hort chapter of Artemus Ward entitled "High-handed Outrage at Utica."
It is less amusing than most of Artemus Ward; but it had just appeared;
it pleased all the Ministers except Stanton, to whom the frivolous
reading he sometimes had to hear from Lincoln was a standing vexation;
and it was precisely that sort of relief to which Lincoln's mind when
overwrought could always turn. Having thus composed himself for
business, he reminded his Cabinet that he had, as they were aware,
thought a great deal about the relation of the war to slavery, and had
a few weeks before read them a draft Proclamation on this subject.
Ever since then, he said, his mind had been occupied on the matter,
and, though he wished it were a better time, he thought the time had
come now. "When the rebel army was at Frederick," he is related to
have continued, "I determined, as soon as it should be driven out of
Maryland, to issue a Proclamation of Emancipation such as I thought
likely to be most useful. I said nothing to any one, but I made the
promise to myself and"--here he hesitated a little--"to my Maker. The
rebel army is now driven out, and I am going to fulfil that promise. I
have got you together to hear what I have written down. I do not wish
your advice about the main matter, for that I have determined for
myself. This I say without intending anything but respect for any one
of you." He then invited their suggestions upon the expressions used
in his draft and other minor matters, and concluded: "One other
observation I will make. I know very well that many others might in
this matter, as in others, do better than I can; and if I was satisfied
that the public confidence was more fully possessed by any one of them
than by me, and knew of any constitutional way in which he could be put
in my place, he should have it. I would gladly yield it to him. But
though I believe I have not so much of the confidence of the people as
I had some time since, I do not know that, all things considered, any
other person has more; and, however this may be, there is no way in
which I can have any other man put where I am. I am here; I must do
the best I can, and bear the responsibility of taking the course which
I feel I ought to take." Then he read his draft, and in the long
discussion which followed, and owing to which a few slight changes were
made in it, he told them further, without any false reserve, just how
he came to his decision. In his great