NEW YORK PAPER REPORTS ON THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION
Fine Civil War-era newspaper, 4pp. folio, the Dec. 10, 1863 edition of "The Sun", published in New York. Of the many interesting articles it contains, by far the most historically important is a report on the effects of the Emancipation Proclamation, which had gone into effect at the beginning of 1863. In part: "... The policy of emancipation and of employing black soldiers gave to the future a new aspect, about which hope and fear and doubt contended in uncertain conflict ... eleven months having now passed, we are permitted to take another review .. Tennessee and Arkansas have been substantially cleared of insurgents' control, and influential citizens in each - owners of slaves and advocates of Slavery at the beginning of the rebellion - now declare openly for emancipation in their respective States ... Of those who were slaves at the beginning of the rebellion, full one hundred thousand are now in the United States' military service, about one half of which number actually bear arms in the ranks, thus giving the double advantage of taking so much labor from the insurgents, and supplying the places which otherwise must be filled with so many white men. So far as tested, it is difficult to say that they are not as good soldiers as any. No servile insurrection or tendency to violence or cruelty, has marked the measures of emancipation, and arming the blacks..." The paper bears folds, with minor soiling and chipping overall, else very good.