1862 Freeing The Slaves In Washington, D. C

1862 FREEING THE SLAVES IN WASHINGTON, D. REPORT, TO ACCOMPANY BILL NO.

US Senate Report oc Committee No. 12, February 13, 1862 2pp.

Disbound, removed from larger volume. The more fervent Abolitionists of the Congress early in the Civil War, anticipating the end of slavery throughout the United States, first focused on this preliminary measure, introduced by Republican Senator Morrill of Maine "for the emancipation of the slaves" in the District of Columbia, with just compensation to loyal masters. This symbolic gesture applied to only some 3,000 Blacks in the nation's capital, almost all "owned" by Masters who claimed to support the Union in the war with the Confederacy.

In reporting on his bill, argued that the measure was only the natural sequel to the bill passed in 1806 to outlaw the further foreign import of slaves to the United States, praised at the time by President Jefferson as ending those violations of human rights which have been so long continued on the unoffending inhabitants of Africa. With the minority of pro-slave Congressmen and Senators well aware that Abolitionists saw the Morrill bill as a stopgap pending national Emancipation some opponents focused on the "compensation" proviso as a wasteful expenditure of badly-needed war funds for the sake of "some old Niggers". They thus managed to delay passage of the bill for months until it was passed and signed into law on April 16. The Republicans then rejoiced that national Emancipation was now inevitable, their hopeful expectation proving correct when President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation 8 months later.