Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-05-28
President Lineoln's Proclamation.

WASHINGTON, May 49, 1862.
BY The President Of the United States Of .3mcrica.
PROCLAMATION.
Whereas, There appears in the public prints
what parports to be proclamation of Major
General Hunter, in the words and figures fol-
| lowing, to wit:
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE South, I
Hilton Head, S. c., May 9, 1862.
General Orders, No. IL: The three States
OF Georgia, Florida and South Carolina, com
prising the Military Department of the South,
having deliberately declared themselves no
longer under the protection of the United
States of America, and having taken up arms
against the said United States it becomes
military necessity to declare them under mar
tal law. This was accordingly done on the
25th day Of April 1867. Slavery and martial
law, in free country, are altogether ncom-
patible; the persons in these three States,
Georgia, Florida and South Carolina hereto
fore held as slaves therefore declared for
ever free. DAVID HUNTER
Major General commaning.
EDWARD W. SMITH,
Acting Assistant Adjutant General
WaereaS. The same is producing excitement
and misunderstanding, therefore, |, Abraham
Lincoln, President of the United States pro
claim, that the Government of the United
States had no knowledge, information or be-
lief OF an intention on the part of Gen. Hun
ter to issue such proclamation; nor has it
ment is genuine; and, further, that neither
Gen. Hunter, nor any other commander or
person has been authorized by the Govern
ment OF the United States to make a procla-
nation declaring the slaves of any State free,
and that the supposed proclamation now in
question, whether genuine or false, is altogeth-
eI void, so far as respects such declaration.
further make known that whether it be
competea. for me, as Comm ander-in- Chief of
the army and navy, to declare the slaves of
any State or States free, and whether at apy
time or in any case it shall become necess-
ty indispensable to the maintainance of the
Government to exercise such supposed power
are questions which, under my responsibility.
L reserve to myself, and which cannot feel
justified in leaving to the decision of com
manders in the field These are totally differ
ent questions from those Of police regulations
in armies and camps.
On the 9th day of March last, by special
message. / recommended to Congress the
adoption OF a joint resolution, to be substanti-
ally follows:
Resolued, That the United States ought to
cooperate with any State which may adopt a
gradual abolishment of slavery giving to such
State pecuniary aid to be used by such State
10 its discretion, to compensate for the incon-
veniences public and private, produced by
such change of system
The resolution, in the language as above
III
both branches Of Congress, and now stands an
authentic, definite and solemn proposal of the
nation to the States and people most immedi-
ately interested in the subject matter.
To the people of those States now earnest
Is appeal. do not argue. l beseech you to
make the argument for yourselves. You can
not, if you would, be blind to the signs of the
times. beg of you calm and enlarged con-
sideration of them, ranging, if it may be far
above personal and partisan politics.
This proposal makes common cause for
common object, casting no approaches upon
any. 1t acts not the Pharisee. The change
it contemplates would come gently as the dews
of heaven, not rending or wrecking anything.
Will you not embrace it2 So much good has
not been done by one effort in all past time,
as, in the providence of God, it is now your
high privilege to do. May the vast future
not have to lament that you have neglected it /
In witness thereof have hereunto set nv
hand and caused the seal Of the United States
to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington, this 9Th day
OF May, IN the year of onr Lord one thou
sand eight hundred and sixty-two, and of
the independence of the United States the
eighty sixth. AsRAHAx LINCOLN.
By the President:
WILLIAM q. SEWARD, Secretary of State.