, 1866-04-13

Presidents ProclamAtion declaring peace;
WHEREAS, By proclamation on the 10th and
19th Of April, 1861, the President Of the United
States, in virtue OF power vested in him by the
Constitution and laws, declared that the laws Of
the United States were opposed and the execu.
tion thereof obstrueted 10 the States Of South
Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Lousi-
ana and Texas, by combinations too po oWerfufto
be suppressed by ordinary judicial proceedings,
OF by powers vested in the United States officials
hE- -lAUs and whereas, BY another proclamation
year, IN pursuance Of an ,-yt--f Congresst an
Proved'Ju uly 18th, 1851 the inhabitants Of Geor-
gia, South CAROLINA, Virginia, North Carolina.
Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, ArkansaI'
and Texas, except the inhabitants of that
portion of Virginia lying west Of the
Allegheny Mountains, and such other
portions Of The. other States before named as
might maintain loyal adhesion to the Union
and the Constitution, or might be from time 10
time occupied and controlled BY the forces Of
the United States engaged in the dispersion Of
the insurgents, were declared in a State of in
surEection against the United States and where
as, By another proclamation, on the lst day Of
July, 1862, issued 10 pursuance Of an act of
Congress, approved June, same year, the iusur-
rection was declared to be still existing in the
States aforesaid with the exception of certain
specified counties in the State of Virginia; and
whereas, By another proclamation on the 2nd
day of April, 1868, in pursuance cf an act of
Congress, passed July l4tb, 1sei, the exceptions
named in the proclamation on the 2nd day of
April, 1868, in pursuance of an act of Congress,
passed July l4th, 1861, the exceptions named in
the proclamation of August I6 1861, were re.
voked and the inhabitants of Georgia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Arkansas,
Mississippi, Florida, and Virginia, exeept the
forty eight counties of Virginia designated az
West Virginia, the ports of New Orleans, Kew
West, Port Royal, and Beaufort South Carroll.
ma, were to be declared in state of insurrec-
tlon against the United States; and whereas
The House of Representatives, on the 22d Of
July, 1861, adopted resolution in words as
follows: Resolved, That the present deplorable
civil war having been forced upon the country
by dsunionIsts in the Southern States now in
revolt against the Constitutional Government
and in arms around the capital: that In :their
national emergencies, Congress, banishirg all
feelings of mere passion resentment, will re-
collect only its duty to the whole country; that
this war is not waged on our part in any spirit
Of oppression, nor for any purpose of conquest
or subJugaton; nor for the purpose of over
whelming or interfering with the rights or estab-
lished institutions of those States, but to main
tain and defend the supremacy Of the Constitu-
tion and preserve the Union, with all the equal
ity and dignity OF the several States unimpaired;
aud that as soon these objects are accom-.
plished the war ought to ceasej and whereas,
L nc Geudte Ol tue bulleQ DIateS, on the 2Oth OF
July, 1851, adopted resolution, in words, viz,
the same as above; and whereas These resolu-
tons, though not Joint or concurrent in form,
are substantially identical and may be regarded
as having been the expressed wish of Congress-
upon the subject to which they relate; and
whereas, By proclamation of the lIth of June
last, the insurrection in the State ofsTennessee
was declared to have been suppressed, the au-
thoritv of the United States there to be undis-
Puted, and such officers as had been deputed to
the unrestricted exercise of their official func.
tions; and whereas, There is now no organiza-
tion or resistance Of misguided citizens or 9TH
ecs to the authority Of the United States, in the
States Of Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina,
Tennessee, Alabama, louisiana Arkansas Mis-
sissippi, South Carolina, Texas and Florida,
and laws sustained and enforced therein by the
proper civil authority of the State and Federal
and the people of States are we'll
and loyalty disposed to have conformed or will
conform to their legislation of affairs growing
out of the amendment to the Constitution of the
United States, prohibiting slavery within the
limits or jurisdiction of the United States and
must cease in consideration of these before cf-
ted premises, it is the manifest determination of
The American people that no State of its own will
has the right to separate itself o. be separated
from the American Union, and that therefore
each State ought to constitute an integral part
of the United States. Whereas the people Of
n inner named given Satisfactory evidence that
they acquiesce in the several Important restora-
lions of the national interests and whereas it is
elieved to be fundamental principle of the
Government that people who have revolted and
nave been overcome and subdued must so be
dealt with as to induce them voluntarily to be-
come friends, or else they must be held by ab-
solute arbitrary power, or else SO devastated as
to forever prevent them from doing harm as en-
emies; which last named policy is abhorent to
humanity and Freedom;
And Whereas, The Constitution of the United
States provides for constitutional communities
only as States, and not Territories dependent
Or protectoTate; and whereas, The consent must
necessarily be had by the Constitution of the
United States, placed on proper footing, as
the rights of communities demand, and provided
with the several parties with which they are
governed, and which political policy in the Ptin-
cple of right and justice is well calculated to
induce the people of said States to become more
constant in their renewed allegiance; and
The standing army military occuPa-
ton, mjitary law, military tribunals, and sus-
pension of the writ of habeds corpus are in times
of peace dangerous 70 public liberty and ineom-
patible with the ordered rights of persons and
TO the genius of our institutions, apd
exhaustive of the national resources and ought
net therefore, to be sanctioned or allowed ex-
cept in cases of actual necessity, as INVASION or
for the suppression of treasonj aud whereas the
Government of the United States, from the be-:
ginning ofthe instruction to its suppression, has
been carried on ih conformity with the principles
hereinbefore enumerated, therefore, !, Andrew
President of the United States, do here.
by proclaim and declare that the insurreetiou
which has heretofore existed in the States OF
Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee
Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and
Florida is at an end, and henceforth to be SO re,
garded. q 351GGgij
In testimony whereof, have hereunto setFf
hand and caused the great seal Of the United
States TO be affixed. Done at the CITY OF Washii
ington. the I'd day Of April, ID the year or our
Lord, eighteen h1pdIed and sixty-sixi aud of
the independence of the United States'fhe nine
tieth. ANDREW JOHNSON,
President of the United States.
VIZ. II. SEwAKD,
Gncrafarv of State