n, 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 become a
necessity indispensable to the maintenance of the Government to
exercise 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.

"Those are totally different questions from those of police
regulations in armies or in camps.

"On the sixth 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 cooeperate with any
State which may adopt gradual abolishment of slavery, giving to
such State pecuniary aid, to be used by such State 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 mostly 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 partisan and personal politics.

"This proposal makes common cause for a common object, casting no
reproaches upon any. It acts not the Pharisee. The change it
contemplates would come gently as the dews of Heaven, not rending
or wrecking any thing. Will you not embrace it? 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 hereunto affixed.

"Done at the city of Washington this 19th day of May, in the year