The Pros And Cons Of The Emancipation Proclamation

As Bennett states in his article, Lincoln was opposed to the extension of slavery not out of compassion for suffering black people, but out of devotion to the interests of white people. In his Charlston speech, Lincoln stated, “I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black race, . . . I will say there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality.” The speech itself shows that Lincoln was opposed to every aspect of the Emancipation Proclamation that he himself issued. Not only that, but Lincoln felt pressured to issue the Emancipation Proclamation by Radical Republicans who were pushing for it to be passed. Furthermore, if Lincoln had not issued the Proclamation, the congress would have done it. Lincoln did not want to give up his power as a president, and signed the document himself. In response to the proclamation, Bennett writes, Lincoln “freed” slaves where he had no power and left them in chains where he had power (page 137). In Lincoln and Colonization, by Richard Blackett, a historian of the abolition movement, The pressures of war forced his hand. As a result, the proclamation contained so many restrictions that observers questioned its effectiveness (page 20).

This clearly shows that Lincoln was not out for the Negro but just to preserve the union. He says in many other debates that he thought the Negro had a physical difference from the white man as well as an intellectual difference (Lincoln-Douglas, n. pag.). Lincoln was considered by many in the south to be a bigot, a white supremacist who wanted segregation and opposed civil and political rights for blacks (Oates 21). Stephen B. Oates talks of many of the theories in his book, like that many southerners concluded that Lincoln was with them in the matters of race (22). Many of these examples show that Lincoln was a hypocrite of some sorts. He would appeal to the southerners by making statements that led them to believe that he was against the Negro. Yet he was writing the emancipation proclamation that was supposed to free all of the slaves. This also is debatable that the proclamation freed any slaves at all. The emancipation proclamation is looked at by some as one of the most far-reaching pronouncements ever issued in the United States (Oates 25). Also it is said that the proclamation freed few if any bondsman (Oates 26).

As Mr. Douglass stated in the October 1862 issue of his newspaper, “The effect of this paper...changes the character of the war in European eyes and gives it an important principle...instead of national pride and interest” (Dudley 167). This quote shows that the Emancipation Proclamation would open the eyes of European nations and show them that the Union and Confederacy are not fighting because they had a simple disagreement and are being petty, but rather that they are passionately fighting for what they each believe to be righteous. Changing the views of a foreign nation is not something that could be done with a “worthless act” that people like Mr. Vallandigham believed the Emancipation Proclamation to be. Another statement made by Mr. Douglass goes to show how the Proclamation would have affected the war greatly. As Mr. Douglass states, “It will disarm all purpose on the part of European Government to intervene in favor of the rebels and thus cast off... one source of rebel power” (Dudley 167). Mr. Vallandigham then states in his speech however that “Of what possible avail was his proclamation of September? Did the South submit? Was she even alarmed?” (Dudley 169). One should see that Mr. Douglass’ statement disproves Mr. Vallandigham’s because the South would indeed be alarmed by the Proclamation due to its

The Emancipation Proclamation is centered on the concept of freeing the slaves; however, the proclamation did not actually free any slaves but had a greater goal of preserving the Union through European alliance. The Emancipation Proclamation did not free slaves in Union controlled lands but instead freed the slaves where the federal government had no real power. At his inauguration, Lincoln even stated that he has “no lawful right [to] interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it [already] exists.” Furthermore, Lincoln revealed, in a letter to Horace Greeley that slavery is not even a primary focus of his political agenda when he stated “my paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and it is not either to save or destroy slavery.” This letter also emphasizes Lincoln’s chief interest during the American Civil War – to maintain the Union. Therefore, Lincoln himself indicated that the Emancipation Proclamation’s purpose was to preserve the Union by successfully aiding in closing the door to European intervention in the South.

o Lincoln 's reputation as the great emancipator rests largely on his emancipation proclamation, an executive order which went into effect on January 1st, 1863. This order ostensibly freed all the slaves in territory currently rebelling against the United States, i.e. in areas where the US government had no authority to free slaves. This is rather like the United States announcing that, from here on out, North Korea would be ruled by Lady Gaga. Sure, it 's a great idea, but it 's not really your jurisdiction. In areas where the US did have the authority to free slaves--the border states and some of the areas of the Confederacy that had been effectively conquered and occupied by federal troops, those slaves were not freed. So Lincoln

The Emancipation Proclamation was a carefully crafted speech that was certainly not made overnight. The country had been moving towards it gradually, beginning with the The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act in April of 1862, which freed all slaves in Washington in return for payment to their owners. The Second Confiscation Act in July of 1862. Stating that if the rebellion were to continue not to end within sixty days, the North would be sanctioned to seize rebel property, namely slaves. However, Lincoln’s ultimate goal was the preservation of the Union and the maintenance of the Constitution, not the freeing of slaves, which is clearly seen in this letter to Kentucky newspaper editor A.G. Hodges. He explains his rationale behind emancipation by stating, “I was, in my best judgment, driven to the alternative of either surrendering the Union and the Constitution, or of laying strong hand upon the colored element. I chose the latter.” Lincoln is referring to allowing African-Americans to join Union military campaigns and fight against the Confederacy. The addition of African-American soldiers would help tip the balance in their favor even more in the North’s favor, helping them to secure important victories. These former slaves

This quote made a clear point of how Lincoln views slavery and how he wants to end slavery in the United Sates. Also he says that “we must not interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists, because the constitution forbids it, and the general welfare does not require us to do” (Various Lincoln Statements). Lincoln did not want any change that he would make to challenge slavery in the confederate states because it was forbidden by the constitution.

