The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-05-15
PROCLAMATION OF THE PRESI.
.9R DENT.

til Eblh2 W WASHINGTON, May 8.
By THE PRESIDENT OF THE, UNITED
STATEs.-A PROCLAMATION: q fraI sa
Whereas, The Congress of the United States
at its last session enacted law entitled - An
Act for enrolling and calling out the national
forces, and for other purposes, which was APP
proved on the Sd day of March last and,
Whereas, 1t is recited in said act that there
now exists within the United States an insur-
rection and rebellion against the authority
thereof, and it is under the constitution of the
United States the duty of the Government to
suppress insurrection and rebellion, to guaran-
tee to each State republican form of govern
ment and to preserve the public tranquility.
and,
Whereas For these high purposes military
force is Indispensable, to raise and support
which all persons ought willingly contribute;
and, go sf.
Whereas, No service can be more praisewor-
thy and honorable than that which is rendered
for the maintenance of the Constitution and
the Union, and the consequent preservation of
free government,
And Whereas, For the reasons thus recited it
was enacted by the said statute. that all able
bodied citizens of the United States, and per-
sons of foreign birth who shall have declared
on oath their intention of becoming 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 and in behalf of
persons of foreign birth within the ages speci-
fled in said act, who have heretofore declared
on oath, their intentions to become citizens un-
der and in pursuance of laws of the United
md yxlln how &
suffrage or any other political franchise under
the laws of the United States or any of the
States therefore not absolutely concluded by
their declaration of intentions from renOuncino
their purpose to become citizens and that on
the contrary, such persons under treaties or the
law OF nations, retain right to renounce that
purpose and to forego the privilege of citizan.
and residence within the United States under
the obligations imposed by the aforesaid act of
Congress.
Now Therefore, to avoid all misapprehension
concerning the liability of persons concerned,
10 perform the services required by such enact
Inent, and to give it full effect, do hereby Or
der and proclaim that no pleas of alienage will
be received or allowed to exempt from the OBJ
hSatlonS imposed by the aforesaid act OF Con-
gfesS any person OF foreign birth who shall
have declared on OATH his intention to become
q citizen OF the United States under the laws
tnereOf, and who shall be found within the
United States at any time during the continuance
OF the present instruction and rebellion, at or
after the expiration of the period of sixty-five
days from the date of this proclamation nor
shall any such plea of alienage be allowed in
favor OF any such persons who have so as af
foresaid declared his intention to become cit
ZenS OF the Uni ed States, and shall have eyer
clsed at anytime the right of suffrage or any
other political franchise within the United
States, under the laws of any of the several
states
(Signed.) ABRAHAM LINCOLN
BY the President WM. II. SEWARD. Secretary
Of State.