I'm not arguing their motives I'm saying that they had the power by legislation to remove slavery at anytime. They chose to leave people in bondage, for what ever reason. The 37th and 38th Congress most probably initiated more acts, laws and admitted more states into the Union in their tenur than any other United States Congress in history, making them very agreeable to any bill submitted. So the fact it took them from 1861 until 1866 to end slavery IS inexcusable.

Lincoln most definitly had the executive power to remove slaves from their owners in time of war. He choose to only remove slaves from those owners that he had no military control over. In conquered states those male slaves of age, owned by 'loyal' masters, could only be freed if sold into the Army by their master. 'Unloyal' masters had their male slaves of age 'recruited' into the Army. This arrangement made for a very corrupt system, usually involving the stealing of slaves from 'loyal' masters and somebody other than him getting the $300 bounty (West Tennessee, 1864).

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David Upton