of this bill, compensation not exceeding $300 per slave, is to be allowed each loyal master.  It also provides for voluntary colonization, and appropriates $100,000 to aid the voluntary emigration of the manumitted slaves to Hayti, Liberia or elsewhere. – Thus following in the wake of the endorsement by Congress of the President’s emancipation resolution, another important measure looking to the abolition of slavery in the United States, has been put upon the tapis by the Republican party, and if it meet with no drawback, the work of emancipation will have begun and be commenced aright by tapping the fountain head, the source whence the evil flows.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, April 9, 1862, p. 2