Presidential Powers, Was the Emancipation Proclamation Constitutional? Lincoln had declared in peacetime that he had no constitutional authority to free the slaves. Even used as a war power, emancipation was a risky political act. Public opinion as a whole was against it.... Congress, in July 1862, passed and Lincoln signed the Second Confiscation Act. It liberated slaves held by rebels, and was a step taken to undermine the Confederacys war effort. The Emancipation Proclamation went further. Lincoln first discussed the proclamation with his cabinet in July 1862.... The final proclamation was issued in January 1863. The Proclamation declared as permanently freed all slaves in all areas of the Confederacy that had not already returned to federal control by January 1863. Although implicitly granted authority by Congress, Lincoln used his powers as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, as a necessary war measure as the basis of the proclamation. The Proclamation freed the slaves in the areas of the South that were still in rebellion. Practically, it initially freed only some slaves already behind Union lines. However, it effects spread as the Union armies advanced into the Confederacy. The Emancipation Proclamation also allowed for the enrollment of freed slaves into the United States military. During the war nearly 200,000 blacks, most of them ex-slaves, joined the Union Army. Their contributions gave the North additional manpower that was significant in winning the war.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 17:38:36 +0000
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