In the comments to this post, walruskkkch [High Praise!] left this bacon bit:
Lincoln: “John, take a memo. Subject Slavery. Text reads ‘All slaves are now to be considered free.’ Sign it A Lincoln and have it buried with the other Friday news dumps we are doing. I’m off for the golf course.”
See Also: Pelosi – Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order
“To the Southern States, we apologize. P.S. please join our network!” President LinkedIn
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The Emancipation Proclamation was indeed an executive order. Lincoln issued it in his capacity as commander-in-chief, because he believed (correctly) that slaves in the Confederacy were being used to support its war effort. Something that I wasn’t taught in school (and you probably weren’t, either) is that it freed the slaves only in those states that were in rebellion (and, for some states, only the parts that were still in rebellion) – because Lincoln did it in his capacity as commander-in-chief. Slaves in, for example, Kentucky, were not freed, because Kentucky had never joined the Confederacy.
It is an intellectually respectable position, although one with which I disagree, to argue that Lincoln didn’t have that power. It is not an intellectually respectable position to compare the Emancipation Proclamation with Obama’s refusal to enforce existing immigration law. Lincoln made an argument based on the Constitution for his action; Obama has made no such argument.
Promoted! Do I get a raise in pay as well?
@4 – walruskkkch – A raise? Why, I’ll *double* your current salary!
Great! Hey, wait a minute…