Litchfield enquirer., 1863-12-17
Which oath shall be registered for permanent preseryation, and shall be of the tenor and

Which oath shall be registered for perma nent Yreseryation, and shall be of the tenor and sasSt sSIE2a ssIss,siy ssssE x nrs..aa of Almighty God, that will henceforth faith fully support, protect and defend the Consti- tuition of the United States and the Union of the States hereunder, and that Nifi. in lika manner, abide by and faithfully support ali acts of Congress passed during the existino Rebellion with reference to slaves, 50 long and so far as not repealed, modified, or held void by Congress or by decision of 1.-the Supreme and faithfully support all proclomat;ons oF The President made during the existino reha,l- aion having referencsf fo slaves. so lonr and so Tar as not modified or declared void by decis- Ion or the Supreme Court. So help me God"
 The persons excepted from the benefits of the foregoing provisions are all who are or shall have been civil or diplomatic officers or agents of the so called Confederate Govern nent; all who have left judicial stations un- der the United States to aid the Rsbellion lhsNho are.or Shall have been military or na. val officers of said so-called Confederate Gov ernmsnt above the rank of Colonel in the ar- my, of Lieutenant in the navy all who left seats ia tho United States Congress- to aid the Rebellion. -5't.'.s ,...+'--7 Z, .s a.p.. :. All who resigned commissions in tho army or navy of the United States, and afterward aided the Rebellion, and all who have been engaged in any way in treating colored per- sons or white persons in charge of such, oth- erwisc than lawfully as prisoners of war, who have been found in the United States service as soldiers, seamen or in any other capacity. ss.s sai a1 &t ar
 And I do further proclaim, declare, and maks known, that whenever, in any of the states of Arkansss, Texas, Louisiana. Mis sissippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Flori- ds. South Carolins, and North Carolina, q nambei of persons, not less than one tenth in number of the votes cast in such States, at the Presidential election of the year of our Lord, keoO,each having taken the oath aforesaid, ,and not having since violated il, ,& being qualified voter py the election law of the State existing Immediately before the 90 called act of Se- cession, and excluding all others, shall re-es- tablish 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 thereunder the benefit of the consti- tutional provision which declares that
 'The United States shall guarantee to eve. ry State in the Union Republican form of Government, and shall protect each of them against invasion, on application of the Legis- latufe, or of the Executive, when the Legisla- ture cannot be convened, against domestic vi olence.''
 And do further proclaim, declare, and make known, that any provision which may be adopted by such State Government in rela- tion to the freed people of such State which shall recognise and declare their permanent freedom, provide for their education, and which may yet be consistent, with their pres ent condition as laboring, landless, and houssless class, will not be objected to by the National Executive. ..- r-
 And it is engaged as not improper that, in constructing Q loyal State Government in any State, the name of the State, the boundary, the subdivisions, the Constitution and the general code of laws, as before the Rebellion, De maintained, subject only to the modifca- tions made necessary by the conditions herein before stated, and such others, if any, not contrsvening said conditions, and which may be deemed expedisnt by those framing the new State Government.
 To avoid misunderstanding,it it may be proper ts say that this Proclamation, % far as it re- lates to State Governments, 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 from any State shall be admitted to seats con. additionally, rests exclusively with the re- spective Houses, and not to any extent with the Executive.
 And still further, that this Proclamation is intended to present the people of the States wherein the national authority has been sus- pended, and loyal State Governments have been subverted, mode in and by which the national authority and loyal State Govern ments may be established within said States, or in any of tbem.
 And, while the mode presented Is the best the Executive can suggest with his present impt essions. it must not be understood that no other possible mode would be acceptable.
 Given under my hand at tho City of Wash ington, the 9th day of December, A. D. ono thousand eight hundred and sixty three, and of the independence of the United States of America the eighty eighth.
 ABRAHAM LINCOLN. By the President, @ F-f
 WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.