icisms and suggestions on the draft he
had given them. Perhaps the most important one was that earnestly
pressed by Secretary Chase, that the new proclamation should make no
exceptions of fractional parts of States controlled by the Union armies,
as in Louisiana and Virginia, save the forty-eight counties of the
latter designated as West Virginia, then in process of formation and
admission as a new State; the constitutionality of which, on this same
December 31, was elaborately discussed in writing by the members of the
cabinet, and affirmatively decided by the President.

On the afternoon of December 31, the cabinet meeting being over, Mr.
Lincoln once more carefully rewrote the proclamation, embodying in it
the suggestions which had been made as to mere verbal improvements; but
he rigidly adhered to his own draft in retaining the exceptions as to
fractional parts of States and the forty-eight counties of West
Virginia; and also his announcement of intention to enlist the freedmen
in military service. Secretary Chase had submitted the form of a closing
paragraph. This the President also adopted, but added to it, after the
words "warranted by the Constitution," his own important qualifying
correction, "upon military necessity."

The full text of the weighty document will be found in a foot-note.[5]

[Footnote 5:

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:
A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas on the twenty-second day of September, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, a proclamation was
issued by the President of the United States, containing, among
other things, the following, to wit:

"That on the first day of January in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves
within any State, or designated part of a State, the people whereof
shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be
then, thenceforward and forever free; and the executive government
of the United States, including the military and naval authority
thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons,
and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them,
in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.

"That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by
proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in
which the people thereof respectively shall then be in rebellion