The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-12-12
a PROCLAMATION.
By THE PRESIDENT.

sons have committed and are now guilty
of treason against the United States /;
and whereas, WITH reference % said re
bellion and treason, laws have been en-
acted by Congress declaring the forfeit
ure and eonfseatiOR Of property aud lib
Grafton of slaves, all upon terms and con-
ditions therein stated, and also declaring
that President has thereby authorized
at any time thereafter BY proclamation.
to ext nd to persons who may have par
tcipated IN the existing rebellion in any
State, or part thereof pardon and am
nesty, with such exceptions, and at such
time and on such conditions he NAV
deem expedient for the public welfare |:
aud whereas, the Congressional declara-
ton for limited and conditional pardon
accorded with well established judicial
expeditions of The pirjoning power; AMI
where's, with reference 70 said rebellion
tie President OF the UHited States has
issued several prOelamations with pro-
visions in regard to the Liberation of
slaves; and whereas, it is now desired
by some persons heretofore engaged in
said rebellion TO resume their allegiance
to the United States, and rein.ugurats
| loyal State governments within and fer
their respective States
| Therefore, !, Abraham Lincoln, Presi-
dent of the United States, do proclaim,
declare, and make known TO sll persons
swho have, directly or by implication,
| participated in the existing rebellion,
except as hereinafter excepted, that full
/ pardon is granted to them, and each Of
them, with the restoration Of ell their
| rights if third parties shall have inter-
| vened, and upon the condition that every
such person shall take snd subscribe an
oath and thenceforward keep and main
| tain said oath inViOlate, aud which oath
snail be registered for permanent preser-
v.tiop, and shall be Of ths tenor and
effect following, to-wii
al 90 solemnly swear in the presence
of Almighty God that I viii hencefor h
faithfully support, protect, and defend
| she Constitui ion of the United States and
| the Union Of States hereunder, and that
[ will in like manner abide by aud faith
fally support all acts of Congress passed
during the existing rebellion, with refer
ence to slaves, so long and 50 far as not
vet repealed, modified, or held void By
! Congress or by decision Of the Supreme
| Court, and that | will in like manner
abide b. ami faithfully support all proc
| lAmation5 Of the President made during
the existing rebellion, having reference to
slaves, so long aud so far as not modified
or declared void by decision of the Sa-
preme Court so help me God"
The persons excepted from the benefits
Of the for2going provisions are ali who
are or shall have been civilpr diplomatic
officers or agents of the SO called Con-
federste Government; all who have left
| Judicial stations under the United States
to aid the rebellion, or who shall have
been military or naval officers Of the rank
of colonel in the army or lieutenant Ia
| the navy; all who left seats IN the Uni
ted States Congress to aid in the rebel
lion; all who resigned their commission
in the army and navy Of the United
States, and afterWard aided the rebel
lion; and all who have engaged in any
way in treating colersd persons or WIN 9
persons in chaEge of such otherwise th
! lawfully as prisoners Of war, and which
persons may be found in 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 States Of Aikan-
kansas, Alabama, Texas. Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi, Tennessee, Georgia Florida,
| South Carolina, a number of persons,
no less than one-tenth of the number of
the votes cast in such States at the Presi.
Dental election of the year Of our Lord
| 1860 each having taken the oath afore-
said, and not having since violated it,
and being qualified voter by Che cleo
ton laws of the State existing immedi-
ately before the so-called act of seees-
sion, and excluding all others, shall
lseBtablish State government which shall
be republican, and no wise cOntravening
said oath, such shall be TecOg nized as the,
true government Of the States, and the
States shall receive hereunder the bene-
| fits of their constitutional provisions,
which declares that the United States
shall fully guarantee every State in this
Union republican form Of government,
and shall protect each Of them against
| invasion, and on application of the legis-
/ Iature, or the executive, when the legis
| lature cannot be convened, against de-
nestle violsnce; and do hereby further
proclaim, declare and make known, that
any provision which may be adopted By
such State government, in rslstlon to the
freed people Of such State, which shall
recognize and declare their permanent
freedom, and provide for heir education,
and which may yet be consistent as
= temporary arrangement with their
present condition as a laboring, land
less and homeless class, viii not be
objected to by the national executive (;
and it IS suggested as not improper
that in constructing = State government
in any State, the name Of the boundary,
the subdivision, the consti utioD, and the
Federal code OF laws, as before the rebel
I ion, be mainisiDed, subject only TO modi-
cations made necessary by tie conditions
| hereinbef0re stated, and such others, II
any, eontraVsning said conditions which
NAV be deemed expedlent BY those franz
ing The new State government To avoid
misunderstanding, il may be proper 10
say that this proclamation so far IS il re-
lates to State governments, has no refer
ence to States wherein loyal State go
yernmenta have all the while been main
tanned; and for the same reason, il may
be proper 10 further say that, whether
members sent 20 Congress from any State
shall be admitted 10 seats consdtutionslly
rests exclusively with the respective
Houses, aud not to any extent with the
Executive; and still further, that this pro-
clamation is intended to present to the
people Of the States Whtrsia the national
authority has been suspended and the
! loyal State governments have been sub
yertsd mode By which the national
authority over every loyal State govern
ment may be established within said
States, or any Of them; aad while .Ae
mode presented is Che best the Executive
can suggest with his present impression,
il must not be understood that another
possible mode would not be acceptable.
Given under my hand 81 the city Ct
Washington this b day Of December,
A. D. 1868 and Of tie Independence 81
the United States Of America the eighty
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