| His personal conflict, and that of the
nation, in balancing his interpretation of the rational and irrational elements that
provoked the war and his humanitarianism for those in bondage ceased in 1862 when the
preservation of the Union and the abolishment of slavery became forever inseparable.
During that same year, Lincoln ordered the army to stop returning runaway slaves to
southern territory, basically annulling the Fugitive Slave Laws,
and contravening the Supreme Court’s decision in the Dred Scott case that slaves were
beings without the rights of citizenship and were simply property that must legally be
returned to their owners, without exception. On January 1, 1863, Lincoln reinforced the nation’s resolve to abolish slavery in the states, after announcing his intentions earlier, by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. It was one of America’s greatest documents, conferring freedom on all slaves within the confines of the areas in rebellion against the United States. With the enactment of the 13th amendment (in effect 1865) to the U.S. Constitution, slavery came to an end, and would be forever illegal, in the United States. Also during 1863, Congress passed the new Militia Act, allowing the president to use "as many persons of African descent" as needed "for suppression of the rebellion." It also repealed earlier legislation (1792) than forbade "persons of color" from serving in the militia. Free blacks and former slaves could now be recruited, however, their pay was set at $10 per month less clothing allowance (whites were paid $13 plus clothing allowance), and they were required to have white officers. All men now had the opportunity to serve their country in its time of need. [Back] [Next] [Up] [New Search] 'Black History' segment written in June, 1998 by David Lodge |