move against slavery would attract more support
than it would repel. Seward's suggestion gave the final shape to his
purpose.

This happened July 22, 1862; and when the President made his calm reply
to Greeley's onslaught a month later, the unsigned proclamation lay in
his desk, and he was still waiting for a victory before he issued it.

CHAPTER XXVII

EMANCIPATION ACHIEVED

Instead of victory came defeat. Pope, taking the command after
McClellan's failure, was beaten and driven back in the second battle of
Bull Run, and matters were at the worst. McClellan was recalled; his
genius for organization rehabilitated the demoralized army; the
soldiers' confidence in their old chief gave them new courage. When Lee,
after a year on the defensive, took the offensive and entered Maryland,
he was beaten and turned back at Antietam.

Then Lincoln summoned his cabinet again, September 22, 1862. Before he
spoke the momentous word, he freshened himself in his own way,--he said
that Artemus Ward had sent him his book, and he would read them a
chapter which he thought very funny; and read it he did, with great
enjoyment; the secretaries also laughing as in duty bound--all except
Stanton! Then the President became grave enough--he told them that he
had been thinking a great deal about the proclamation he had read them
two months before; that victory seemed to have brought a favorable
occasion; that when the rebel army was at Fredericksburg he determined
as soon as it was driven out of Maryland to proclaim emancipation. He
went on: "I said nothing to any one, but I made the promise to myself,
and,"--hesitating a little--"to my Maker." So now, he tells them, he
fulfills that promise. One last word,--some other might do better than
he; he would surrender his place to a better man if he saw the way; he
believes that he has not so much of the confidence of the people as he
once had, but on the whole he does not know that any one has more, and
at any rate there is no way for him to give place to any other. "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 is the counterpart of
Luther's "Here stand I; I cannot do otherwise; God help me!"

Discussion in the Cabinet: general approval; slight modification only.
The proclamation runs on the original lines; compensated abolition
recommended; colonization favored; freedom to be declared next New
Year's day to all