Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1862-09-27


mander-ln- Chief of the Army. and
Navy thereof, do hereby proclaim and
declare that hereinafter, as heretofore,
the war will be prosecuted for the OBJ
lect OF practically restoring the con
stltutional relation between the United
States and the people thereof, in which
States that relation is or may be sus-
pended or disturbed.
That it is my purpose upon the next
meeting of Congress again to com
mend the adoption of a practical meas
ure rendering pecuniary aid to the free
acceptance or rejection of all the Slave
States, SO called, the people whereof
may not then be in rebellion against
the United States, and which States
may then have voluntarily adopted, or
thereafter may voluntarily adopt, the
immediate or gradual abolishment Of
slavery within their respective limits,
and that the efforts to colonze persons
OF African descent, with their consent,
upon the continent and elsewhere. with
the previousl y obtained contest of the
governments existing there, will be
continued. That on the first day Of
January, Of the year our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and sixty three
all persons held as slaves within any
State, or any designated parts of
State, the people whereof shall then be
IN rebellion against the United States
shall be then, thencetorward and for
ever free, and the executive govern
ment of the United States, including
the military and naval authority thereof,
will recognize and maintain the free
dom of such persons, and Will do no
act or acts to repress such persons or
any Of them in any efforts they may
make for their actual freedom.
That the executive will, on the first
day OF January aforesaid, by procla-
nation designate the states and parts
OF states, if any, in which the people
thereof respectively shall then be in
rebellion against the United States,
and the fact that any state or the peo-
| pie thereof shall be on that day in good
| faith represented in the Congress Of
the United States, by members chosen
| thereto at elections, wherein the ma
jority of the qualified voters of such
state shall have participated, shall, in
| the absence OF strong counteracting
testimony, be deemed exclusive evil
dence that such state and the people
| thereof have not been in rebellion
against the United States.
That attention is hereby called to an
act Of Congress entitled can act to
make an additional article of war, ap-
proved March Is, 1862, and which act
is in the words and figures following ::
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
OF Representative Of the United States
in Congress assembled. that hereafter
the following shall be promulg gated as
an additional article of war for the
government Of the army of the Uni
ted States, and shall be obeved and
observed as such:
Article-All officers or persons in
the military or naval service Of the
United States are prohibited from en-
ploying any Of the forces under their
respective commands for the purpose
Of returning fuoitives from service or
labor who may have escaped FROM any
person to whom such service or labor
is claimed to be due; and any OFFICER
who shall be found guilty by a court
martial Of violating this article, shall be
| dismissed from the service.
Sec %. And be it further enacted.
that this act shall take effect from and
after its passage.
| Also to the seventh and tenth sec
tons Of ali act entitled an act to SUD-
press insul7ectlon, to punish treason and
rebellion, to seize and confiscate prop
erty of rebels, and for other purposes,
approved July 18th, 1862, and which
sections are in the words and fionres
following:
Sec. 9th Be it further enacted. that
all slaves or persons who shall hereaf
ter be engaged IN rebellion against the
Government of the United States, or
who shall In any way give aid or com
fort thereto, escaping from such per
sons and taking refuge within the lines
of the army, and all slaves captured
| from such persons or deserted bv them
and coming under the control Of the
Government of the United States and
all slaves OF such persons on, or BEING
within any place occupied by rebel
forces, and afterwards occupied by the
forces Of the United States. shall be
deemed captives Of war, and shall be
forever free Of their seryitude and not
again held as slaves.
See. 10. Aud be it further enacted.
That no slave escaping into any State,
Territory, or the District of Columbia,
from any of the States, shall be deliy-
cred up, or any way lmpeded of his
against the laws, unless the person
claiming said fugitive shall first make
oath that the person to whom the labor
or service OF such fugitive is alleged to
he dup is his lawful owner OIL -,