April 9, the day that the American Civil War ended in 1865, should be a national holiday celebrating the defeat of the Confederacy, the end of slavery, and the triumph of liberty.

The District will soon celebrate its 163rd D.C. Emancipation Day, marking 163 years since slavery was abolished in the city. By ending slavery in D.C., the D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862, ...