d not tell them,
that he had the Emancipation Proclamation in his pocket waiting for a
Federal victory before he could issue it!

THE PROCLAMATION

Then, came the news of Antietam, a terrible battle, but gained by the
Northern arms. At last the time had come to announce the freeing of the
slaves that they might help in winning their liberties. The President
had not held a meeting of his Cabinet for some time. He thought of the
occasion when, as a young man he went on a flatboat trip to New Orleans
and saw, for the first, the horrors of negro slavery, and said to his
companions:

"If ever I get a chance to hit that thing I'll hit it hard!"

Now the "chance to hit that thing"--the inhuman monster of human
slavery--had come, and he was going to "hit it hard."

He called the Cabinet together. Edwin M. Stanton, the Secretary of War,
has described the scene:

"On the 22nd of September, 1862, I had a sudden and peremptory call to a
Cabinet meeting at the White House. I went immediately and found the
historic War Cabinet of Abraham Lincoln assembled, every member being
present. The President hardly noticed me as I came in. He was reading a
book of some kind which seemed to amuse him. It was a little book. He
finally turned to us and said:

"'Gentlemen, did you ever read anything from "Artemus Ward?" Let me read
you a chapter that is very funny.'

"Not a member of the Cabinet smiled; as for myself, I was angry, and
looked to see what the President meant. It seemed to me like buffoonery.
He, however, concluded to read us a chapter from 'Artemus Ward,' which
he did with great deliberation. Having finished, he laughed heartily,
without a member of the Cabinet joining in the laughter.

"'Well,' he said, 'let's have another chapter.'

"I was considering whether I should rise and leave the meeting abruptly,
when he threw the book down, heaved a long sigh, and said:

"'Gentlemen, why don't you laugh? With the fearful strain that is upon
me night and day, if I did not laugh I should die, and you need this
medicine as much as I do.'

"He then put his hand in his tall hat that sat upon the table, and
pulled out a little paper. Turning to the members of the Cabinet, he
said:

"'Gentlemen, I have called you here upon very important business. I have
prepared a little paper of much significance. I have made up my mind
that this paper is to issue; that the time is come when it should issue;
that the people are ready for it t