The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-10-03
Old Abe's Proclamation Freeing the
Siaves of the Rebels,


The following Is copy Of the Proela-
nation Of President Lincoln, declaring
free the slaves of all rebels from and az
ter the frs, day Of January next
BE- he President Of he Us'e2 Siltes-a Pro-
ciungh5G
WAsHINCToS, Sept. %, lS62.-l, Abra.
hani Lincoln, President of the Quilted
States Of America, and ConimGnder-in-
chief Of the army and navy thereof, do
hereby proclaim and declare that hereaf-
ter, as heretofore, the war will be prose
cuted for the object Of practically restor-
ing the constitutional relation between
the United States and the people thereof
in vhioh States that relation is, ormay loo
suspended or disturbed; that it is my pur-
pose, upon the next meeting OF Congress,
to again recommend the adoption of
practical measure rendering pecuniaTy aid
TO the free acceptance or rejection Of all
the slave States, so called. the people
whereof may not then be in rebellion a.
gainst the United States, and which Sta
ties may then have voluntarily adopted or
thereafter may voluntarily adopt the i'm
mediate or gradual adjustment of slave
ry within their respective limits; and that
the efforts TO colonize persons of African
descent, with their consent, upon the con-
tinent or elsewhere, with the previously
obtained consent OF the governments ex-
isting there, will be continued; that on the
FIRST dag o. Jm,osy in he gear q oar Lorf
one thousand eight hundred and arty.hTee, az
persons he'd as slaves ,0thia any STATE, or any
designated part of SAFE The people whsreQf
shall thea be IN rebellion against the United
States, shall Je hcGccfoucard ard forever free:
and the executive government Of the Uni
ted States, including the military and ma
val authority thereof, will recognize and
maintain the freedom of such persons,
and will do no act or acts to repress such
person or 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 there
of respectively shall then be in rebellion
! against the United States and the fact
that any State or the people thereof,
shall on that day be in good faith repre-
scented in the Congress of the United
States by members chosen thereto at cleo
tons wherein a majority of the qualified
voters of such State shall have participat-
ed, shall, 10 the absence of strong ooun-
tervaIling testimony be deemed conclu-
sive evidence that such State and tho
people thereof have not been in rebellion
against the United States.
And ] do hereby enioin upon and Or
der all persons engaged in the military
and naval service of the United States to
observe, obey and enforce within their
respective spheres the act and sections
above recited.
And the Executive will in due time re-
commend that all citizens of the United
States who shall have remained loyal
thereto throughout the ret elton shall
upon the restoration ofthe constitutional
relation between the United States and
their respective States and people, if the
relation shall have been suspended or dis
turbed) be compensated for all losses by
acts of the United States, including the
loss of slaves.
In witness whereof | have hereunto set
my hand and caused the seal of the Uni
ted States to be affixed.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Done at the City of Washington this
twenty-second day OF September, in tho
year of our Lord one thousand eight hun
dred and sixty-two and of the indepen-
dence of the United States the eighty
seventh By the President;
NIDr1AM Ii. SEWARD,
Secretary Of State.