itched battle between the slave States and the free commonwealths,
each one endeavoring to develop more strength than the other in the
effort to dictate the policy of the nation with reference to the
States to be formed out of the remaining western territory. Lincoln
did not take any active part in the discussion of slavery during the
first session of his service in Congress, but he always voted against
any measure providing for the extension of the institution. However,
he still adhered to his position as set forth in the protest in the
Illinois Legislature, that Congress had power under the Constitution
to regulate or prohibit slavery in all territory subject to its
jurisdiction, provided that such power be exercised with due regard to
constitutional rights. He, therefore, decided to test the question
whether it was possible to remove from the seat of the Federal
Government the offensive traffic in human beings. In formulating his
plans to carry out this policy, he consulted the leading citizens of
the District of Columbia and certain prominent men in Congress.

Having secured the approval of Mayor Seaton of Washington, a
representative of the intelligent slave-holding citizens of the
District of Columbia, and also the support of Joshua Giddings, the
leading abolition member of Congress, Lincoln proposed a bill to this
effect. Thereupon Giddings made these remarks: "This evening (January
11th) our whole mess remained in the dining room after tea, and
conversed upon the subject of Mr. Lincoln's bill to abolish slavery.
It was approved by all; I believe it as good bill as we could get at
this time, and am willing to pay for slaves to save them from the
southern market, as I suppose every man in the District would sell his
slaves if he saw that slavery was to be abolished."[4]

In the meantime a less radical bill providing also for the abolition
of slavery in the District of Columbia had been introduced by
Representative Gott of New York. Lincoln, therefore, moved as an
amendment on January 16, 1849, that a committee report a bill for the
emancipation of all slaves in the District of Columbia. This measure
prohibited the bringing of slaves into and selling them out of the
District except in the case of those temporarily serving persons
representing slave-holding States. It made provision for a tentative
system of apprenticeship and the eventual emancipation of children
born of slave mothers after January 1, 1850. It fur