Republicans passed the DC Emancipation Act
Today, the nation's capital celebrates “Emancipation Day” –- commemorating the Republican Party's abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, on April 16, 1862. That’s right, the Republican Party freed the slaves in DC, despite fierce opposition from the Democrats. Of course, no one in the DC Government dares mention that fact, since the true heritage of the Grand Old Party is what Republicans should know and Democrats should fear.
During the Civil War, one of the nation’s leading abolitionists was U.S. Senator Henry Wilson (R-MA), who would later serve as Vice President during President Grant’s second term. In December 1861, Senator Wilson introduced a bill to abolish slavery in the District. The measure met with parliamentary obstacles from the adamantly pro-slavery Democratic Party, whom Republicans in those days referred to as the “Slave-ocrats.” Most Democrats in Congress having resigned in order to join the Confederate rebellion, Wilson’s measure sailed through the Senate. The abolitionist Senator responsible for outmaneuvering Democrat opposition was Ben Wade, the Ohio Republican who six years later would have assumed the presidency had the bitterly racist Democrat President, Andrew Johnson, been convicted during his impeachment trail.
In the House of Representatives, Democrats delayed passage with a series of stalling tactics. Finally, the Majority Leader, Thaddeus Stevens (R-PA), bulldozed over Democrat opposition by calling the House into a Committee of the Whole. He stopped all other business in the House until Democrats relented and allowed a vote on the bill. Representative Stevens is best known for his “forty acres and a mule” proposal. Overall, 99% of Republicans in Congress voted to free the slaves in the District of Columbia, and 83% of Democrats voted to keep them in chains.
While serving his one term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Abraham Lincoln had in 1848 sponsored a bill to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia. As President, he proudly signed the District of Columbia Emancipation Act, announcing “I have never doubted the constitutional authority of congress to abolish slavery in this District; and I have ever desired to see the national capital freed from the institution.” Thanks to Republican majorities in Congress, President Lincoln could at last see the city freed from the institution of slavery.
Among the 3100 slaves whom the Republican Party emanicpated on that day was Philip Reid. A year later, Reid, a skilled metal worker, supervised the casting of the bronze statue which stands atop the dome of the U.S. Capitol. The name of that statue? Freedom.
Michael Zak is a popular speaker to Republican organizations around the country, showing office-holders, candidates, and activists how they would benefit tremendously from knowing and appreciating our Party's heritage of civil rights achievement. See www.republicanbasics.com for more information about the Republican Party and about the book, Back to Basics for the Republican Party, which shows Republicans how to campaign against Democrats more effectively.
Posted at 01:30 AM
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hattip to Americanthinker blog |
