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

Slaves of the Rebels.
The following lie copy Of the Procla.
nation of President Lincoln, declaring
free the slaves of all rebels from and az
ter the first day of January next:
BIZ the President of tie United States--a Pro.
cidmation:
wAsHINofoN, Sept. %, 1907, Abra-
ham Lincoln, President of the United
States of America, and Gommanderin-
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 which States that relation is. or may be
pose, upon the next meeting 81 Congress,
to again recommend the adoption of q
practical measure rendering peSuniary aid
to the free acceptance or rejection Of all
the slave States, so called, the people
whereof may not then be in rebellion O.
gainst the United States, and which Sta
ties may then have voluntarily adoptedor
thereafter may voluntarily adopt the inn.
mediate or gradual adjustment of slave
ry within their respective limits; and that
the efforts 10 colonize persons of African
descent, with their consent, upon the con-
tinent or elsewhere, with the previously
obtained consent of the governments ex-
listing there, will be continued; that on the
first day of Januory in the gear Of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and sirty-three, all
persons held as slaves ,oithin any State, or any
designated part Of State, the people ,ohereof
shall then be in rebellion against the United
States, shall Jethencetor,oard 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, i'll 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
that any State, or the people thereof,
shall on that day be in good faith repre-
sented in the Congress of the United
States by members chosen thereto at cleo
tions wherein majority of the qualified
voters of such State shall have participant
ed, shall, in the absence of strong coun-
tervailing testimony, be deemed conclu-
sive evidence that such State and the
people thereof have not been in rebellion
against the United States.
And do hereby enjoin 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 rebellion 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 hum
bred and sixty-two, and Of the indepen-
dence of the United States the eighty
seventh. BY the President:
WILLIAM III. SEWARD,
Secretary of State.