, 1863-01-03
TILE PROCLAMATION (!
A New Years Gift 10 Humanity,
A NATION BORN IN 4 DAY,
Over Three Millions of
Freedmen.

T 11CCuulEu.
| WASHINGTON, Jan, /. 1865
by The President cf Tie United STATES Of AzaerieQ
WHEREAS On the 22d day Of September, in
the year Of our Lord) 1869, proclamation
was issued by the President Of tho United
statcs, containing among other things the
following, to wit;
THAT, ON TEE FIRST DAY OF JANUARY,
IN TIE YEAR OF OUR LORD ONE THOU.
SAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND sIxTY-THnEE,
ALL PERSONS HELD AS SLAVES WITHIN
ANY STATE, OR DESIGNATED PART
OF A STATE, TIE PEOPLE WHEREOF SHALL
TEEN BE IN REBELLION AGAINST TIE
UNITED STATES, SHALL BE THENCE
FORTH AND FOREVER FREE, AND TIE EX-
| EcUTIvE GOVERNMENT OF TIE UNITED
STATES, INCLUDING TIE MILITARY AND
NAVAL AUTHORITY THEREOF, WILL RE
coGN1zE AND MAINTAIN THE FREEDOM
OF SUCH PERSONS, AND WILL DO NO ACT
OR ACTS TO lEPREss SUCH PERSONS. OR
AMI OF THEM, IN ANY EFFORT THEY
MAY 81AKEFoR THEIR ACTUAL FREEDOM:
THAT THE EXECUTIVE WILL ON THE
FIRST DAY OF JANUARY AFORESAID.
ISSUE PROCLAMATION DESIGNATING
TIE STATES AND PARTS OF STATES, IF
AMI, IN WHICH THE PEOPLE THEREIN
RESPECTIVELY SHALL THEN BE IN REBEL
LION AGAINST TEE UNITED STATES; AND
TIE FACT THAT ANY STATE, OR THE PEo-
PIE THEREOF, SHALL ON THAT DAY BE IN
GOOD FAITH REPRESENTED IN TIE CON-
GREss OF THE UNITED STATES DY MEM
BERs CHOSEN THERETO AT ELECTIONS
WHEREIN a MAJORITY OF TIE QUALIFIED
VOTERS OF SUCH STATES SHALL HAVE
PARTICIPATED, SHALL, IN TIE ABSENCE
OF STRONG coUNTERvA1LNG rEsTMo-
NY, BE DEEMED CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE
THAT SUCH STATE AND THE PEOPLE
THEREOF ARE NOT IN REBELLION
AGAINST TEE UNITED STATES.
Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, Prcsl-
dent Of the United States, by virtue Of the
power in me vested as Commander:in-C Chief
Of tic Army and Navy, in time Of actual
armed rebellion against the authority Of the
Government Of the United States, as fit and
necessary War measure for suppressing said
rebellion, do, on this first dry Of January, in
the year Of our Lord One Thousand Eight
Hundred and Sixty Three, and in accordance
with my purpose so to do, publicly proclaimed
for the full period Of one hundred days from
the date Of the first above mentioned order,
designate as the States and parts
Ct States therein, the people where
Of respectively arc this day in re-
bcllion against the United States,
the following, to wit: Arkansas, Texas and
Louisiana, Except the parishes Of St. Ber-
nard, Plaqucmine, Jefferson, St. John, st.
Charles, st. James, Ascension. Assumption,
Tcrre1onnc, La Fourche, St, Mary, st. Mar
tin, and Orleans, incluaing the city Of New
orlcans,) Mississippi, Alabama. Florida,
| Gcorgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and
Virginia, Except the forty-eight counties de-
signated as West Virginia, and also the coun-
tics 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; aud by virtue Of the
power and for the purpose aforesaid, do
order and declare that nu persons held Us
Slaves within designated States, and parts Of
States, arc and henceforWard shall be free,
and that the Executive Government Of the
United States, Including the military and
naval authorities thereof, will recognize and
maintain the freedom Of the said persons, and
hereby cnjoin upon the people SO declared
to be free, to abstain from all violence, unless
In necessary selfdefense, and recommend to
them that in all cases where allowed, they
labor fhitlfnlly for reasonable wages, and
| AuiA3AS1 utCIlES Huu IIlakG AuONu lltaL Sucu
persons Of suitable condition, will be received
into the armed service Of the United States,
10 garrison forts, positions, stations and other
places, and to man vessels Of all sorts III said
service. =.
And upon this sincerely believed to be an
act OF Justice, warranted by the Constitution,
upon military necessity, invoke the consid-
cratc judgment Of mankind and the gracious
favor Of Almighty God.
In witness whereof, hare hereunto set nv
hand and caused the seal Of the United statcs
to be affixed.
Done at the City Of Washington, this first
day Of January, In the year Of our Lord ont
thousand eight hundred aud aixty-threc, ani
Of the Independence Of the United States O
America the eighty-scventh.
tSigncd) ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Dy tho President:
| VIM. Il. Seward, Secretary Of State.