Many large beliefs are that the Emancipation Proclamation was set forth to end slavery, which is only partially true. The Proclamation was set forth to undermine the south, which meant disarming the Confederate rebellion and preventing secession. Lincoln's strategic goal for the Proclamation was to remove any financial gain from it's now Southern enemy. With slaves now freed in the South, the war effort was financially at risk. Freed slaves in the South meant funding to supply weapons, uniforms, rations, and supplies were completely at a halt. Lincoln's vision was to break the South from the inside to put a complete halt to the South's secession. Allowing slaves to join the Union army meant an endless supply of troops for the Union. The

Although there were more than four million slaves living in the U.S. at this time, the Emancipation Proclamation did not formally free a single one of them. So that presents us with a couple of very interesting questions: first, why did Lincoln issue the proclamation if it had no practical effect? Second, why is the Emancipation Proclamation considered Lincoln's most important legacy if it didn't actually free anyone?

In Document B, Lincoln gives his speech to a religious group in Chicago, before the Emancipation Proclamation was put into effect. There he was selling the idea that the blacks should be freed, but making sure that his audience knew what precautions he wanted to avoid (e.g., arming the blacks, which could lead to the hands of the rebels stated in Document B). In another speech, in Document E, Lincoln is reciting a speech to the Democratic Party, his opposing party; which shows that he was talking to all groups, not just his own. He tells the Democrats, that they cannot avoid slavery if they want to preserve the Union. He stated in Document E, “I issued the proclamation on purpose to aid you in saving the Union.” Lincoln explains that the Emancipation Proclamation was put into order to help the Democrats save the Union. However, this is not really one of Lincoln’s reasons for the proclamation. He is basically just having the Democrats agree on his new order in order to help/ join the war. Lincoln uses his mind tricks to make the Democratic Party feel guilty for not aiding/fighting to free the “negroes,” quoted in Document E; which at this time in August 26, 1863, the South is winning the war. Because the South is winning the war, the Emancipation Proclamation was made to mislead/ trick Europe into entering the war. Lincoln is using his experience of being a lawyer to

During his election campaign and throughout the early years of the Civil War, Lincoln vehemently denied the rumour that he would mount an attack on slavery. At the outbreak of fighting, he pledged to 'restore the Union, but accept slavery where it existed ', with Congress supporting his position via the Crittendon-Johnson Resolutions. However, during 1862 Lincoln was persuaded for a number of reasons that Negro emancipation as a war measure was both essential and sound. Public opinion seemed to be going that way, Negro slaves were helping the Southern war effort, and a string of defeats had left Northern morale low. A new moral boost to the cause might give weary Union soldiers added impetus in the fight. Furthermore, if the Union fought against slavery, Britain and France could not help the other side, since their 'peculiar institution ' was largely abhorred in both European nations. Having eased the American public into the idea, through speeches that hinted at emancipation, Lincoln finally signed the Proclamation on January 1st 1863, releasing all slaves behind rebel lines. Critics argued that the proclamation went little further than the Second Confiscation Act and it conveniently failed to release prisoners behind Union lines. Nevertheless, Henry Adams summed up public reaction to the Proclamation as an 'almost convulsive reaction in our favour '.

On September 22, 1862, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, issued the first, or preliminary, Emancipation Proclamation. In this document he warned that unless the states of the Confederacy returned to the Union by January 1, 1863, he would declare their slaves to be “forever free.” During the Civil War, he was fighting to save the Union and trying not to free the slaves. Lincoln was quoted to say, “I am not, nor have ever been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races.” The Emancipation Proclamation illustrated this view.

In the third document, “Border States Are Alarmed ( 1862), a document cited by George D Prentice a South adopted Connecticut Yankee who spoke on behalf of Kentucky and his unwillingness to the emancipation proclamation who claims that the order is unjust and mischievous, that if carried out shall only be harmful, though admitted it would be helpful against the enemy [South]. Prentice speaks thoroughly on his unwillingness as a representative of Kentucky to take on such an order, he believes it is an act that shall never really be abolished, though attempted. He clings to the fact that Lincoln is just a temporary occupant of the executive chair and is of little worth, that slavery is an institution installed from the “government our fathers framed” which will withstand through the emancipation proclamation. The document ended by Prentice stating that Kentucky would resist the act.

Lincoln states "If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that." Lincoln was strictly for the Union and if he could save the Union and end slavery he would, but his first thoughts were for the Union, and only the Union. He deals with slavery in this manner because he does not want to upset or cause turmoil in the South. Even though the Civil War was going on, he wants it to end and the Union to be whole.

In the years prior to 1862 and 1863, many people were calling on President Lincoln for the emancipation of the slaves. Many felt that slavery would be the evil that would bring the country down. But at that time Lincoln didn't think it wise to emancipate them