abraham lincoln and the union-第25节

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。　　The　news　from　America；　possibly；　and　Gladstone's　rashness；　certainly；　roused　it　to　increased　activity。　　Palmerston；　whose　tenure　of　power　was　none　too　secure；　dared　not　risk　a　break　that　might　carry　the　disaffected　into　the　ranks　of　the　Opposition。

From　this　time　forward　the　North　rapidly　grew　in　favor　in　British　public　opinion；　and　its　influence　upon　the　Government　speedily　increased。

Says　Lord　Charnwood　in　his　recent　life　of　Lincoln：　〃The　battle　of　Antietam　was　followed　within　five　days　by　an　event　which　made　it　impossible　for　any　government　of　this　country　to　take　action　unfriendly　to　the　North。〃　　He　refers　of　course　to　the　Emancipation　Proclamation；　which　was　issued　on　September　23；　1862。　　Lord　Charnwood's　remark　may　be　too　dramatic。　　But　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　the　Emancipation　Proclamation　was　the　turning…point　in　Lincoln's　foreign　policy；　and　because　of　it；　his　friends　in　England　eventually　forced　the　Government　to　play　into　his　hands；　and　so　frustrated　Napoleon's　scheme　for　intervention。　Consequently　Lincoln　was　able　to　maintain　the　blockade　by　means　of　which　the　South　was　strangled。　　Thus；　at　bottom；　the　crucial　matter　was　Emancipation。

Lincoln's　policy　with　regard　to　slavery　passed　through　three　distinct　stages。　　As　we　have　seen；　he　proposed；　at　first；　to　pledge　the　Government　not　to　interfere　with　slavery　in　the　States　where　it　then　existed。　　This　was　his　maximum　of　compromise。　　He　would　not　agree　to　permitting　its　extension　into　new　territory。　He　maintained　this　position　through　1861；　when　it　was　made　an　accusation　against　him　by　the　Abolitionists　and　contributed　to　the　ebb　of　his　popularity。　　It　also　played　a　great　part　in　the　episode　of　Fremont。　　At　a　crucial　moment　in　Fremont's　career；　when　his　hold　upon　popularity　seemed　precarious；　he　set　at　naught　the　policy　of　the　President　and　issued　an　order　（August　30；　1861）；　which　confiscated　all　property　and　slaves　of　those　who　were　in　arms　against　the　United　States　or　actively　aiding　the　enemy；　and　which　created　a　〃bureau　of　abolition。〃　　Whether　Fremont　was　acting　from　conviction　or　〃playing　politics〃　may　be　left　to　his　biographers。　　In　a　most　tactful　letter　Lincoln　asked　him　to　modify　the　order　so　as　to　conform　to　the　Confiscation　Act　of　Congress；　and　when　Fremont　proved　obdurate；　Lincoln　ordered　him　to　do　so。　In　the　outcry　against　Lincoln　when　Fremont　was　at　last　removed；　the　Abolitionists　rang　the　changes　on　this　reversal　of　his　policy　of　military　abolition。

Another　Federal　General；　Benjamin　F。　Butler；　in　the　course　of　1861；　also　raised　the　issue；　though　not　in　the　bold　fashion　of　Fremont。　Runaway　slaves　came　to　his　camp　on　the　Virginia　coast；　and　he　refused　to　surrender　them　to　the　owners。　　He　took　the　ground　that；　as　they　had　probably　been　used　in　building　Confederate　fortifications；　they　might　be　considered　contraband　of　war。　He　was　sustained　by　Congress；　which　passed　what　is　commonly　called　the　First　Confiscation　Act　providing　that　slaves　used　by　Confederate　armies　in　military　labor　should；　if　captured；　be　〃forfeited〃which　of　course　meant　that　they　should　be　set　free。　　But　this　did　not　settle　what　should　be　done　with　runaways　whose　masters；　though　residents　of　seceded　States；　were　loyal　to　the　Union。　　The　War　Department　decided　that　they　should　be　held　until　the　end　of　the　war；　when　probably　there　would　be　made　〃just　compensation　to　loyal　masters。〃

This　first　stage　of　Lincoln's　policy　rested　upon　the　hope　that　the　Union　might　be　restored　without　prolonged　war。　　He　abandoned　this　hope　about　the　end　of　the　year。　　Thereupon；　his　policy　entered　its　second　stage。　　In　the　spring　of　1862　he　formulated　a　plan　for　gradual　emancipation　with　compensation。　　The　slaves　of　Maryland；　Delaware；　Kentucky；　Missouri；　and　the　District　of　Columbia　were　to　be　purchased　at　the　rate　of　400　each；　thus　involving　a　total　expenditure　of　173；000；000。　　Although　Congress　adopted　the　joint　resolution　recommended　by　the　President；　the　〃border　States〃　would　not　accept　the　plan。　　But　Congress；　by　virtue　of　its　plenary　power；　freed　the　slaves　by　purchase　in　the　District　of　Columbia；　and　prohibited　slavery　in　all　the　territories　of　the　United　States。

