inia deprecated
the existence of slavery in the capital of the country, but he
opposed the emancipation bill as the first of a series of measures
that would end in the abolition of slavery in all the States by
act of Congress. The bill passed the Senate the third day of April
by a vote of 29 to 14.

When the measure reached the House and was read for information it
was at once challenged by Mr. Vallandigham of Ohio; and upon the
parliamentary question "Shall the bill be rejected?" the yeas were
45 and the nays were 93. The debate which immediately followed
was in good temper, with a notable absence of the exasperation
which it was feared the subject would call forth. Mr. Crittenden
of Kentucky stated the objections of the minority, and especially
of the Border slave States, fairly and temperately. The time seemed
to him unpropitious inasmuch as the moving cause of the secession
of the States was the apprehension on their part that Congress was
likely to take measures for the abolition of slavery. The passage
of the bill necessarily rendered futile every attempt at reconciliation.
Secondly, there was an implied agreement with Virginia and Maryland
at the time of the cession of the District that "the system of
slavery shall not be disturbed." And finally, the bill, although
it provided for compensation to lawful owners, was in effect a
measure of confiscation. It passed the House by a vote of 92 to
38. The President accompanied his approval with a special message
in which, while not doubting the constitutionality of the measure,
he intimated that there were "matters within and about the Act
which might have taken a course or shape more satisfactory to his
judgment." He especially commended the provision made for compensation
to the owners of slaves, and referred with satisfaction to the
appropriation made to aid any colored person of the District who
might desire to emigrate "to Liberia, Hayti, or any country beyond
the limits of the United States which the President may determine."
The sum of one hundred thousand dollars was appropriated for this
purpose by the Act--one hundred dollars being allowed to each
emigrant. The experiment came to nothing. The colored persons
who had resided in the United States as slaves were obviously
desirous of trying their fortunes as freemen among the people whom
they knew, and in the homes to which they were attached.

THE PRESIDENT'S C