Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1863-12-16

have been. military or naval officers Of
said so-called confederate government,
above the rank of colonel in the army
and of lieutenant in. the navy; all who
left seats in the United States Congress
to aid the rebellion all who resigned
commissions in the army or navy Of the
United States and afterwards aided the
rebellion, and all who have engaged in
any way in treating colored persons. or
white persons, in charge of such, other
wise than lawfully as prisoners of war,
such persons having been found in the
United states service as soldiers, seamcn,
or in any other capacity.
do also further proclaim, declare and
make known that, whenever in any Of the
states of Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana,
Mississippi Tennessee Alabama. Georgia,
Florida. South Carolina ond North Caro-
lima a number Of persons, not less than
one-te tenth in number of the votes cast in
such states at one thousand eight hundred
and sixty. each having taken the oath
aforesaid and not having since violated
it, and being a qualified voter by the
election law of the state existing immedi-
ately before the so-called act of secession,
and excluding all others, shall re-cstab-
fish state government which shall be
republican and in no wise contraveniug
said oath. such government shall he rec.
ognised as the true government of the
state; and the state shall receive, there.
under, the benefits of the col stltutional
provision which declares that I" the Uni
ted States shall guarantee to every state
in the Union republican form of gov
eminent, and shall protect each of them
against invasion on application of the
legislature, or the executive when the
legislature cannot be convened, and against
domestic violence" ...
1 And do further proclaim. declare and
make know that any provisions. which
may be adopted by said state government,
in relation to the freed people of such
state, which shall recognize and declare
their permanent freedom and provide for
their education, and which may yet be
consistent, as temporary arrangement,
with their present condition as a laboring,
landless and houscless class, will not be
objected to by the national executive. and
it is suggested as not improper that. in
constructing loyal state government in
any state, the name of the state, the boun-
diaries. the subdivi ion, the constitution
and the general code of laws, as before the
rebellion, be maintained, subject to the
notifications made necessary by the con-
d,tion hereinbefore stated, and such
others. if any, not contraveDing said con-
diticns, and which may be deemed expe-
dent by those framing the new state gov
ernment 4' .H
10 avoid misunderstanding, it may be
proper co say that this proclamation, 50
far as it relates to state governments has
no reference to states wherein loyal state
governments have all the while been main
tanned and for the same reason it may be
proper to further say, that whether men,
bers sent to Congress from any state shall
be admitted TO seats, constitutionally rests
exclusively with the respective houses.
and not to any extent with the executive;
and still further that this proclamation is
intended to present 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 and loyal
state governments may be established
within said states, or in any of them /;
and while the mode presented is the hest
the executive can suggest with his present
impressions, it must not be understood
that no other mode would be acceptable
uiven under my hand at the city of
Washington, this eighth day of Deem
Der, 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 eighth. $751;.
... ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
BY the president, William H. Seward,
Secretary of State. r