THE PROCLAMATION
Then, came the news of Antietam, a terrible battle, but gained by the Northern arms. At last the time had come to announce the freeing of the slaves that they might help in winning their liberties. The President had not held a meeting of his Cabinet for some time. He thought of the occasion when, as a young man he went on a flatboat trip to New Orleans and saw, for the first, the horrors of negro slavery, and said to his companions:
"If ever I get a chance to hit that thing I'll hit it hard!"
Now the "chance to hit that thing"—the inhuman monster of human slavery—had come, and he was going to "hit it hard."
He called the Cabinet together. Edwin M. Stanton, the Secretary of War, has described the scene:
"On the 22nd of September, 1862, I had a sudden and peremptory call to a Cabinet meeting at the White House. I went immediately and found the historic War Cabinet of Abraham Lincoln assembled, every member being present. The President hardly noticed me as I came in. He was reading a book of some kind which seemed to amuse him. It was a little book. He finally turned to us and said:
"'Gentlemen, did you ever read anything from "Artemus Ward?" Let me read you a chapter that is very funny.'
"Not a member of the Cabinet smiled; as for myself, I was angry, and looked to see what the President meant. It seemed to me like buffoonery. He, however, concluded to read us a chapter from 'Artemus Ward,' which he did with great deliberation. Having finished, he laughed heartily, without a member of the Cabinet joining in the laughter.
"'Well,' he said, 'let's have another chapter.'
"I was considering whether I should rise and leave the meeting abruptly, when he threw the book down, heaved a long sigh, and said: