Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-12-18

tect anddefeud the Constitution of the United States
and the Union of the States hereunder, and that
will in like manner abide by aRd faithfully support
all acts Of Congress passed durfng the existing re-
bellion with reference to slaves 81 long anu ~ a
as not repealed, modified or held VOID by Congress
or by decision of the Supreme Court and that VIII
in like manner abide by and faithfully support all
nroclamationSof the President made during the ex-
istine rebellion having reference to- slaves, SO long
and so fa- as not modified or declared Voa oy 1e-
cision of the Supreme Court 30 heip me "oc
The persons excepted from the dement's o. tne
foregoing provisions arc all who are or Shall nave
been civil or dir lomatc officers or agents OF INC so
called Confederate government; all who have lett
udcial stations under the United States to aia the
rebellion all who are or shall have been military
or naval officers of said socalled Confederate gov
eminent above the rank of colonel In the army OF
lieutenant in the navy; all who have left seats IN
the United States Congress to aid IN the reDelloh
all who resigned commissions in the army or navy
of the United States and afterwards aided the reoe
lion; and all who have engaged in any way IN treat
ing coored persons, or white persons I'd cnSis VI
such. otherwise than lawfully prisoners OF war,
and which persons NAV have been found IN the Unl-
ted States service as soldiers or in any other
, capacity. And do further proclaim, declare ana
!, make known that whenever, in any OF the Dlates
of Arkansas Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Iennes,
see, Alabama Georgia, Florida, South Carolina ana
North Carolina, number of persons not less tnan
at the Presidential election of the year of our Lord
lS6O-each having taken the oath aforesaid, and not
| having since violated it, and being qualified voter
by the election law of the State existing immediate
ly before the socalled act of secession, and exclu
! ding all others-shall re-establsh State govern
ment which shall be republican, and IN no wise
con;ravenng said OATH such shall be recognized as
the true government of the State and the State shall
receive hereunder the benefit OF the constitutional
provision which declares, that the United states
| shall guarantee to every State IN this UNION re
publican form of government, and shall protect eacn
of them against invasion, on application oil the Leg
| islature or of the Executive when the Legislature
cannot be convened and against domestic violence.
And l do further proclaim, declare and make
known, that any provision which may be adopted
by such State government in relation to the ireeo
people of such State which shall recognize and de-
clare their permanent freedom provide for their ed
ucation, and which may yet be consistent as o tenn
porary arrangement with their present condition as
aboring landlesS and houSelesS class, Will not De
| objected to by the national Executive. And it Is
enga, ed not improper, that i'll constructing 10y
al State government in any State the name of the
State, the boundary, the subdivisions, the consttu
ton and the general code of laws, as before rebel
lion, be maintained, subject only to the modItics
tons made necessary by the conditions hereinbeort
stated and such others, if any, not contraveninG
said conditions and which may be deemed expe
dent by those framing the new State government
To avoid misunderstanding, it may be proper tt
say that this proclamation, so far it relates Il
State governments, has reference to States where
IN loyal State governments have all the while beer
maintained. Apd for the same reason it may bt
proper to further say that whether members sent
Congress from any State shall be admitted tc
constitutionally, rests exclusively with the re
spective houses, and not to any extent with thC
Executive; and still further that this proclamation
is Intended to present to the people of the States
wherein the national authority has been suspended
and loyal State governments have been subverted
mode in and by which the national authority anC
loyal State governments may be reestablished with
in said States, or in any of them; and, while thu
mode presented is the best the Executive sugges
with his present Impressions it must not be under
stood that no other possible mode would be .accep
table.
Given under my hand, at the city of Washington
the eighth day of December A. D., one Thousand
eight hundred and sixty three, and of the indepen
dence of the United States of America the eighty
eighth. ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
BY the President
WILLIAM IL. SEWARD, Secretary of State