Mine by the Right of the White Election — Emancipation Proclamation

Charter is the key word. White Election and prison hint at the black slaves. Scarlet prison is from Bible, "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."

Mine－by the Right of the White Election! ¹
Mine－by the Royal Seal!
Mine－by the Sign in the Scarlet prison－
Bars－cannot conceal!

Mine－here－in Vision－and in Veto! ⁵
Mine－by the Grave's Repeal－
Tilted－Confirmed－
Delirious Charter!
Mine－long as Ages steal!

(F.411/J.528)

[1] Mine:: the narrator, an African American. Mine, Election:: what belonged to a slave was determined by white men's government.
[2] Royal Seal:: born with the black complexion as a royal seal.
[3] Scarlet prison:: a prison of scarlet sin but shall be freed and as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18).
[5] Vision, Veto:: a denial of one's own complexion.
[6] Grave:: a hint on the dark, black.
[6, 8] Repeal, Charter:: law terms.
[7] Titled Confirmed:: title of the law, Emancipation Proclamation, declared the freedom of slaves in 1862.
[8] Delirious:: this poem was written in 1862, the Proclamation was a great achievement at that time.
[9] Mine, steal, Ages:: the slave's life as a free person being taken away for ages.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

The Emancipation Proclamation of Mr. Lincoln excites more laughter than alarm among us. A strange fallacy these Northern Abolitionists have that our slaves are our enemies, who wish to be free, even at the cost of cutting our throats! On the contrary, they are our very best friends, and have proved their attachment in the day of need by taking unusual care of the crops, and of our defenceless women and children.——President Lincoln and the Negroes, Fraser's Magazine (1862)