daring innovation upon practical politics. "In
point of fact," say Nicolay and Hay, "the President stood sagaciously
midway between headlong reform and blind reaction. His steady,
cautious direction and control of the average public sentiment of the
country alike held back rash experiment and spurred lagging
opinion."[33]

Four months after Lincoln's proposal of compensated emancipation to
the border slave States and its sanction by Congress, the situation
seeming more complicated by the vicissitudes of war, Lincoln saw the
necessity for uniting the sentiment of the North for a practical
solution of the slavery problem. Looking forward into the future,
therefore, Lincoln readily realized that the North must present a
united front contending for a plain, practical policy, relative to
things both political and military.

Consequently he again met the border State delegations on July 12, and
made a second appeal to them to accept compensation for the
emancipation of the slaves in their respective States while the
opportunity was yet at hand.[34] He pointed out to them that the war
would have been ended, had they considered the acceptance of the
provisions of his first appeal for gradual emancipation, and that this
plan would not be a slow and weak means of ending the war. Dissuading
them from secession, he failed not to apprise them of the fact that,
if the rebellion continued, their institution would be destroyed
without any sort of indemnity or reparation. Again he referred to his
revoking General Hunter's proclamation of military abolition, with the
hope that he might possibly win them over to his plan, but his effort
was futile. Most of them replied with a qualified refusal; twenty of
them later presented a written reply, pledging themselves to continue
loyal, but at the same time giving the reasons why they could not
accept the plan of compensated emancipation.

In the meantime the capture of strategic points like Vicksburg and New
Orleans had given the control of the lower Mississippi to the
Union,[35] General Grant had crippled and driven back the Confederates
in the West,[36] and prospects for military success in the East seemed
to require some such a measure as military emancipation. After the
refusal of compensated emancipation by the border slave States the
President decided to emancipate the slaves of rebellious commonwealths
by military order.[37] While riding with Mr. Seward and Mr. Welles one
day, Mr. Li