gns 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. At the date of the proclamation McClellan, with the
Army of the Potomac, was just reaching the Chickahominy in his campaign
toward Richmond; Stonewall Jackson was about beginning his startling
raid into the Shenandoah valley; and Halleck was pursuing his somewhat
leisurely campaign against Corinth. On the day following the
proclamation the victorious fleet of Farragut reached Vicksburg in its
first ascent of the Mississippi. Congress was busy with the multifarious
work that crowded the closing weeks of the long session; and among this
congressional work the debates and proceedings upon several measures of
positive and immediate antislavery legislation were significant "signs
of the times." During the session, and before it ended, acts or
amendments were passed prohibiting the army from returning fugitive
slaves; recognizing the independence and sovereignty of Haiti and
Liberia; providing for carrying into effect the treaty with England to
suppress the African slave trade; restoring the Missouri Compromise and
extending its provisions to all United States Territories; greatly
increasing the scope of the confiscation act in freeing slaves actually
employed in hostile military service; and giving the President
authority, if not in express terms, at least by easy implication, to
organize and arm negro regiments for the war.

But between the President's proclamation and the adjournment of Congress
military affairs underwent a most discouraging change. McClellan's
advance upon Richmond became a retreat to Harrison's Landing Halleck
captured nothing but empty forts at Corinth. Farragut found no
cooeperation at Vicksburg, and returned