▁E man cip ation ▁Pro clam ation ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 8 6 3 . ▁" But ▁he ▁saw ▁no ▁way ▁of ▁escape ," ▁Julian ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁mem oir s . ▁" The ▁demand ▁for ▁such ▁an ▁ed ict ▁was ▁wide - sp read ▁and ▁rapidly ▁extending ▁in ▁the ▁Republican ▁party ▁... ▁It ▁was ▁in ▁yield ing ▁to ▁[ rad ical ] ▁pressure ▁that ▁he ▁finally ▁became ▁the ▁liber ator ▁of ▁the ▁slaves ▁through ▁the ▁triumph ▁of ▁our ▁arms ▁which ▁it ▁ens ured ." ▁▁ ▁Julian ▁also ▁supported ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁conf isc ating ▁property ▁belonging ▁to ▁those ▁who ▁re bel led ▁against ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁and ▁joined ▁other ▁radical s ▁to ▁vote ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Conf is cation ▁Act ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 2 . ▁Julian ▁wanted ▁the ▁for fe ited ▁land ▁to ▁be ▁divided ▁into ▁free ▁hom est ead s ▁and ▁distributed ▁among ▁those ▁who ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Union ▁military ▁or ▁others ▁who ▁a ided ▁the ▁Union ▁during ▁the ▁war . ▁Black ▁labor ers ▁would ▁be ▁among ▁those ▁el ig ible ▁for ▁the ▁free ▁hom est ead s . ▁Julian ▁also ▁wanted ▁these ▁conf isc ations ▁to ▁be ▁permanent , ▁but ▁Lincoln ▁preferred ▁to ▁limit ▁their ▁duration . ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁Julian ▁introduced ▁a ▁House ▁bill ▁to ▁establish ▁hom est ead s ▁on ▁the ▁conf isc ated ▁lands ▁in ▁the ▁South . ▁It ▁passed ▁the ▁House ▁along ▁party ▁lines , ▁with ▁a ▁vote ▁of