I am here; I must do the best I can, and bear the responsibility
of taking the course which I feel I ought to take."
It was in this humble spirit, and with this firm sense of duty
that the great proclamation was given to the world. One hundred
days later he completed the act by issuing the final proclamation
of emancipation.
It has been a long-established custom in Washington for the
officials of the government to go on the first day of January to
the Executive Mansion to pay their respects to the President and
his wife. The judges of the courts go at one hour, the foreign
diplomats at another, members of Congress and senators and
officers of the Army and Navy at still another. One by one these
various official bodies pass in rapid succession before the head
of the nation, wishing him success and prosperity in the New
Year. The occasion is made gay with music and flowers and bright
uniforms, and has a social as well as an official character. Even
in war times such customs were kept up, and in spite of his load
of care, the President was expected to find time and heart for
the greetings and questions and hand-shakings of this and other
state ceremonies. Ordinarily it was not hard for him. He liked to
meet people, and such occasions were a positive relief from the
mental strain of his official work. It is to be questioned,
however, whether, on this day, his mind did not leave the passing
stream of people before him, to dwell on the proclamation he was
so soon to sign.
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