“Major-General Commanding.
“[Official.]
“Ed. W. Smith, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.”
But, before Mr. Lincoln was officially informed of the issuing of the above order, he made haste to annul it in the terms following: “That neither Gen. Hunter nor any other commander or person has been authorized by the Government of the United States to make proclamation declaring the slaves of any State free; and that the supposed proclamation now in question, whether genuine or false, is altogether void, so far as respects such declaration.
“I further make known, that, whether it be competent for me, as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, to declare the slaves of any State or States free, and whether at any time or in any case it shall have become a necessity indispensable to the maintenance of the Government to exercise such supposed power, are questions which, under my responsibility, I reserve to myself, and which I cannot feel justified in leaving to the decision of commanders in the field.”
These words of the President were hailed with cheers by the proslavery press of the North, and carried comfort to the hearts of the rebels; although the Chief-Magistrate did not intend either. However, before the President’s proclamation reached Carolina, Gen. Hunter was furnishing slaves with free papers, of which the succeeding is a copy:—
“DEED OF EMANCIPATION.
“It having been proven, to the entire satisfaction of the general commanding the Department of the South, that the bearer, named————————, heretofore held in involuntary servitude, has been directly employed to aid and assist those in rebellion against the United States of America.
“Now, be it known to all, that, agreeably to the laws, I declare the said person free, and forever absolved from all claims to his services. Both he and his wife and children have full right to go North, East, or West, as they may decide.
“Given under my hand, at the Headquarters of the Department of the South, this nineteenth day of April, 1862.