Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Saturday Dec. 14

Kate went out to Moore and Cutler's store at the Tunnel Station to get coffee, tea &c. which will be sent in by train.  She went on horseback and got back before dinner. Lizzie Bailey here to tea.  Kate taught her how to crochet mittens.  
All the news papers and all the people are discussing the President's message, and the Secretary's reports.  The great question is what policy shall be adopted respecting slavery?  May God lead to a right decision.


Peggy's comments:
The Tunnel Station was a railroad station about three miles north of where Julia Cutler lived.

Secretary of War Cameron advocated the freeing and arming of slaves.  Lincoln took a more conservative approach in his speech to the nation on December 3, 1861.  This speech is fascinating in many ways, including the depth of detail.  In the speech, Lincoln refers to the Confiscation Act which stated that all slaves of the Confederate government who escaped to the United States would be employed by the United States.  The compensation was not clearly defined.  He also talks about a plan for  "colonization" advocated by many people as a solution to the slavery "problem".  The idea was to transport former slaves (and others of African descent) to a place where the climate was more suitable.  In most plans, an unspecified Caribbean Island was the proposed place.

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