, 1867-09-20
NUMBER 40.
The New Amnesty ProcIama,Ion.

WAsHSGToS, September s.-The following
pardon proclamation, prepared yesterday, was
not issued until this afternoon:
4 Proclamation by The President Of the United
States Of AMeriea:
Rhereds, In the month Of July, 1861, the two
Houses Of Congress with extraordinary uuauim
ity solemnly declared that the war then existing
was not waged on the part of the Government in
any spirit OF oppression, nor for any purpose of
conquest or subjugation, nor for the purpoSSSof
oVerthrowlDg or interfering with the rights or
established institutions of the States but TO de-
mand and maintain the supremacy of the Consti.
tuition, preserve the Union in all It's dignity with
the equality Of the rights Of the several States
unippaired, and that soon as these objects
| should be accomplished the war ought to cease
and,
Whereas, The President OF the United States, on
the sth day of December, 1868, and on the 26th
of March, 1864, did, with the object of suppress
ing the then existing rebellion and of inducing
all persons to return to their loyalty, and of res
storing the authority of the United States, issue
proclamation offering amnesty and pardon to
all persons who had directly or indirectly psr>
ticiPated in the then existing rebellion, except as
IN those proclamatlons was specified and reserV-
ed and,
Wiereas, The President of the United States
did, on the 29th day of May, A. D. 1865, issue q
further proclamation with the same objects be-
fore mentioned, and to the end that the authority
of the Government Of the United States might be
restored, and that peace, order aud freedom
might be established and the President did by
said last mentioned proclamation, proclaim and
declare that be thereby granted all persons who
bad directly or indirectly participated in the ex-
lstlng rebellion, except as therein excepted am
nesty and pardon, with the restoration of all the
rights Of property except as to slaves, except in
certain cases where legal proceedings had been
instituted, but upon the condition that such per-
sons should take and subscribe to an oath there
in prescribed which oath should be registered
for permanent preservation, and,
Whereas, In and by said last mentioned proc>
lamation Of the 29th OF May 1865, fourteen dis
tinct classes of persons therein specially descri
bed were excepted and excluded from the benefits
thereof and
Whereas, The President of the United States
did on the I'd day of April, 1866, issue a proc
lamation declaring that the insurrection was at
an end and was therefore so regarded and
Where's, There now exists organized resis:
tance Of insurgents, citizens others to the au-
thorty of the United States, in the States of Geor-
gia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia;
Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas Mis-
sissippi, Florida and Texas, the law can be susG
tanned and enforced therein by proper civil au-
thority, State or Federal, and the people of said
States are well and Loyalty disposed, and have
conformed and if permitted to do so, will con-
firm in Legislation to the conditions of affairs
growing out of the Amendments of the ConstituN
ton prohibiting slavery throughout the jurisdic-
ton Of the United States, and
Whereas, There no longer exists any reasonaS
ole Hanger, GO4 30 aEy 50 te apaFehapeed, within
the States which were involved in the late tebel-
ion, or any unlawful resistance by the people of
said States to the Constitution and laws of the
United States, and
Whereas, As large standing armies, military
occupauve, martial law, military tribunals
and the suspension of the privilege of ha6eas
corpus and right of trial by jury in time of
peace dangerous to the public liberty, and in
compatible with the indubitable rights of cti-
zeus, contrary to the genius and spirit of our
free institutions and exhaustive of the national
resources, and ought not therefore to be sane
toned or allowed, except in cases of actual ne
cessity for repelling invasion or suppressing in>
surrection or rebellion and
Whereas, A retaliatory vindictive policy,
attended by unnecessary disqualification, heavy
con6scation and disfran chisement now and al
ways could only aid to hinder reconstruction
among the people, while it must necessarily ems
barrass, obstruct and repress national industry
and enterprise, for these reasons it is now deem>
ed essential to the public welfare, to a more per-
feet restoration and the control of law and order,
that said last mentioned proclamation aforesaid,
issued on the 10th day of May, 1865, should be
modified and that the full pardon conceded
thereby, should be opened and further extended
to large number of persons who, by its afore-
said exceptions have been heretofore excluded
from the Executive eiemency.
Now therefore be it known that /, Andrew
johnson, President of the United States, do here
by proclaim and declare that the full pardon
described in said proclamation of the goth Of
May, 1865, shall henceforth be extended to all
persons who directly or indirectly participated
in the late rebellion, with the restoration of all
immunities aud rights of property,
except as to property with regard to slaves, exr
cept in cases leading to proceedings under the
law of the United States but upon this condi-
ton, nevertheless that every such person who
shall seek to avail himself of this pardon, shall
take and subscribe to the following oath, and
shall cause the same to be registered for perma-
nent preservation in the same manner and with
the same effect as the oath prescribed in such
proclamation of May 20th, A. D. 1865, viz 81
do solemnly swear or affirm in the presence of
Almighty God, that l will henceforth support,
protect and defend the Constitution and Union,
that will in like manner abide by and faithfully
support all Laws aud Procamations which have
been made during the late rebellion with reference
to the emancipation of slaves, so help me God"
The following persons are excluded from the
benefits of this proclamation and said proclama-
tion of 29th May, 1865, namely:
First, The chief, or pretended exe.:'uve OIL
GERS, including the President and Vice President,
and all heads of Departments Of the pretended
Confederate or Rebel Government and all VINO
were agents thereof in foreign States and coun-
tries; and all who held or pretended to bold in
the service of said pretended Confederate Gov
ernment. military rank or title above the rank OF
Brigadier General and the naval rank or title
above that of Captain and all who were or pre>
tended to be Governors of States while maintain
ing, abetting, submitting to and acquiescing in
the rebellion. .,
Second, All persons who in any way treated
otherwise than as lawful prisoners of war, the
prisouers who in any capacity were employed
or engaged in the military service of the United
States.
Third All persons who at the time they may
seek to claim the benefits of this proclamation,
are actually in civil, military or naval confne-
ment or held to bail after conviction and all
persons who were engaged directly or indirectly
IN the assassination Of the late President of the
United States, or in any plot or conspiracy in
my manner Herewith connected.
In testimony whereof have caused the seal
If the United States, to be there6nto affixed.