Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1863-05-15
A Proclamation by the President Of the United

WASHINGTON, Mag S.-WHEBEAs, The Con
! gress of the United States as its last session
enacted a new law entitled d" An Act for En-
rolling and Calling out the National Forces
and for other purposes" which was approved
on the third day of March last and
| WHEREAS, 1t is recited in said Act that
there now exists in the United States an insur
rection and rebellion against the authority
thereof, and it is, under the Constitution oI
the United States the duty of the Govern
ment to suppress insurrection and rebellion,
to guarantee to each State a republican form
of government, and to preserve the public
tranquility and
WHEREAS, for these high purposes a militia
ry force is indispensable, to raise and support
which llrPersons ought willingly to contrib
ute; and
WHEREAS, No service can be more prais-
worthy and honorable than that which is rem
dered for the maintenance of the Constitution
and the Union, and the consequent preserva-
tion of free government; and
WHEREAS, For the reasons thus recited it
was enacted by the said statute that all able
bodied male citizens of the United States. and
persons of foreign birth who shall have declar-
cd on oath their intention to become citizens
under and in pursuance of the laws thereof,
between the ages of twenty and forty-five years,
with certain exceptions, not necessary TO be
herein mentioned, are declared to constitute
the national forces, and shall be liable to per-
form military duty in the service of the United
States, when called out by the President for
that purpose; and
WHEREAS, 1t is claimed in behalf of persons
of foreign birth, within the ages specified in
said act, who have heretofore declared on oath
their intention to become citizens under and in
pursuance of the laws OF the United States,
or of any of the States thereof, are not absO-
lutely excluded by their aforesaid declaration
of intentions from renouncug their purpose
to become citizens and that, on the contrary,
such persons, under treaties or the law of ma
tions, retain right to renounce that purpose
and iorego the privilege of citizenship and res
idence within the United States under the OBJ
legations imposed by the aforesaid act Of Con-
gress. Now. 10 avoid all misapprehensions
concerning the liability OF persons concerned
TO perform the service required by such enact
ment, and to give it full effect, l do hereby
order and proclaim that no plea of alienage
will be received, or allowed to exempt from
the obligations imposed by the aforesaid act
of Congress any person Of foreign birth, who
shall have declared on oath his intention to be-
come a citizen of the United States at any
time during the continuance of the present in.
surrection and rebellion, at or after the expira-
tion of the period of sixty-fve days from the
date of this proclamation nor shall any such
plea of alienage be allowed in favor of any
such person who have so, as aforesaid, declared
his intention to become citizen of the United
States, and shall have exercised at any time
the right of suffrage, or any other political
franchise within the United States under the
laws of any of the several States.
ISigned1 ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
By the President-WM Fl. SEWARD, Sec'y
of State.