The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-12-18

Of States Hereunder, and that will
! in like manner, abide by and faith
: fully support all acts of Congress
passed during the existing rebellion
I. with reference to Slaves, so long and
so far as not repealed, modified or
held void by Congress, or by de-
cision of the Supreme Court, and that
] will, in like manner, abide by and
faithfully support all proclnmations
of the President, made during the
existing rebellion, having reference
to Slaves, so long and so far as not
modified or declared void by decis
ion of the Supreme Court. So help
me Cod"
The persons excepted from the ben
efits Of the foregoing provisions, are
all who aae or shall have been civil or
diplomatic officers or agents OF the
SO called Confederate Government;
and all who have left judicial stations
under the United States Congress,
TO aid in the rebellion; oil who resign
ed their commissions in the army and
navy or the United States, and after
wards aided the rebellion, and all
who have engaged in any way in trea-
ting colored persons or white per-
SOILS in charge of such, otherwise
than lawfully as prisoners Of war and
which persons may have been found
in the United States service as SOL
diers, seamen, or in any other capac-
lity.
And ! do further proclaim, declare
and make known, that whenever In
any Of the States Of Arkansas, Texas
Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee,
Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South
/ Carolina, and North Corolina. num-
ber ofp ,rsons, not less than one tenth
of the number of votes cast in such
state at the Presidential election of
the year of our Lord 1860, each hav-
ing taken the oath aforesaid, and not
having since violated it, and being Il
qualified voter by the election laws of
the State, existing Immediately be-
fore the so called act ofsecession, and
excluding all others, shall re.estab-
lish q State government, which
shall be Republican, and in no wise
contravening said oath-such shall be
recognized as the true government Of
the State, and the State shall receive
hereunder the benefits of the Consti-
tutional provision which declares
that the United States shall guarantee
10 every State in the Union a repub-
lican form of government, and shall
protect each of them against invasion
and on application of the Legislature
or the Executive when the Legisla-
ture cannot be convened, against do
mcotio violence.
And 1 do further proclaim, declare
and make known, that any provision
which may be adopted by such gov
iernment in relation to the freed peo-
pie of such State, which shall rec
ognize and declare their permanent
freedom and provide for their educa-
ton, and which may yet be consistent
as temporary arrangement, with
thei, present condition as laboring,
landless and homeless class, will not
be objected to by the National Exec
utive.
And it is suggested as not improp.
er that, in reconstructing loyal State
government in any State, the name
the boundary, the subdivision, and
the Federal code Of laws, as before
the rebellion, be maintained. subject
vuly ~ tire notifications made nrv-
essary by the conditions herein be-
fore stated, and such others, if any
not contravening said conditions,
which may be deemed expedient by
those framing the new State govern
ment
TO avoid misunderstanding it may
be proper to say that this proclama
ton, so far as it relates to State gov
ernments, has no reference to States
wherein loyal State governments have
all the while been maintained. And
for the same reason it may be proper
to further say that whether members
sent to Congress from any State shall
be admitted to seats, constitutionally
rests exclusively with the respective
Houses, and not to any extent with
the Executive. And still further,
that this proclamation is intended to
present to the people of the States
wherein the national authority has
be- n suspended and loyal State gov
ernments have been subverted, @
mode by which the national authori,
ty over every loyal State government
may be re- established within said
states or any of them. And while
the mode presented is the best the Ex-
ecutive can suggest with his present
impressions, it must not be under
stood that another possible mode
would not be acceptable.
Given under my hand, at the City
of Washington, the eighth day OF
December, A. D. 1868, and Of the In.
dependence of the United States OF
America the eighty-.ight.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
BY the President:
WIN. II. SEWARD, Secretary of State,
Il