Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-01-09
THE PRESIDENTS EMANCIPATION
DECREE.
WASHINGTON, Jan. LIST, 1868.

WASHINGTON, Jan LIST, 1868
WHEREAS on the 22nd day of September
: in the year Of our Lord 1862, a Proclama
ton was issued by the President of the Unit
ed States, containing among other things, tn,
following, to wit:
" That on the lst day of January, in tn,
year Of our Lord, one thousand eight hund
red and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves
within any State or designated part of State
the people whereof shall then be in rebellion
against the United States, shall be then hence
forth, and forever, free, and the Executiv.
Government Of the United States, including
the military and naval authority thereof
will recognize and maintain the freedom o.
such persons, and will do no act nor acts te
reepress such persons, or any of them, in any
effort they may make for their actual free.
dom; that the Executive will, on the frs,
day of January aforesaid, issue proclama.
ton designating the States and parts oil
States, if any, in which the people therein
respectively shall be IN rebellion against the
United States; and the fact that any State,
or the people thereof. shall on that day be in
good>falth represented in the Congress of the
United States by members chosen thereto at
elections wherein majority of the qualified
voters of such States shall have participated,
shall in the absence of strong countervaiing
testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence
that such State and the people thereof arc
not in rebellion against the United States"
Now. therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, Pres
ident of the United States, by virtue of the
power in me vested as Commander-in-C Chief
OF the Army and Navy, in time Of actus,
armed rebellion against the authority of the
Government Of the United States, as a fit
and necessary War measure for suppressing
said rebellion, do, on this first day OF Janua-
ry, in the year of our Lord, One Thousand
Eight Hundred and Sixty Three, and in &C.
cordance with my purpose so to do, publicly
proclaimed for the full period, of one hun
dred days from the date of the first above
mentioned order, designate as the States and
parts of States therein, the people whereof
respectively are this day in rebellion against
the United States, the following, to wit -
Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana, Except the
parishes of ST. Bernard, Palquemine, Jeffer-
son. st. John, st. Charles, st. James, Ascen-
sion, Assumption, Terrebonre, La Fourche,
st. Mary, st Martin and Orleans including
the city of New Orleans.) Mississippi, Ala
bama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Caro-
lima and Virginia, Except 4s counties dcsig-
mated as West Virginia, and also the coun.
ties of Berkeley, Accomac, Northampton,
Elizabeth City, York, Princess Anne and
Norfolk, including the cities of Norfolk and
Portsmouth, which excepted parts are for
the present left precisely as if this Procla
nation were not issued; and by virtue Of
the power, and for the purpose aforesaid,
do order and declare that all persons held as
slaves within designated States and parts of
States, are and henceforwald shall be free,
and that the Executive Government of the
United States, including the military and ma
val authorities thereof, will recognize and
maintain the freedom Of the said persons.
and hereby enjoin upon the people so de-
clarcd to be free, to abstain from all violence,
unless in necessary self-defense, and | rec
ommend to them that in all cases where al
lowed, they labor faithfully for reasonable
wages, and further declare and make known
that such persons of suitable condition, will
be received into the armed service of the
United States, to garrison forts. positions
stations and other places, and to man vassels
of All sorts in said service
And upon this sincerely believed to be an
act of justice, warranted by the Constitution,
upon military necessity, invoke the consid-
crate judgment of mankind and the gracious
favor of Almighty God.
In witness whereof, | have hereunto set
my hand and caused the seal of the United
States to be affixed.
Done at the City Of Washington. this first
day Of January, in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and sixty three and
Of the Independence Of the United States of
America the eighty seventh.
(Signcdl ABRAHAM LINCOLN. |
BY the President:
WV II SrwAnn Secretarv nj g,,ta