niary
aid." The resolution was adopted, but the border states would have
nothing to do with the plan. Later General Hunter in proclaiming martial
law over certain Southern territory, proclaimed "the persons in these
states, heretofore held as slaves, forever free." The President revoked
the order as he had revoked a similar action on the part of Fremont,
adding firmly, "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, in any case, it shall have become a necessity
of government to exercise such supposed power, are questions which,
under my responsibility, I reserve to myself." And again he appealed to
the people of the border states to adopt his plan of gradual compensated
emancipation, proved the wisdom of his plan by unanswerable logic, and
showed that the cost of such compensation was much less than the cost of
the probable prolongation of the war. The loyal slave-holders of the
border states were not ready to give up their slaves.

Then the President began to contemplate emancipation, but kept his
purposes to himself; kept his secret so well that even after he had
determined upon emancipation and was being criticised for not taking
that step he replied to his critics, "My paramount object is to save the
Union and not either to save or destroy slavery." Horace Greeley
retorted with abuse, indicating that Greeley was unable to see the
wisdom of the President's policy--for those whose support was necessary
to win the war were not yet ready for emancipation.

When preachers called to reveal to him, "the will of God" he replied,
"If it is probable that God would reveal His will to others on a point
so connected with my duty, it might be supposed He would reveal it
directly to me."

All these months he had been at work with his slow but accurate thought,
framing in secret the most momentous document in American history since
the Declaration of Independence. He did this in the cipher-room of the
War Department telegraph office, where he was accustomed to spend
anxious hours waiting for news from the boys at the front, and also to
seek what rest he could in thus hiding away from the never-ending stream
of tormentors, office-seekers, politicians and emissaries of sage
advice.

Emancipation was in his mind even while, for good reasons, he made no
reference to it. He waited for the right time--waited for
victory--waited in