The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-08-22
Proclamation of the President.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16.
By the President Of the United States
of Anaerica.
Whereas, On the 18th day of April
the President of the United States, in
view of an Instruction against the
laws, Constitution, and Government of
the United States, which had broken
out within the States of South Carroll
ma, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Missis-
sippi, Louisiana and Texas, and in pur.
suance of an act entitled an act to pro-
vide for calling forth the militia to exc.
cute the laws of the Union, suppress
instructions and repel invasion, and
to repeal the act now in force for that
purpose, approved February %, 1875,
did call forth the militia to suppress
said instruction, and cause the laws
of the Union to be duly executed, and
the insurgents have failed to dispense
by the time directed by the President !;
And whereas, Such instruction has
since broken out, and yet exists in the
States of Virginia, North Carolina
Tennessee and Arkansas;
And whereas, The insurgents in all
the said States claim to act under au.
thority thereof, and such claim is not
disclaimed or repudiated by the per-
sons exercising the functions of the
Government in such State, or States,
or in any part or parts thereof in which
combinations exist, nor has such insur-
rections been suppressed by such
States. Now, therefore, I, Abraham
Lincoln, President of the United
States, in pursuance of an act of Con-
gross, July 8, 1861, do hereby declare
that the inhabitants of said States of
Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia,
North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama,
Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Flori-
da, except the inhabitants of a part of
the State of Virginia, lying west of
the Allegheny Mountains, and of such
other parts of that State, and other
States hereabouts named, as may main
tain loyal adhesion to the Union and
the Constitution, or may be from time
to time occupied and controlled by the
forces engaged in the dispersion of said
insurgents that are in state of insurrec-
ton against the United States, and that
commercial intercourse between the
same and the inhabitants thereof, with
the exceptions aforesaid, and the citi-
zens of other States and other parts of
the United States is unlawful, and will
remain unlawful until such instruction
shall cease or shall have been sup
pressed, and that all goods, chattles,
wares, and merchandise coming from
any of the said States, with the excep-
tons aforesaid, into other parts of the
United States without the special IL
cense and permission of the President
through the Secretary of the Treasury,
or proceeding to any of the said States,
with the exceptions aforesaid, by land
or water, herewith, the vessel or ves-
sells conveying the same, or conveying
persons to and from said States, with
said exceptions, will be forfeited to the
United States; and that from and after
the fifteen days from the date of this
proclamation, all ships and vessels be-
longing in whole or in part to any citi-
zen or inhabitant of any of the States,
with said exceptions, found at sea, OF
in any port of the United States will
be forfeited to the United States; and
hereby enjoin to all District Attor.
neys, Marshals, and officers Of the rev.
enue and military and naval forces Of
the United States to be vigilant in the
execution of said act and in the enforce
ment of the penalties and forfeitures
imposed or declared by it, leaving any
party who may think himself aggrieved
thereby to make his application to the
Secretary of>the Treasury for the re-
mission of any penalty or forfeiture
which the said Secretary is authorized
by law 10 grant, if in his judgment the
special circumstances of any case shall
warrant such remission.
In witness whereof ] have set my
hand and caused the great seal of Tho
4 United States to be affixed.
| Done at Washington this 10th day
of August A. d. 1861, of the Indepen
Idence of the u. S. the seth.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.