The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-01-09
The Presidents Proclamation.
A PROCLAMATION
WASHINGTON, Jan LIST, 1868.
By the President Of the United States of america

A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas: On the twenty-second of Septem-
Der, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two, Proclamation was is-
sued by the President of the United States. con-
tanning, among other things, the following, to
| witt
''That on the first day of January, in the
year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves with
in any State or designated part of q State, the
people whereof shall then be in Rebellion a.
gainst the United States, shall be then, thence
forward and forever free, and the executive
Government of the United States, including
the military and naval authority thereof, will
| recognize and maintain the freedom Of such
persons, and will do no act Or acts to repress
such persons or any of them, in any effort they
may make for their vcsive freedom.
| ''Ihat the Executive WILL on the first day of
January aforesaid by proclamation, designate
the States and parts Of States, if any, in which
the people therein, respectively, shall then be
in rebellion against the United States, and the
fact that any State and the people thereof shall,
on that day, be in good faith represented in the
Congress of the United States, by members cho-
sen thereto at elections wherein majority of
the qualified voters of such State shall have
participated, shall, in the absence of strono
countervaing testimony, be deemed conclusive
evidence that such State and the people thereof
are not then in rebellion against the United
States.'
Now, therefore, ], Abraham Lincoln. Presi
dent OF the United States, by virtue of the
power in me vested as COMMANDMENTS Chief of
the Army and Navy of the United States in
time of actual armed rebellion against the au-
thorty and Government Of the United States
and as a fit and necessary war measure for sup
pressing the said rebellion, do, on this the first
day OF January, in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three. and.
in accordance with my purpose so TO do, pub
licly proclaim, for the full period of one hun.
dred days from the day first above mentioned,
order and designate as the States and parts Of
States wherein the people thereof respectively
are this day in rebellion against the United
States, the following, to wit:
Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, (exccpt the por
ishes of st. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson.
st. James, Ascension, Assumption, Terrebone,
Lafourche, st. Martin and Orleans. includino
lhe olty vi NcW ofle'llis,) dlSslsslppl, Alaba-
ma, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North
Carolina and Virginia Except the forty-eight
counties designated as West Virginia, and also
the counties of Berkeley, Accomac, Northamp-
ton, Elizabeth City, York, Princess Ann and
Norfolk, including the cities of Norfolk and
Portsmouth,) and which excepted parts are for
the present left precisely as if the proclamation
were not issued
And by virtue of the power and for the pur-
pose aforesaid, do order and declare that all
persons held as slaves within the said designa-
ted States and parts Of said States, are and
henceforward shall be free; and that the exec
utive Government of the United States, idclu-
ding the military and naval authorities thereof
will recognize and maintain the freedom of said
persons.