By David J. Kent
Thursday, September 22, 2022
On this date, September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. The final proclamation would come 100 days later, but this was the beginning of the end of slavery in the United States.
Lincoln had proposed the document to his cabinet back in July. At that time, Secretary of State William Seward convinced Lincoln that, given how badly the recent battles had been going for the Union, it might look like an act of desperation. Lincoln agreed to hold off releasing it until after a Union victory. That came with the battle of Antietam on September 17th (really a draw and the bloodiest single day of the Civil War) and Lincoln called his cabinet together on the 22nd.
He began with a reading of the humorous story, "High Handed Outrage at Utica" written by Artemus Ward (the pen name of Charles Farrar Browne). While seemingly out of place, Lincoln often resorted to humor to break the constant stream of horrific war news. He then read the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet before releasing it to the press and the public.
The Proclamation stated that on the first day of January 1863, all persons held as slaves within any state still in rebellion against the United States shall be "thenceforward, and forever free."
In addition, the document stated that Lincoln would designate which states remained in rebellion on January 1, 1863 and to who this order would apply. Already, army and navy personnel were prohibited from returning fugitive slaves since March. An act of Congress stipulated that any enslaved people who escaped to Union lines would immediately be considered free.
The full Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation can be read here.
Illustration is a contemporary allegorical print of Lincoln struggling to write the Emancipation Proclamation (Library of Congress).
"Kama ilivyoelezwa na David J. Kent, ""Siku hii, Septemba 22, 1862, Rais Abraham Lincoln alitoa tangazo la awali la uhuru." Taarifa ya mwisho ilitolewa siku 100 baadaye, lakini hii ilikuwa mwanzo wa mwisho wa utumwa nchini Marekani. Lincoln alikuwa amependekeza hati hiyo kwa baraza lake la mawaziri mnamo Julai. Wakati huo, Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje William Seward alimshawishi Lincoln kwamba, kwa kuzingatia jinsi vita vya hivi karibuni vilivyokuwa vikiendelea vibaya kwa Muungano, inaweza kuonekana kama kitendo cha kukata tamaa. Lincoln alikubali kusimamisha kutolewa kwake hadi baada ya ushindi wa Muungano. Vita vya Antietam vilipiganwa tarehe 17 Septemba, siku ya vita ya wenyewe kwa wenyewe yenye umwagaji damu zaidi duniani, na Lincoln akafanya mkutano wa mawaziri wake tarehe 22 Septemba. "Mwanzoni mwa kipindi hicho, alisoma hadithi ya ""High Handed Outrage at Utica"" iliyoandikwa na Artemus Ward, mwandishi wa vitabu wa Charles Farrar Browne." Ingawa alionekana kuwa nje ya mahali pake, mara nyingi Lincoln alitumia ucheshi ili kuvunja mtiririko wa habari zenye kuogopesha za vita. Kisha akasoma tangazo la awali la Ukombozi kwa baraza lake la mawaziri kabla ya kulitoa kwa waandishi wa habari na umma. "Katika tangazo hilo, ilisema kwamba ""siku ya kwanza ya Januari 1863 watu wote waliofungwa kama watumwa katika jimbo lolote ambalo bado lilikuwa likipinga Marekani watakuwa huru milele.""" "Katika hati hiyo, Lincoln alitangaza kuwa ""mashirika ya kupigana"" ya Marekani yatakuwa ""mashirika ya kupigana"" kuanzia Januari 1, 1863 na kwamba ""mashirika ya kupigana"" yatakuwa ""mashirika ya kupigana.""" Tayari, wafanyakazi wa jeshi na majini walikuwa wamepigwa marufuku kurudisha watumwa wakimbizi tangu Machi. Sheria ya Bunge ilisema kwamba watumwa wowote waliokimbia kuelekea upande wa Muungano wangehesabiwa kuwa huru mara moja. Tangazo kamili la Utoaji huru la awali linaweza kusomwa hapa. Picha hii ni picha ya wakati huo ya Lincoln akijitahidi kuandika Azimio la Ukombozi (Library of Congress).