AnotherFederalGeneral，BenjaminF。Butler，inthecourseof1861，alsoraisedtheissue，thoughnotintheboldfashionofFremont。RunawayslavescametohiscampontheVirginiacoast，andherefusedtosurrenderthemtotheowners。Hetookthegroundthat，astheyhadprobablybeenusedinbuildingConfederatefortifications，theymightbeconsideredcontrabandofwar。HewassustainedbyCongress，whichpassedwhatiscommonlycalledtheFirstConfiscationActprovidingthatslavesusedbyConfederatearmiesinmilitarylaborshould，ifcaptured，be\"forfeited\"——whichofcoursemeantthattheyshouldbesetfree。Butthisdidnotsettlewhatshouldbedonewithrunawayswhosemasters，thoughresidentsofsecededStates，wereloyaltotheUnion。TheWarDepartmentdecidedthattheyshouldbehelduntiltheendofthewar，whenprobablytherewouldbemade\"justcompensationtoloyalmasters。\"
ThisfirststageofLincoln\'spolicyresteduponthehopethattheUnionmightberestoredwithoutprolongedwar。Heabandonedthishopeabouttheendoftheyear。Thereupon，hispolicyentereditssecondstage。Inthespringof1862heformulatedaplanforgradualemancipationwithcompensation。TheslavesofMaryland，Delaware，Kentucky，Missouri，andtheDistrictofColumbiaweretobepurchasedattherateof$400each，thusinvolvingatotalexpenditureof$173，000，000。AlthoughCongressadoptedthejointresolutionrecommendedbythePresident，the\"borderStates\"wouldnotaccepttheplan。ButCongress，byvirtueofitsplenarypower，freedtheslavesbypurchaseintheDistrictofColumbia，andprohibitedslaveryinalltheterritoriesoftheUnitedStates。
DuringthesecondstageofhispolicyLincolnagainhadtoreversetheactionofanunrulygeneral。TheFederalforcesoperatingfromtheirbaseatPortRoyalhadoccupiedaconsiderableportionoftheCarolinacoast。GeneralHunterissuedanorderfreeingalltheslavesinSouthCarolina，Georgia，andFlorida。Incountermandingtheorder，LincolnmadeanotherfutileappealtothepeopleoftheborderStatestoadoptsomeplanofcompensatedemancipation。
\"Idonotargue，\"hesaid；\"Ibeseechyoutomakeargumentsforyourselves。Youcannot，ifyouwouldbeblindtothesignsofthetimes。Ibegofyouacalmandenlargedconsiderationofthem，ranging，ifitmaybe，farabovepersonalandpartisanpolitics。Thisproposalmakescommoncauseforacommonobject，castingnoreproachesuponany。ItactsnotthePharisee。Thechangeitcontemplateswouldcomegentlyasthedewsofheaven，notrendingorwreckinganything。Willyounotembraceit?Somuchgoodhasnotbeendonebyoneeffortinallpasttime，asintheprovidenceofGoditisnowyourhighprivilegetodo。Maythevastfuturenothavetolamentthatyouneglectedit。\"
ThispersuasiveattitudeandreluctancetoforcetheissuehadgreatlydispleasedtheAbolitionists。Theirmostgiftedorator，WendellPhillips，reviledLincolnwithallthepowerofhisliterarygenius，andwithafurythatmightbecalledmalevolent。