Reason to be very proud of the Republican Party

More on Emancipation Day...
MICHAEL ZAK, 4/16/2011 - DC Emancipation Day, thanks to the Republican Party "Today [April 16], the nation's capital celebrates "Emancipation Day" -- commemorating the Republican Party's abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, on April 16, 1862. ∴ That's right, the Republican Party freed the slaves in Washington, DC. It was the GOP that passed the DC Emancipation Act, despite fierce opposition from the Democrats. Of course, the Democrat mayor of DC and the Democrat president of the USA don't mention that fact.

One of the nation's leading abolitionists was Senator Henry Wilson (R-MA), who would later serve as vice president during President Grant's second term. In December 1861, Senator Wilson introduced a bill to abolish slavery in the District. The measure met with parliamentary obstacles from the pro-slavery Democratic Party.

The senator most responsible for outmaneuvering Democrat opposition was Ben Wade (R-OH). If in 1868, the racist Democrat president, Andrew Johnson, had been convicted during his impeachment trial, Senator Wade would have become president.

Overall, 99% of Republicans in Congress voted to free the slaves in the District of Columbia, while 83% of Democrats voted to keep those 3,100 African-Americans in chains.

While serving his one term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Abraham Lincoln had sponsored a bill to abolish slavery in DC. As president, he proudly signed the District of Columbia Emancipation Act, announcing "I have never doubted the constitutional authority of congress to abolish slavery in this District; and I have ever desired to see the national capital freed from the institution." Finally, it happened, thanks to Republican majorities in Congress.

Due to the fact that DC Emancipation Day is observed on April 15 this year, the federal tax filing deadline has been postponed to April 18. So, for these three extra days, we can also thank the GOP.

Here is a link to this article at Grand Old Partisan.

Michael Zak is a popular speaker to Republican organizations around the country. He is the author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, the acclaimed history of the GOP cited by Clarence Thomas in a Supreme Court decision.

See www.grandoldpartisan.com for more information.

Michael Zak's Email: grand_old_partisan@hotmail.com