, ▁President ▁Lincoln ▁did ▁not ▁feel ▁constitution ally ▁author ized ▁to ▁extend ▁the ▁E man cip ation ▁Pro clam ation ▁to ▁Maryland . ▁Only ▁the ▁state ▁itself ▁could ▁end ▁sla very ▁at ▁this ▁point , ▁and ▁this ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁certain ▁outcome ▁as ▁Maryland ▁was ▁a ▁slave ▁state ▁with ▁strong ▁Confeder ate ▁sympath ies . ▁John ▁P end leton ▁Kennedy ▁and ▁other ▁ant is la very ▁leaders ▁therefore ▁organized ▁a ▁political ▁gather ing . ▁On ▁December ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁a ▁special ▁meeting ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Committee ▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁Party ▁of ▁Maryland ▁was ▁called ▁on ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁sla very ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁( the ▁Union ▁Party ▁was ▁a ▁powerful ▁political ▁party ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁at ▁the ▁time ). ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁meeting , ▁Thomas ▁Sw ann , ▁a ▁state ▁politician , ▁put ▁forward ▁a ▁motion ▁calling ▁for ▁the ▁party ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁" Im mediate ▁em an cip ation ▁( of ▁all ▁slaves ) ▁in ▁Maryland ". ▁John ▁P end leton ▁Kennedy ▁spoke ▁next ▁and ▁second ed ▁the ▁motion . ▁Since ▁Kennedy ▁was ▁the ▁former ▁speaker ▁of ▁the ▁Maryland ▁General ▁Assembly , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁respect ed ▁author , ▁his ▁support ▁carried ▁enorm ous ▁weight ▁in ▁the ▁party . ▁A ▁vote ▁was ▁taken ▁and ▁the ▁motion ▁passed . ▁However ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁Maryland ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁were ▁by ▁then ▁divided ▁on ▁the ▁issue ▁and ▁so ▁twelve ▁months ▁of ▁campaign ing ▁and ▁lo bb ying ▁on ▁the ▁matter ▁of ▁sla very ▁continued ▁throughout ▁the ▁state