WASHINGTON, May 19.
WHEREAS, There appears in the public prints what purports to
be a proclamation
of Maj. Gen. Hunter; and whereas, the same is producing some excitement and
misunderstanding, therefore I, Abraham Lincoln, Prest. Of the U. S., proclaim and
declare that the Government of the United States had no knowledge or belief of
an intention on the part of Gen. Hunter to issue such a proclamation, nor has
it yet any authentic information that the document is genuine; and further,
that Gen. Hunter, nor any other commander or person, has been authorized by the
Government of the United States to make proclamation declaring the slaves of
any State free; and that the supposed proclamation now in question, whether genuine
or false, is altogether void, so far as respects such declaration. – I further
make known that whether it be competent for me, as commander-in-chief of the
army and navy, to declare the slaves of any State or States free, and whether
at any time or in any case, it shall have been a necessity, indispensable to
the maintainance [sic] of the Government to excise such supposed power, are
questions which, under my responsibility, I reserve to myself, and which I
cannot feel justified in leaving to the decision of commanders in the field. –
There are not only different questions from these of police regulations in
armies and camps.
On the 6th day of March last, by a special message, I
recommended to Congress the adoption of a joint resolution to be substantially
as follows:
Resolved, That the
United States ought to co-operate with any State which may adopt a gradual
abolishment of slavery, giving to such States in its discretion, to compensate
for the inconveniences, public and private, produced by such change of system.
The resolution, in the language above quoted, was adopted by
large majorities in both branches of Congress, and now stands an authentic,
definite and solemn proposal of the nation to the States and people most
interested in the subject matter. To the
people of these States now, I earnestly appeal.
I do not argue. I beseech you to
make the arguments for yourselves. You
cannot, if you would be blind to the signs of the times. I beg of you a calm and enlarged
consideration of them ranging, if it may be, far above personal and party
politics. This proposal makes common
cause for all, and common object, casting no reproaches upon any. It acts not like the Pharisee. The changes it contemplates would come gently
as the dews of heaven – not rending or wrecking anything. Will you not embrace this opportunity. So much good has not been done by one effort
in all past time, as in the Providence of God it is now your high privilege to
do. May the vast future not have to
lament that you have neglected it.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused
the seal of the United States to be annexed.
Done at the city of Washington, this 19th day of May, in the
year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, and of the
independence of the United States, the eighty-sixth.
(Signed)
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
WM. H. SEWARD, Sec’y of State.
– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport,
Iowa, Wednesday Morning, May 21,
1862, p. 2
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