The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-05-13

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By the President ofhe United States:
PROCLAMATION.
Whereas, The Congress of the United
States, at its last session, enacted a law
entitled Dan act for enrolling and calling
out the National forces, and for other
purposes" which was approved on the
third day of March last; and
Whereas, it is recited in said act that
there now exists in the United States an
insurrectiOn and rebellion against the
authority thereof; snd il is, under the
Constitution of the United States, the
duty of the Government to suppress in
surrec,ion and rebellion, 10 guarantee to
each State republican form Of govern
menlI and to preserve the public tram
guilty; and
Whereas, for these high purposes, a
military fierce is indispensable, to raise
aud support which all persons ought
willingly to contributes; aud
WHEREAS, No service can be more
praiseworthy aud honorable than that
which is rendered for the maintenance
OF the Constitution aud the UmOn, and
The consequent preservation of free gov
eminent; 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 declared on oath
their intention 70 become citizens under
and 10 pursuance of the laws thereof,
between the ages OF twenty and forty
live years, with certain exceptions not
necessary 10 be herein mentioned, are
declared TO constitute the national forces,
aud shall be liable TO perform military
duty in the service of the United States
when called out by the President for
that purpose; and
WHEREAS, IL rs claimed in behalf Of
persons Of foreign birth within the ages
specified in said act, who have hereto
fore declared on oath their intentions 10
become citizens under aud in pursuance
of the laws Of the Uni cd States, and
who have not exercised the right of suf-
frage or any other political franchise un-
der the lave of the United States, or of
any of the States thereof, are not abso.
lutely precluded by their Aforesaid
declaration Of intentions from renoun-
| cling their purpose TO become citizens,
and that on the contrary, such persons
| under treaties or the law OF nations, retain
a right to renounce that purpose and
TO forego the privilege Of citizenship and
residence within the United States, I'M
Ger the obIigs tons imposed by the aiore-
said act of Congress; now, therefore, TO
| avoid all misApprehensiOns concerning
| tho liability Of persons concerned
to perform the serSice required by
such enactment, and to give it full
effect, | do hereby order aud proclaim
that no plea OF allenage will be received
or allowed to exempt from obligations
| imposed by the aforesaid act OF Congress,
any person of foreign birth who shall
have declared on oath his intention 10 be.
come a citizen Of the United States, IN
der the laws thereof, aud who shall be
! found within the United States any time
| during the continuance Of the present
insurreotiOn and rebellion, at, or after he
| 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 person who
has 90 as aforesaid declared his intention
10 become q 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, IN.
der the laws Of any Of the several States.
TSigned ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
BY the President
| WIN, Il. SEWARD, seO'y Of State,