Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1862-05-24
FROM WASHINGTON.
WAsAINGToN, May 10.
HUNTERS PROCLAMATION REPUDIATBD By

WAsAINGTON, MAY 10.
HUNTERS PROCLAMATION RErUDIATBD By
THE PRESIDENT.
The President has issued a proclamation
the alleged proclamation OF
Gen. Hunter, as unauthorized, and of no
validity and effect, ann reserving to himself
alone the right to determine whether he can
constitutionally adopt such policy If the
contingencies of the war eventually make 1T
necessary.
The following is the proclamation by the
President of the United States of America
A PROCLAMATION
Whereas, There appears in the public
prints what purports to be proclamation of
Major General Hunter, in the words and
figures following, to wit:
HEADQUARTERS OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF THE SOUTH.
HILTON HEAD, 3. G., May Q, 1862.
GENERAL ORDERS, No. II. The three
States of Georgia, Florida, and South Caro-
lima, comprising the military department of
the South having deliberately declared them
selves no longer under the protection of the
United States Of America, and having taken
up arms against the said United States, it
DcCaiic Hintary Necessity W ucciaIe thcn
under martial law This was accordingly
done on the Goth day of April, 1862.
Slavery and martial law in free country
are altogether incompatible. The persons
in these three States-Georgia, Florida, and
South Carolina-heretofor held as slaves
are, therefore, declared forever free.
DIVID HUNTER,
Major-Gen Commanding.
EDw. W. SMITH, Acting Asst Adj't Gen.
ARd rhereds, The same is producing some
excitement and misunderstanding therefore,
/, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the
United States, proclaim and declare that the
Government OF the United States had no
knowledge, information, or belief of an in
tention or the part of General Hunter to
issue such proclamation, nor has it yet any
authentic information that the document is
genuine and, further, that neither General
Hunter nor any other commander or person
has been authorized by the Government OF
| the United States to make a proclamation
declaring the slaves of any State free, and
that the supposed proclamation now in
question, whether genuine or false, is alto.
gether void, 80 far a. respects such decla
| ton.
further make it known that, whether il
be competent for me, as Commaudcrin-C Chief
of the army and navy, to declare the slaves
of any State or States free and whether al
any time, in any case, it shall become 6
necessity indispensable TO the maintcnanC,
of the Government to exercise such suppo
sed' power, are questions which, under my
responsibility, reserve to myself, and which
cannot feel justified in leaving to tn,
decision of commanders in the field. Thes'
are totally different questions from those o
police regulations in the armies and camps
On the 9th day of March last, by spccia
message, / recommended to Congress thu
adoption of a joint resolution, to be substan
stantially, as follows:
"Rcsolced, That the United States ough
to cooperate with any State which ma,
adopt gradual abolishment of slavery
giving to such State pecuniary aid, to b
used by such State, in its discretion, to com
pensate for the Inconvenience, public ano
private, produced by such change O
system.
The resolution, in the language abov
quoted, was adopted by large majorities il
both branches of Congress, and now stand
an authentic definite, and solemn pfoposa
of the nation to the States and people mos
Immediately interested in the subject matter
To the people Of those States | now eal
| utStlJ ulDtii. tto uOt dlkuc pSSttN
you to make the arguments for yourselves
You cannot, if you would, be blind to tn
signs of the times. beg of you q calm an
enlarged consideration OF them, ranging,
it may be, far above personal and partisa
politics.
This proposal makes comwon cause for
common object, casting no reproaches upo
any. 1t acts not the Pharisee The chang
it contemplatcs would come gently as tn
dcws of heaven-not rending or wreckin
anything. Will you embrace it Sp muc
good has not been in one effort in all pa
time, as, in the providence of God, it is no
your high privilege to do. May the va
, future not have to lament that you ha,
neglected it.
In witness, whereof, have hercunto s.
! my hand and caused the seal of the Unite
States to be affixed.
Done at the city Of Washington, this Il
nineteenth day of May in the year of OF
Lord one thousand eight hundred ar
: sixtytwo, and of the Independence of Il
United States the eighty-sixth.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
BY the President.
WIN H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.