The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-05-21
NUMBER SO.
Proclamation.
WASHINGTON, May s, 1862.
By the President of the U. S. A., a Proclamation

%C - 1870
By the President of the U. S. A., a Proclamation
Whereas, The Congress of the United States
at its last session enacted a law, entitled, An
act for enrolling and calling out the National
forces, and for other purposes, which was APP
proved on the Sd day of March last, and
Whereas. It is recited in said act that there
now exists in the United States an insurrec-
ton and rebellion against the authority there
of. and it is under the Constitution Of the Uni
ted States the duty of the Government to sup
press the insurrection and rebellion, to guar
antee to each State a Republican form Of Gov
eminent, and preserve public tranquility, and
Uhereas, For these high purposes a militia
ry force is indispensable to its support, to
which all persons ought willingly contribute !;
and whereas. no service can be more praise
worthy and honorable than that which is rem
dered for the maintenance of the Constitution
and the Union, and the consequent preserva-
ton of free Government and
UbercnS. For the reasons thus reclted, 1t
was enacted by the said statute that all able
| bodied male citizens of the United States, and
persons of foreign birth, who shall have de
clared on oath, their intention to become cit
liens, under and inpursuanceo of the laws there
of, between the ages of twenty and forty-five
years, with certain exceptions not necessary
to be herein mentioned, and declared to con
stitute the national forces, and shall be liable
to perform military duty i'll the service OF the
United States, when called out by the Iresl-
dent for that purpose and
Whereas. 1t is claimed on behalf Of persons
of foreign birth, within the ages specified III
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 sui
frage, or any other political franchise under
/ the laws of the United States, or OF any OF the
States thereof, that they are not absolutely
concluded by their aforesaid declarations OF
intentions from renouncing their purpose to
become citizens; and that, on the contrary,
such persons under treaties or the law of ma
tons. retain a right to renounce that purpose,
and to forego the privilege Of citizenship and
residence within the United States, under the
obligations imposed by the aforesaid act OF
Congress. Now therefore, to avoid all mis-
a~pprehensions concerning the liability OF per
sons concerned to perform the service requlr-
ed bv such enactment, and to give it full CT
feet, | 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 for
eign birth, who shall have declared on oath
his intentions to become a citizen OF the I'M
ted States. under the laws thereof, and who
shall be found within the United States at any
time during the continuance Of the present re
bellion, at or after the expiration OF the peri
cd of sixty-tive days from the date OF this
Proclamation, nor shalt any such plea Of al
ienage be allowed in favor of any such per
sons, who nave 50, us aforesaid declared their
intention to become citizens OF the United
States, and shall have exercised, at any time,
the right of suffrage, or any other political
franchise within the United States, under the
laws of any of the several States.
(Signed) ABRAHAM LINCOLN.