[0.E.O]

I would like to find out more about the document, because I’m honestly skeptical about its authenticity. It doesn’t sound like any of the other speeches I’ve ever read from Davis to begin with. I have a hard time believing that Davis would order all the existing free blacks in the Confederacy back into slavery without it ever being mentioned in any of the dozens and dozens of books I’ve read about the rebellion, about both North and South. It just doesn’t...feel right.

[Sherman Logan]

Thanks. I have just been informed that the document may indeed be fake, in which case I offer my sincere apologies to the forum.

I think it does a pretty good job of sounding like a document of the time, or at least a good deal better than most lame attempts to “cite” Jefferson or Lincoln.

If I got fooled on this, it’s a classic example of believing something that you want to believe because it lines up so well with your worldview. Which is a part of human nature that people of all ideological persuasions are prone to.

I’ve read perhaps several hundred books on the War, and probably should have been more skeptical that I hadn’t read or heard of this before.

In my defense, the website from which I got it looked pretty legit.

http://corematerials.homestead.com/

[colorado tanker]

Here is a copy in one of the Library of Congress collections.

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?scsmbib:1:./temp/~ammem_BqeQ::@@@mdb=mcc,gottscho,detr,nfor,wpa,aap,cwar,bbpix,cowellbib,calbkbib,consrvbib,bdsbib,dag,fsaall,gmd,pan,vv,presp,varstg,suffrg,nawbib,horyd,wtc,toddbib,mgw,ncr,ngp,musdibib,hlaw,papr,lhbumbib,rbpebib,lbcoll,alad,hh,aaodyssey,magbell,bbc,dcm,raelbib,runyon,dukesm,lomaxbib,mtj,gottlieb,aep,qlt,coolbib,fpnas,aasm,denn,relpet,amss,aaeo,mff,afc911bib,mjm,mnwp,rbcmillerbib,molden,ww2map,mfdipbib,afcnyebib,klpmap,hawp,omhbib,rbaapcbib,mal,ncpsbib,ncpm,lhbprbib,ftvbib,afcreed,aipn,cwband,flwpabib,wpapos,cmns,psbib,pin,coplandbib,cola,tccc,curt,mharendt,lhbcbbib,eaa,haybib,mesnbib,fine,cwnyhs,svybib,mmorse,afcwwgbib,mymhiwebib,uncall,afcwip,mtaft,manz,llstbib,fawbib,berl,fmuever,cdn,upboverbib,mussm,cic,afcpearl,awh,awhbib,sgp,wright,lhbtnbib,afcesnbib,hurstonbib,mreynoldsbib,spaldingbib,sgproto,scsmbib,afccalbib,mamcol

The Note says: "The famous fake reply to the Emancipation Proclamation, probably printed in the North."

[Gunslingr3]

I share your inherent skepticism, but did find this: Library of Congress