Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-12-10
PROCLAMATION.

81 WHEREAS, On and by the CONSTITUTION
iof the United States it is provided that
the President shall Lave power to grant |
reprieyes and pardons for offences against
the United States except in eases az i'm |
-peachment
WHEREAS, A rebellion now exists
whereby loyal States, and the Govern
ment of several States have, for a long
time. been snbyerted, many persons have
committed and are now guilty of treason
against. the United States; m
s AND WHEREA As, In reference to said re-
bellion and treason, laws have been enact
ed by Congress declaring the forfeiture
and confiscation Of property and the liber-
ationIofI slaves, allupon terms and cond:-
tons therein stated; and also declaring
that the President was thereby authori- I
zed at any time thereafter by ProclaIna-
ton to extend TO persons who may have
participated in the existing rebellion, in
any State or part thereof, pardon and
amnesty, with such exceptions and on
such conditions as he may deem expedi-
ent for the public welfare; -
AND WHEREAS, The Congressional dec
/ laration-fof limited and Conditional par
dons accorded with well.established judi
cial expeditions of the pardoning power;
AND WHEREAS, With reference to said
rebellion, the President of the United
States has issued several procIamations,
with provisions in regard to the liberia
ltion of slaves; ..a - 80 so
I AND WHEREAS, 1t is now desired by
some persons, heretofore engaged in said
rebellion, to resume their allegiance to
i the United States, and re-inaugurate
4 loyal State Governments within and for
| their, respective States, therefore, I,
ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of
| the United States, do proclaim, declare
and make known to all persons who
have directly, or by implication, par
| tieipated rim the existing rebellion,
except as hereinafter excepted, that
/ a full pardon is granted to them,
| aud each of them, for the restora-
/ ton Of alla their rights, if third parties
shallhave interviewed and upon the condi-
| ton that every such person shall take
and subscribe an oath and thenceforward
keep and maintain said oath inviolate,
and which oath shall be registered for
permanent preservation and shall be of
the tenor and effect of the following, to-
wit L do olemnly swear in presence of
Il Almighty God that viii henceforth
faithfully support, protect and defend the
| Constitution of the United States and the
U nion of the States hereunder, and that
| | will in like manner abide by, and faith.
j fully support allaets of Congress passed
during the existing rebellion with refer
ence to slaves SO long and so far as not
yet repealed, modified or held void by
I Congress or by decision of the Supreme
Court. And that will in like manner
abide by and faithfully support all the
proclamations of the President made
during the existing rebellion, having
reference to slaves, so long and SO far as
, not modified or declared void by decision
!, of the, Supreme Court So help me
God.
Il The persons excepted from the benefits
of the foregoing provisions are all who
] are or shall have been civil or dip.
. lomatic officers or agents of the
so-called Confederate Governments; al
who have left. Judicial positions under
the United States to aid the rebellion, OF
Who shall have been military or nava
Il odicers of the rank of Colonel in the
\ army or Lieutenant in the navy All who
l left seats in the United States Congress
j to aid in the rebellion All who resign
II ed their commissions in the army and
af navy Of the United States, and afterward:
! aided the rebellion. And allwho have en-.
Il gagged in any way in treating colored per
, sons, or white persons in charge of such
. otherwise than lawfully as prisoners o.
! war, and which persons may be found il
4 the, United States service as soldiers
! seamen, or in any other capacity. And
| do further proclaim, declare and make
known that whenever in any of the State;
ofArkansas, Pexas, Louisiana, Mississippi
t Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida
South Carolina and North Carolina, q
number of persons, not less than one
tenth of the number Of the votes cast in
such State at the Presidential election
+ in the year of our Lord, 1860, each hav
81 ing taken the oath aforesaid, and moi
i having since violated it, and being a
/ 4 qualified voter by the election laws Of
the State existing Immediately before the
| so.called act of secession and excluding
all others, shall establish State gov.
eminent, which shall be Republican in
form, and no wise contrayening said
oath, such shall :, be recognized
as the true government Of the State, shall
receive there ..under the benefits Of the
constitutional provision, which declares
that the United States shall guarantee to
every, State in this Union a republican
form of government, and shall protect
them against invasion, ON application oil
the Legislature, or Executive, when the
Legislature cannot be convened, against
domestic violence. r.e.sa- g,'l
And / do further proclaim, declare and
make known, that any further provision
which may be adopted by said State
government, in relation to the freed
people of such State, it shall re.
cogniZe and declare them permanently
freed, and shall provide for their edu
} cation. and which may yet be consistent
as temporary arrangement with their
present condition as a laboring, landless
and homeless 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, the boundary, the
subdivision, the constitution and the fed
eral code of laws, as before the rebellion.
: be maintained, subject only TO modi-
! iications made necessary by the condi.
tons hereinbefore stated and such others,
if any, contravening said conditions which
maybe deemed expedient by those fran:
ing the new State Government To avoid
misunderstanding it may be proper to
say that this proclamation, SO far as it
! relates to State Governments, has 20 re-
ferenceg to States wherein loyal State
Governments have all the while been
| maintained, and for the same reason it
maybe proper to further say that when
their members of Congress from any
State shall be admitted to seats eonstitu-
tionally rests exclusively with the
respective Houses, and not to any
extent with the Executives; and still
further, that this proclamation is in
tended to present to the people of the