That would be Lincoln's problem, but he was between the abolitionist governors who were speaking loudly for freeing the slaves in 1862 and the border states. On one hand he could lose the border-states but on the other he could lose great numbers of Northern troops in those states like Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Michigan, Connecticut, Rhode Island. There was a meeting of the governors at Rhode Island in September of 1862, where it is rumored because of Lincoln's inaction on freeing the slaves they would raise an army of 50,000, put Fremont in command, and make him a abolitionist military dictator.*

*New York Illustrated News, Sept. 1862, New Hampshire Patriot, Oct. 1862.

The radical governors wanted immediate emmancipation to releave their white troops and put ex-slaves in the ranks. Lincoln wanted gradual emmancipation by compensation to keep the Kentuckians happy. The pressure to do something, anything, to get the pressure off of him in the press and with the radical governors caused him to write and later enforce the E.P.

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David Upton