The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1866-04-13

officers as had been duly commissioned
to be in the undisputed exercise of their
official functions.
Ind uheredS, There now exists no
organized armed resistance Of nlisguid-
ed citizens or Others to the authority of
the United States il the States of.Geor-
gia, South Carolins, Virginia, North
Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Louis
lana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Flori-
da, and the laws caT be sustained and
enforced therein by the proper civil au-
thority, State or federal, and the people
Of the said States aIe well and Loyalty
disposed, and have sonformed, or will
conform, in their legislation, to the con
dition Of affairs growing out of the a.
mendment to the Constitution Of the
United States prohibiting slavery with
in the limits and iu1sdiction of the T.
nited States.
Ind gHeredS, In view Of the before
recited premises, til me manifest de-
termination of the American people
that no State, Of l. own will, has the
right or power togo out Of, or separate
itself from, or be separated from, the
American Union; and that, therefore,
each State ought to remain and consti-
tute an integfal part of the United
States.
Ind ,rhereH, The people Of the sew
eral before-nentioned States have, in
themanner gforesaid, given satisfactory
evidence th3t theyacquiesce in this SOW
ereign and important restoration Of the
national unity.
ind 5rhtreaS, 1t is believed to he a
fundamental principle Of government,
that peope who have revolted and who
have been overcome and subdued must
eitherbe dealtwith soas to induce them
voluntarily to become friends, or else
they must be held by absolute military
power oc devastated so as to prevent
them from ever again doing harm as
enemies, which Iast-named policy is
abhorrent to humanity and freedom.
and trheredS, The Constitution Of the
United States provides for constitutions
al communities only a. States and not
as territories, dependencies, provinces,
or protectorates.
ind aCherens, Such constituent States
must necessarily be, and by the Consti-
tuition and laws Of the United States
are made, equals and placed on a like
footing as to political rights, immuni-
ties, dignity and power with the sever
al States with which they are united.
Ind ichereds, The observance of po-
Iitical equality as principle of right
and Justice is well calculated to encour-
age the people Of the aforesaid States
to become more and more constant and
persevering in their renewed alleg-
lance,
and 3rhereqs, Standing armies, mill
tary occupation, martial law, military
tribunals, and the suspension Of the
privilege of the writ Of hdbens corpus,
are, in time Of peace, dangerous to pub
lie liberty, incompatible with the indi-
vidual rights Of the citizens, contrary
to the genius and spirit Of our free in
stitutions, and exhaustive of the ma
tionaI resources, and ought not, there
fore, to be sanctioned or allowed, eN
crpt in cases Of actual necessity for re-
pelling invasion, or suppressing insur-
rection or rebellion;
ind lcHereas, The policy of the gov
ernment of the United States, from the
beginning of the insurrection to its O.
verthrow and final suppression, has
been in conformity with the principles
herein set forth and enumerated:
Therefore. 1, Andrew johnson, Pres
ident Of the United States. do hereby
proclaim and declare that the insurrec-
ton which heretofore existed in the
States Of Georgia, South Carolina,
North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee,
Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missis-
sippi, and Florida is at an end, and
henceforth to be so regarded.
In testimony whereof l have hereun-
to set my hand and caused the seal of
the United States to he affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, the
second day OF April, in the year of our
Lord, one thousand eight hundred and
sixty-six, and of the independence of
the United States of America the nine
tieth.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
BY the President:
WILLIAM II. SEWARD, Secretary OF
State.