These
are totally different questions from those of police regulations in
armies and camps."
This distinct reservation of executive power, and equally plain
announcement of the contingency which would justify its exercise, was
coupled with a renewed recital of his plan and offer of compensated
abolishment and reinforced by a powerful appeal to the public opinion of
the border slave States.
"I do not argue," continued the proclamation, "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 personal and partizan 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 anything. 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."
This proclamation of President Lincoln's naturally created considerable
and very diverse comment, but much less than would have occurred had not
military events intervened which served in a great degree to absorb
public attention.
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