During　the　second　stage　of　his　policy　Lincoln　again　had　to　reverse　the　action　of　an　unruly　general。　　The　Federal　forces　operating　from　their　base　at　Port　Royal　had　occupied　a　considerable　portion　of　the　Carolina　coast。　　General　Hunter　issued　an　order　freeing　all　the　slaves　in　South　Carolina；　Georgia；　and　Florida。　　In　countermanding　the　order；　Lincoln　made　another　futile　appeal　to　the　people　of　the　border　States　to　adopt　some　plan　of　compensated　emancipation。

〃I　do　not　argue；〃　he　said；　〃I　beseech　you　to　make　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　partisan　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　neglected　it。　〃

This　persuasive　attitude　and　reluctance　to　force　the　issue　had　greatly　displeased　the　Abolitionists。　　Their　most　gifted　orator；　Wendell　Phillips；　reviled　Lincoln　with　all　the　power　of　his　literary　genius；　and　with　a　fury　that　might　be　called　malevolent。　Meanwhile；　a　Second　Confiscation　Act　proclaimed　freedom　for　the　slaves　of　all　those　who　supported　the　Confederate　Government。　Horace　Greeley　now　published　in　the　〃New　York　Tribune〃　an　editorial　entitled；　〃The　Prayer　of　Twenty　Millions。〃　　He　denounced　Lincoln's　treatment　of　Fremont　and　Hunter　and　demanded　radical　action。　Lincoln　replied　in　a　letter　now　famous。　　〃I　would　save　the　Union；〃　said　he；　〃I　would　save　it　the　shortest　way　under　the　Constitution。。。。　　If　I　could　save　the　Union　without　freeing　any　slave；　I　would　do　it；　and　if　I　could　save　it　by　freeing　some　and　leaving　others　alone；　I　would　also　do　that。　　What　I　do　about　slavery　and　the　colored　race；　I　do　because　I　believe　it　helps　to　save　the　Union；　and　what　I　forbear；　I　forbear　because　I　do　not　believe　it　would　help　to　save　the　Union。〃

However；　at　the　very　time　when　he　wrote　this　remarkable　letter；　he　had　in　his　own　mind　entered　upon　the　third　stage　of　his　policy。　He　had　even　then　discussed　with　his　Cabinet　an　announcement　favoring　general　emancipation。　　The　time　did　not　seem　to　them　ripe。　　It　was　decided　to　wait　until　a　Federal　victory　should　save　the　announcement　from　appearing　to　be　a　cry　of　desperation。　　Antietam；　which　the　North　interpreted　as　a　victory；　gave　Lincoln　his　opportunity。

The　Emancipation　Proclamation　applied　only　to　the　States　in　arms　against　the　Federal　Government。　　Such　States　were　given　three　months　in　which　to　return　to　the　Union。　　Thereafter；　if　they　did　not　return；　their　slaves　would　be　regarded　by　that　Government　as　free。　　No　distinction　was　made　between　slaves　owned　by　supporters　of　the　Confederacy　and　those　whose　owners　were　in　opposition　to　it。　　The　Proclamation　had　no　bearing　on　those　slave　States　which　had　not　seceded。　　Needless　to　add；　no　seceded　State　returned；　and　a　second　Proclamation　making　their　slaves　theoretically　free　was　in　due　time　issued　on　the　first　of　January；　1863。

It　must　not　be　forgotten　that　this　radical　change　of　policy　was　made　in　September；　1862。　　We　have　already　heard　of　the　elections　which　took　place　soon　afterthose　elections　which　mark　perhaps　the　lowest　ebb　of　Lincoln's　popularity；　when　Seymour　was　elected　Governor　of　New　York；　and　the　peace　party　gained　over　thirty　seats　in　Congress。　　It　is　a　question　whether；　as　a　purely　domestic　measure；　the　Emancipation　Proclamation　was　not；　for　the　time；　an　injury　to　the　Lincoln　Government。　　And　yet　it　was　the　real　turningpoint　in　the　fortunes　of　the　North。　　It　was　the　central　fact　in　the　maintenance　of　the　blockade。

In　England　at　this　time　the　cotton　famine　was　at　its　height。　Nearly　a　million　people　in　the　manufacturing　districts　were　wholly　dependent　upon　charity。　　This　result　of　the　blockade　had　been　foreseen　by　the　Confederate　Government　which　was　confident　that　the　distress　of　England's　working　people　would　compel　the　English　ministry　to　intervene　and　break　the　blockade。　　The　employers　in　England　whose　loss　was　wholly　financial；　did　as　the　Confederates　hoped　they　would　do。　　The　workmen；　however；　took　a　different　course。　　Schooled　by　a　number　of　able　debaters；　they　fell　into　line　with　that　third　group　of　political　leaders　who　saw　in　the　victory　of　the　North；　whatever　its　motives；　the　eventual　extinction　of　slavery。　　To　these　people；　the　Emancipation　Proclamation　gave　a　definite　programme。　　It　was　now；　the　leaders　argued；　no　longer　a　question　of　eventual　effect；　the　North　had　proclaimed　a　motive　and　that　motive　was　the　extinction　of　slavery。　Great　numbers　of　Englishmen　of　all　classes　who　had　hitherto　held　back　from　supporting　Cobden　and　Bright　now　ranged　themselves　on　their　side。　　Addresses　of　praise　and　sympathy　〃began　to　pour　into　the　Legation　of　the　United　States　in　a　steady　and　eve