"The first of January, 1863, was a memorable day in the progress of American liberty and civilization. It was the turning-point in the conflict between freedom and slavery. A death blow was then given to the slaveholding rebellion. Until then the federal arm had been more than tolerant to that relict of barbarism. The secretary of war, William H. Seward, had given notice to the world that, "however the war for the Union might terminate, no change would be made in the relation of master and slave." Upon this pro-slavery platform the war against the rebellion had been waged during more than two years. It had not been a war of conquest, but rather a war of conciliation. McClellan, in command of the army, had been trying, apparently, to put down the rebellion without hurting the rebels, certainly without hurting slavery, and the government had seemed to coöperate with him in both respects.
Charles Sumner, William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, Gerrit Smith, and the whole anti-slavery phalanx at the North, had denounced this policy, and had besought Mr. Lincoln to adopt an opposite one, but in vain. Generals, in the field, and councils in the Cabinet, had persisted in advancing this policy through defeats and disasters, even to the verge of ruin. We fought the rebellion, but not its cause. And now, on this day of January 1st, 1863, the formal and solemn announcement was made that thereafter the government would be found on the side of emancipation. This proclamation changed everything."
--Life and Times, Frederick Douglass
I guess someone should have told Douglass that the Emancipation Proclamation did nothing to free the slaves.
The Emancipation could apply only to the states in rebellion against the Union. The border states had not seceded; ergo, slavery was constitutionally protected in them. Lincoln was acting as Commander-in-Chief quelling an insurrection and by the Emancipation gave the armed forces legal authority to free the slaves and recruit them into the armed forces over the duration of the war - which is what happened. Contrary to "the no slaves freed canard",on January 2, 1863 Jeff Davis lost his own slaves at Biloxi to the Emancipation