Abe Lincoln’s Tricknology: The “Emancipation” Proclamation

One mile east of the Capitol is a bronze statue depicting Lincoln striking the shackles from a kneeling slave. It was allegedly paid for by the newly “emancipated” Blacks with their first wages as “free” men and women. But Lincoln was never interested in counting Black people among the American citizenry, nor did he hide this fact.

Contrary to popular belief, the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 did not “free” a single Black person from chattel slavery—not one. Lincoln needed to save the Union from destruction and finally realized that he needed Black folks to do it. In fact, the Emancipation Act was directed at only the slaves of the rebelling Confederate States which had seceded from the Union and declared themselves to be an independent nation. They even had a different president—Jefferson Davis.

The Black slaves in states that were loyal to the Union—under Lincoln!—remained enslaved. Six months after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, fugitive slaves were still being returned to their enslavers in the loyal states by the courts of the District of Columbia.

Another myth dear to the hearts of American whites was that the Civil War was fought to “free the slaves.” The Crittendon Resolution, which passed Congress in 1861 before the hostilities, made it abundantly clear that the war would not target the “established institutions.” Union military strategy was unambiguous on this point. Early in the war, Secretary of State William H. Seward told foreign governments that “the slaves would be slaves still, and that the masters would be masters still.” In fact, while still engaged in the war, Union General Butler placed his troops at the disposal of the governor of Maryland to repress a rumored slave insurrection. In 1861, when General Fremont freed all slaves in the state of Missouri, Lincoln fired him. Union military camps were closed to fugitive slaves and some were actually captured and returned to their enslavers.

These are hardly the acts of a Salvation Army. Whites rioted all over the North when Blacks were ordered into Union service. A popular song among the Union soldiers was “John Brown’s body lies a-moldering in the grave”—a derisive reference to the white anti-slavery crusader who was executed for his attempts to free Black slaves.

Lincoln’s Tricknology: The “Emancipation” Proclamation

Now let’s look at this most holy racial document that to this very day has given Abraham Lincoln a reputation of the Black Man’s Emancipator.

It has been accurately said that the Emancipation Proclamation is more often admired than read. A careful reading of it reveals fatal flaws that undermine its integrity and assign it firmly to TRICKNOLOGY—not policy. In fact, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation freed NOT A SINGLE SLAVE! Here is the document with comments in red and in caps:

January 1, 1863

A Proclamation.

Whereas, on the twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, to wit:

That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free;

ONLY THE SLAVES OF “REBELLIOUS” STATES ARE ADDRESSED. AT THIS TIME IN HISTORY, LINCOLN ACTUALLY HAS NO AUTHORITY OVER THESE SLAVES OR THOSE STATES. THEY ARE NOW THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA WITH AN ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT PRESIDENT—JEFFERSON DAVIS.

…and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.

THE TERM “ACTUAL FREEDOM” IS SUSPECT, AND APPEARS TO MEAN THAT “EFFORTS” MUST BE MADE IN ADDITION TO THE PROCLAMATION. THE LATER TERM “ALL DELIBERATE SPEED” IN THE 1954 BROWN V TOPEKA DECISION HAS THIS SAME DELIBERATE AMBIGUITY.

That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such State shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United States.

Now, therefore I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested as Commander-in-Chief, of the Army and Navy of the United States in time of actual armed rebellion against the authority and government of the United States, and as a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing said rebellion,

NO MAGNANIMITY HERE. LINCOLN WANTS ALL TO KNOW THAT THERE IS NO LOVE FOR BLACKS AND THAT IT IS ENTIRELY A WAR MEASURE – NOT AN “EQUALITY” MEASURE.

…do, on this first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and in accordance with my purpose so to do publicly proclaimed for the full period of one hundred days, from the day first above mentioned, order and designate as the States and parts of States

NOTICE THE TERM “PARTS OF STATES.”

…wherein the people thereof respectively, are this day in rebellion against the United States, the following, to wit: Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, (except the Parishes of St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, St. John, St. Charles, St. James Ascension, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Orleans, including the City of New Orleans) Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, (except the forty-eight counties designated as West Virginia, and also the counties of Berkley, Accomac, Northampton, Elizabeth City, York, Princess Ann, and Norfolk, including the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth[)],

WHY THESE EXCEPTIONS? THEY ARE AREAS NOT REBELLING AND IN COMMAND BY UNION (LINCOLN’S) FORCES AND THUS THEY ARE PERMITTED TO MAINTAIN BLACK SLAVERY.

…and which excepted parts, are for the present, left precisely as if this proclamation were not issued.

IN OTHER WORDS, WITHOUT ANY EFFECT ON SLAVERY.

And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.

And I hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence,

HERE, LINCOLN OBVIOUSLY FEARS SLAVE RETRIBUTION AGAINST WHITES.

…unless in necessary self-defence; and I recommend to them that, in all cases when allowed, they labor faithfully for reasonable wages.

“WHEN ALLOWED”? ARE BLACKS FREE ONLY TO LABOR FOR OTHERS? AND THIS LEAVES THE POWER IN THE HANDS OF THE REBEL SLAVEOWNERS. WHO IS EXPECTED TO DO THE “ALLOWING” BUT THE SLAVEMASTER, WHOM LINCOLN “ALLOWS” TO STAY IN COMMAND. INDEED, THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION DOES NOT TOUCH ANY OF THE SLAVEHOLDER’S ASSETS—HIS LAND, HIS PLANTATIONS, HIS EQUIPMENT, HIS INFRASTRUCTURE—ALL REMAIN IN HIS HANDS—NONE OF THIS FOR THE AGGRIEVED SLAVE WHOSE UNREWARDED LABOR BUILT IT ALL.

And I further declare and make known, that such persons of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States to garrison forts, positions, stations, and other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service.

BLACKS ARE STRONGLY STEERED BY LINCOLN TO GO IMMEDIATELY INTO THE ARMY. IN OTHER WORDS, FREED FROM THE SOUTH TO SLAVE FOR THE NORTH. A “FREE” PEOPLE ARE JUST THAT — FREE; FREE TO FARM, ESTABLISH HOMES, BUSINESSES, INSTITUTIONS AND COMMUNITIES, OWN LAND, BUILD FACTORIES, ENGAGE IN INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE. THE E.P. CONDITIONS THE “FREEDOM” OF THE SLAVES TO A SINGLE ROLE OF MILITARY SERVICE.

And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty God.

GOD HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the eighty-seventh.

By the President: ABRAHAM LINCOLN

WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.

BLACKS WERE NOT TECHNICALLY FREED UNTIL THE ENACTMENT OF THE 13TH AMMENDMENT, WHICH, BY ITS WORDING, ESTABLISHES ANOTHER FORM OF SLAVERY IN THE FORM OF INCARCERATION: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, EXCEPT as a punishment for crime…” AND CERTAINLY, SLAVERY CONTINUES IN THE FORM OF PRISON LABOR.

For more read Forced into Glory: Abraham Lincoln’s White Dream, by Lerone Bennett Jr.