Lincoln thanked Horace Greeley for his paper’s approval of the emancipation plan and suggested that “as the North are already for the measure, we should urge it persuasively, and not menacingly, upon the South.” The place to start might well be Washington, D.C. There slavery could be abolished constitutionally, for the federal government controlled the District of Columbia. Lincoln, however, told Greeley: “I am a little uneasy about the abolishment of slavery in this District, not but I would be glad to see it abolished, but as to the time and manner of doing it. If some one or more of the border-states would move fast, I should greatly prefer it; but if this can not be in a reasonable time, I would like the bill [abolishing slavery in the District] to have the three main features—gradual—compensation—and vote of the people—I do not talk to members of congress on the subject, except when they ask me.” Greeley offered to endorse emancipation in the District with Lincoln’s provisos.
Source: Abraham Lincoln ∶ A Life ▫𓂃
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