"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. . . . 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."
It was on July 22 that the President read to his cabinet the
draft of this first emancipation proclamation, which, after
announcing that at the next meeting of Congress he would again
offer compensated emancipation to such States as chose to accept
it, went on to order as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy
of the United States, that the slaves in all States which should
be in rebellion against the government on January 1, 1863, should
"then, thenceforward and forever be free."
Mr. Lincoln had given a hint of this intended step to Mr. Seward
and Mr. Welles, but to all the other members of the cabinet it
came as a complete surprise.
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