Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-12-18

do also further proclaim, declare and
make known that, whenever in any of
the States of Arkansas, Texas, Louisi-
ana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama,
Georgia, Florida, South Carolina a n
North Carolina a number OF persons, not
less than one tenth in number of the
votes cast in such State at the presiden-
tial election of the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and sixty, each
having taken the oath aforesaid and not
having since violated it, and being a quail
flied voter by the election law Of the
State existing Immediately before the So
called act of secession, and excluding all
others, shall re-es!ablish state govern
ment which shall be republican and in no
wise contravening said cath, such gov
eminent shall be recognized as the true
/ government Of the State and the State
shall receive Hereunder, the benefits of
the constitutional provision, which de-
cares that "lhe United States shall guar
antee to every State in the Union re-
publican form Of government, and shall
protect each of them against invasion on
application of the Legislature, or the Elk
ecuive, when the Legislature cannot be
convened, and against domestic violence"
And | do further proclaim, declare and
make known that any provision, which
may be adopted by said State govern
ment, in relation to the freed people Of
such State, which shall recognize and de-
clare their permanent freedom and pro-
vide for their education, and which may
yet be consistent, as a temporary arrange~
ment, with their present condition as a
laboring, landless and homeless class, will
not be objected TO by the national Execu-
tive, and it is suggested as not improper
that, in constructing loyal State gov
eminent in any State, the name of the
State, the boundaries, the subdivisions,
the constitution and the general code Of
laws, as before the rebellion, he main
tanned, subject TO the notifications made
necessary by the condition hereinbefore
stated, and such others, if any, not con-
travening said conditions, and which may
be deemed expedient by those framing
the new State government.
To avoid misunderstanding, it may be
proper to say that this proclamation, so
far as 1t relates to State governments,
has no reference to States wherein loyal
State governments have all the while
been maintained; and for the same rea-
son it may be proper to further say, that
whether members sent TO Congress from
any State shall be admitted to seats, con
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 been suspended
and loyal State governments have been
a mode in and by which the
national authority and loyal State gov
ernments may be re-eStablshed within
said States, or in any of them; aud while
he mode presented is the best the Ex-
,cutive can suggest, with his present i'm
,res>ions, il must not be understood that
10 other mode would b. acceptable.
Given under my hand, at the City of
Washington, this eighth day of De-
cember, in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and sixty
three, and OF the independence Of
the United States of America, the
eighty eighth,
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
BY the President, VIM II. Seward,
Secretary of State.