Evening star., 1863-05-09
D F r ICIAL.
BY tie Presdent Of the United States ef America.
-. A APRQCLAMATIlN

BY fhe President Of fhe United States ef America
st. A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas the Congress Of the United States,
at Its last ses sion. enacted law entitled Z" An
act for enrolling and calling out the national
forces and for other purposes" J" which was ap-
proved on the Sd day of March last; and where
as 1t is recited In the said act that there now
exists in the United States an instruction and
rebellion against the authority thereof, and 1t
is under the Constitution of the United States
the duty Of the Government to suppress insur-
rection and rebellion, to guarantyto each State
a republican form OF government, and to pre-
serve the public tranquility; and whereas for
these high purposes a military force is indis-
pensable, to raise and support which all per-
sons ought willingly to contribute; and whereas
no service can be more praiseworthy and hon.
oIable than that which is rendered for the
maintenance Of the Constitution and Union and
the consequent preservation of cree govern
rnen; and whereas, for the reasons aus recited,
1t was enacted by the said statute lat all able
Bodied male citizens Of the Units States and
persons Of foreign birth who sn, II have de-
clared their intention TO become Gil sens, under
and in pursuance Of the laws ther of, between
the ages OF twenty and forty.five ears, with
certain exceptions not necessary to be here
meationed,) are declared to constitute the ma
tional forces, and 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 is claimed by and
in behalf of persons of foreign birth within the
ages specified in said act, who have heretofore
declared on oath their intentions to become
citizens under and in pursuance of the laws of
the United States, and who have not exercised
the right OF suffrage any other political
franchise under the laws OF the United States,
or Of any ofthe States thereof are not absolute-'
ly concluded by their aforesaid declaration Of
intention from renouncing their purpose to be-
come citizens and that, on the CO trary, such
persons, under treaties or the Ia, of nations,
retain right to renounce that pu >ose and to
forego the privileges Of citizensf : and resi-.
dence within the United States, under the OBJ
legations imposed by the aforesaid act of Con-
gress:
Now, therefore, to avoid all misapprehen-
sions concerning the liability of persons con-
cernsd to perform the service required by such
enactment and to giveit full effect, do hereby
order and proclaim that no plea of alienage
Will be received or allowed to exempt from the
obligations imposed by the aforesaid act of
Congress any person of foreign birth who shall
have declared on oath his intention to become
citizen OF the United States under the laws
thereof, and who shall be found within the
United States at any time during the contin-
uance of the present ins direction a. d rebellion
at or after the expiration Of the period OF sixty
hNe days from the date of this proclamation,
nor shall any such plea Of alienage be allowed
in favor of any such person who has so, as
aforesaid, declared his intention to become 8
citizen of the United States, and shall have ex-
ereised at any time the light of suffrage, or any
other political franchise, within the United
States, under the laws thereof, or under the
laws of any of the several States.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto caused
the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington. this eighth
day of May, in the year ef our Lord one
e.. 81 thousand eight hundred and sixty
three, and Of the independence Of the
United States the eighty seventh.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
BY the President:
WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary Of State.