Question

Lincoln had already drafted what he termed his

"Preliminary Proclamation."
He read his initial draft of the Emancipation Proclamation to Secretaries William H.
Seward and Gideon Welles on July 13, 1862. For a moment, both Secretaries were speechless. Quickly collecting his thoughts, Seward said something about anarchy in the South and possible foreign intervention, but with Welles apparently too confused to respond, Lincoln let the matter drop.
Use the passage to answer the question.
Why was it important for Lincoln to wait to issue the Emancipation Proclamation?

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The passage does not explicitly state why it was important for Lincoln to wait to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. However, it can be inferred that Lincoln may have wanted to gather feedback and opinions from his Secretaries, Seward and Welles, before finalizing and issuing the proclamation. Their speechless and confused reactions suggest that the proclamation could potentially have significant consequences, such as anarchy in the South and foreign intervention, which Lincoln may have considered before making a final decision.